Brick by Brick - A Study of Nehemiah - Seeing God's Faithfulness

Hey, Church. I'm really excited to be kicking off a new series with you today. A series we've called Brick by Brick, A Study of Nehemiah. When we hear the name of that Old Testament book, Nehemiah, I wonder what it brings to mind. Some of you might be a bit confused.

Maybe it's been a while since you looked in that part of the Old Testament. Others probably know that Nehemiah is about building a wall. Not the same wall that you hear about in the news, but many of us probably aren't super clear on where it fits into the timeline of Scripture. And so today I wanted to spend a few moments with you, just kind of setting the scene, setting the context for what this book is all about and where it sits within the Old Testament. And so the last time we were in the Old Testament together, we were talking about Moses.

As Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt towards the promised land. The book of Nehemiah sits a thousand years on from Moses life. And what we have is this incredible story throughout the Old Testament of the Israelites as they finally enter the promised land, as they go in and as they take territory and as they establish themselves there. But we also know that despite God's faithfulness, that they quickly turned to idolatry, that they didn't live in the way that God had called them to, that they compromised. And as a result of that, we see the consequences of their sin in lots of different ways.

One of those consequences is that the nation of Israel splits into two. Ten tribes established the northern kingdom called Israel, and two tribes established the southern kingdom called Judah. The northern kingdom turns really quickly to idolatry. And we see that God sends prophets to them, calling them back to him, warning them of the consequences of their sinful living. But they don't listen.

And as a result, the Assyrians come and they destroy the northern kingdom, the southern kingdom of Judah. It lasts for about 200 more years. Again, God sends prophets, calling them back to faithful living, calling them back to the law that he had given them. But instead, again, they don't listen. And so God, through the Babylonians, brings judgment on the southern kingdom as well.

And in 586 B.C. the Babylonians come in and they destroy the city of Jerusalem. In the southern kingdom, they destroy the temple and they kill most of the people. And the remaining few are carried off into exile in Babylon. It's an incredibly horrible time for those that survive, for those carried off into exile.

And we know the bitterness of their despair of being separated from the land that God had promised to them. In fact, the Psalmist captures it for us in Psalm 137, where they write these words. Beside the rivers of Babylon. We sat and wept as we thought of Jerusalem. We put away our harps and hanging them on the branches of poplar trees, for our captors demanded a song from us.

Our tormentors insisted on a joyful hymn. Sing us one of those songs of Jerusalem. But how can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a pagan land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget how to play the harp. May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth if I fail to remember you, if I don't make Jerusalem my greatest joy.

During their decades of exile in Babylon, the Jewish remnant that remained established their lives there. In fact, this is what God had told them to do through the prophet Isaiah, who writes to them at the start of their exile. And we have that letter for us in Jeremiah 29. And in verse four, God says to his people, this is what the Lord of heaven's armies, the God of Israel, said, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem. Build homes and plan to stay.

Plant gardens and eat the food they produce. Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply, do not dwindle away and work for the peace and the prosperity of the city where I have sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.

Now. You might be familiar with the stories of some of those exiles, some of the really well known ones. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego. We even read of Esther, who rose to a position of prominence in exile. Despite being captives in a foreign land, some of the Jews continued to follow the God of their ancestors.

They longed for the Promised land. They longed for Jerusalem. They longed to be worshipping God there in the temple. And while away in exile, they looked ahead to this great hope because God had made a promise to them. It was in that same letter from the prophet Jeremiah.

And during their decades in captivity, they held on to the promise. Jeremiah 29:10 says this. This is what the Lord says. You'll be in Babylon for 70 years, but then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord.

They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, oh, listen, if you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me and I'll be found by you, says the Lord. I'll end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I've sent you, and I will bring you to your home again, to your own land. God was faithful to his promise.

And after 70 years, a small remnant, about 50,000 Jews returned to Jerusalem. Despite their small number, they set about the task of rebuilding. We know that under Zerubbabel, the temple was rebuilt, and under Ezra, some spiritual reforms were put established for spiritual renewal amongst the people. And so, the focus of our study, the Book of Nehemiah, it picks up 15 years after the end of Ezra, nearly a hundred years from the first return. And yet we discover that the walls of Jerusalem still lay in ruins.

And this is where Nehemiah enters the story. And this is what we're going to pick up on next week as we launch into Nehemiah Chapter one. But today, as we start this series, as we get ready for it, as we prepare for it, in our hearts for what God wants to say to us, I want to challenge you with one thing. I want you to keep it in your mind. As we work our way through this story.

Let's jump ahead from Nehemiah about 450 years to just after Jesus has risen from the dead. It's a moment that Luke 24 captures for us so powerfully. The disciples are shocked. Jesus has been telling them that this was going to happen. And yet maybe they didn't believe it, or they certainly didn't quite understand exactly what God was going to do and the fact that Jesus would rise again.

And so Jesus appears before them and he says to them, look, it's me. Come and touch me. Look at my hands, look at my feet. Know that I am here with you. In fact, Jesus even goes as far as saying, give me a piece of that fish and I'll eat it.

And you'll see, I'm not a ghost. I've risen from the dead. But I want you to notice here in Luke 24 what Jesus does next. And it's there for us in verse 44 of that chapter. Jesus says to them, when I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the Prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.

Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and he said, yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations beginning in Jerusalem. There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent. Of all the conversations that he could have had with them, what Jesus does is he opens their eyes. Not just physically, but spiritually, he opens their eyes.

He draws their attention again to the scriptures that they thought they knew. He walks them through the law, the prophets, the psalms. These are the Old Testament scriptures, the Hebrew Bible, including the book of Nehemiah. He shows them that everything that was written was pointing ahead to him, to the promised Messiah, to the Saviour who would do far more than set up an earthly kingdom, but instead would come to bring forgiveness of sins and new life. Now it's easy for us to spend our time focused in on the New Testament.

It's maybe easier for us to understand sometimes, and it's certainly overflowing with hope and with truth. But here in Luke 24, what Jesus wants is he wants his disciples to understand the Old Testament deeply. He wanted them to see the big picture of it. He wanted them to know and see God's faithfulness across generations, his unbreakable promises and the unfolding plan of salvation. And so for you and me today, we mustn't see the Old Testament as just history.

In fact, it's so much more than that. It's a story about a faithful God who never abandons his people. Even when they sinned, even when they failed, even when they faced exile, even when Jerusalem lay in ruins and the temple was destroyed, God's plan for restoration was still moving forward. And this is where Nehemiah enters. God calls him to rebuild the broken walls and restore hope.

And Nehemiah, he steps up. And through his story, what we see is God's faithfulness in action. No matter how impossible the situation, God keeps His promises and he invites us to partner with him in his work. So, church, as we dive into this new series, I want to encourage you to expect to see God's faithfulness shining through human brokenness.

We'll uncover how the ancient stories call us today to trust God's timing, to believe in his promises, and to join him in building his kingdom. So let's be reminded, Church, that He is faithful. He is at work in our lives, in our families and in our church. Let's pray. Our God, we thank you for your word.

We thank you for the Old Testament scriptures. We thank you for the book of Nehemiah. Lord, we thank you that all of these things point towards you are a faithful God, that you love us, that your plans, which you set in place always come to fruition, Lord, that we can be confident in your promises. Lord, we're grateful that you choose each one of us to partner in your work. That you call us to a work of building, of building your kingdom.

And so, God, as we examine this book, Holy Spirit, speak to us, we pray in Jesus name, amen.