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Scripture: Nehemiah
6:15-19
15So the wall was completed
on the twenty-fifth of the
month Elul, in fifty-two days. 16When all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations
surrounding us saw it, they lost their
confidence; for they recognized that this work had been accomplished with
the help of our God. 17Also in those days many
letters went from the nobles of Judah to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them. 18For many in Judah were
bound by oath to him because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of
Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam the son
of Berechiah. 19Moreover, they were
speaking about his good deeds in my presence and reported my words to him.
Then Tobiah sent letters to frighten me.
A.
The Work Of God Prevailing vs.
15
1.
It was a Remarkable Finish vs.
15a
“So the wall was
completed . . .”
This was an amazing feat in
as much as the workers were mocked and threatened.
They had to work at building the wall with weapons in one hand and
tools in the other. How
blessed they were to have been able
to say that the wall was completed!
2. It was Remarkably Fast vs.
15b
“ . . . the wall was completed on
the twenty-fifth of the
month Elul, in fifty-two days.”
Nehemiah put his hand to the
task and never looked back. His
ability to survey the damage, asses the material needs, and muster the
troops was nothing short of a miracle!
Remember the words of Jesus when He compared the rich man going to
heaven to a camel going through the eye of a needle.
His words were “With men
this is impossible; but with God all things are possible!”
Matthew 19:26
B.
The Will of God Providing vs.
16
1. The
Astonishment of the Critics vs.
16a
16 “When all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations surrounding us saw it, they lost their confidence; . . .”
This was a blow to the
enemy. All of their clever
schemes had come to naught. They
had hung their hopes on intimidating Nehemiah and his team of workers.
Now they found themselves on the outside looking in and it was very
uncomfortable to say the least. I
can remember when the uproar over our clearing of the Leafy Road property
rose such a stir. I overheard
one man telling several others that they (GFBC) will never be able to
raise the money to pay it off. I
walked over and said to them ,“don’t count on it.” I wondered to
myself how it could be done but refused to stay with that thought. Oh ye
of little faith! I suppose that is one reason the mortgage burning
ceremony was so meaningful to me personally.
What man saw as impossible surely was possible with God.
2. The
Acknowledgement by the Critics
vs. 16b
“ . . . for they
recognized that this work had been accomplished with the help of our
God.”
There was no other
explanation. It happened too
perfectly and too quickly to attribute to man alone!
Even the enemy could see that this was the work of God.
Isn’t that true of every person who comes to a saving faith in
Christ?
a.
Man’s Lost Condition
1st Corinthians 2:12-14
12Now we have received, not
the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may
know the things freely given to us by God, 13which things we also
speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the
Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.
14But a natural man does not
accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him;
and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.
b. God’s Love
Unconditionally
Ephesians 2:4-8; 4But God, being rich in
mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5even when we were dead in
our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you
have been saved), 6and raised us up with Him,
and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the ages to
come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward
us in Christ Jesus. 8For by grace you have been
saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not as a result of works,
so that no one may boast.
AMEN!
With GOD ALL things are INDEED POSSIBLE.
C.
The
Wrath of Man Provoking vs. 17-19
1.
The Frantic Communications vs.
17
17 “Also in those days
many letters went from the nobles of
Judah to Tobiah, and
Tobiah’s | 
