BACKGROUND:
Four months went by before Nehemiah’s opportunity came. As Nehemiah was going about his usual duties the king noticed something different about Nehemiah’s countenance. He was sad. The king was immediately curious about Nehemiah’s state of depression, since this was the first time he had seen his cupbearer dejected. The king asked a pointed question, Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill?
Nehemiah was careful in replying. In fact he was even afraid. A servant was never to let his negative emotions show before the king, for it might suggest dissatisfaction with the king. To do so might jeopardize his position or even his life. Also Nehemiah knew that his request was a bold one. As already stated, a few years earlier this king had stopped the rebuilding of Jerusalem and now Nehemiah was going to ask that the order be reversed. The cupbearer was risking his life! But his response was wise, no doubt reflecting the fact that he had been thinking about this opportunity, should it come, for a number of months.
In Nehemiah’s response he avoided naming Jerusalem, perhaps so that he would not touch a sensitive “political nerve” in the king. He appealed to the king’s sense of respect—his sense of “rightness” regarding proper respect for the dead. Nehemiah said the city where his ancestors were buried was in ruins and the gates had been burned (cf. 1:3). This was a sad state of affairs for the Jewish city. Seventy-one years before (in 515 b.c.), the temple had been rebuilt. The year was now 444; yet the city itself still needed much rebuilding.
Artaxerxes’ heart responded to Nehemiah’s statements. So he asked Nehemiah what the king might do about the situation. With Judea being a Persian province, the cupbearer may have reasoned that perhaps the king would now be sensitive to Jerusalem’s condition.
Obviously Nehemiah had prepared for this moment he had prayed for. Besides seeking God’s help in prayer, he utilized all the human resources available, including his intellectual capabilities, his past experiences, his accumulated wisdom, his role and position in life, and people with whom he came in contact (in this instance, the king of Persia).
Speaking with courtesy and humility (your servant), Nehemiah asked the king to send him to the city in Judah where his ancestors were buried so that he might rebuild the city. The fact that the queen was seated there suggests this was a private gathering, since it was not customary for queens to appear at formal banquets.
The king then asked Nehemiah when he would return. This question indicated that the king would give him permission. Nehemiah responded immediately with a specific time frame, again indicating forethought on his part.
Nehemiah then asked for the biggest favor yet. Knowing he would face opposition from his enemies, he requested letters of permission from the king to allow him to pass through the various provinces in the Trans-Euphrates, the large area west of the Euphrates River. Nehemiah also asked that the king write a letter to Asaph, the man in charge of the king’s forest. Nehemiah knew he would need access to timber for rebuilding the gates and the wall and other parts of the city. The citadel was a fortification to protect the temple. The fact that Nehemiah knew the name of the man in charge of the king’s forest near Jerusalem may indicate that he had done some careful research.
Artaxerxes’ permission to rebuild the city of Jerusalem is the decree Daniel had prophesied 95 years earlier in 539 b.c. Though Nehemiah had worked diligently to prepare himself for the time when he would have opportunity to share his burden with the king, and though he demonstrated unusual wisdom in responding to the king’s questions, he knew that ultimately his success depended on God’s help. So he wrote that the king’s granting of his requests was because God’s gracious hand... was upon him.
SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)
At the end of chapter one, we see the first thing a leader does when he is aware of a need - He prays. He/She does other things besides pray but that's the first thing they do. If you look at Nehemiah’s prayer, you'll see it is designed as model for our own prayer life. I encourage you to develop a formal prayer list so you could see God start to work through your prayer life!
Right after prayer, the next step a leader takes is that they plan. You pray and then you plan. This passage reveals Nehemiah as a master planner. We're going to look at the six things he did.
#1. They Think it through
v. 1, "In the month of Nisan" (remember, he heard the report back in Kislev – November or December. Now it is Nisan – March or April) four months he's been waiting for something to happen. Now, something happens. What had been happening between when Nehemiah first got the idea of rebuilding the wall and when he actually got the opportunity to present his program to the king. What had he been doing? He'd been praying, but he also had been planning. We know that by the way he responded to the king when the king said, "What do you want." Nehemiah knew what to ask for because he had been planning.
Howard Hendricks said, "Nothing is more profitable than serious thinking, and nothing is more demanding." Leaders set aside time for think time; time to get away, time to plan, time to reflect and pray. Folks, we all need to build into our schedule regular time away, to hear from God, so he can renew our hearts and our minds!
Proverbs 13:16 says, "A wise man thinks ahead; a fool doesn't and even brags about it." It's wise to spend time thinking about your life. Ask yourself three questions: Where am I now? Where do I want to be? How will I get there? That's what Nehemiah did. He was thinking it through. He was praying for four months but he was also planning.
What happens when you pray and plan? God gives you a vision. That's the mark of all leadership. You've got to have vision to be a leader. Question: What’s God’s vision for your life? What does He want to do through you? Not some innocuous general idea but a specific plan and specific vision. Leadership Law: Failing to plan is planning to fail! You've got to think it through.
#2. They Prepare for opportunities
v. 1 "In the month of Nisan the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes the wine was brought to him. I took the wine and I gave it to the king and I had not been sad in his presence before. So the king asked me, `Why does your face look so sad and you're not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.' I was very much afraid."
This is the moment Nehemiah has been waiting for. He's been praying for an opportunity to present his idea to the king. He's got an opportunity now to state his case. Because he had planned he was ready with the answer. (David and Goliath) Have you heard people say, "That guy has all the luck. He gets all the breaks.” I've found that the more I plan, the luckier I get. The opportunities are there you just have to be ready for them.
Notice he had a sad face. He had a burden he couldn't hide. I can imagine him thinking "God, aren't you going to do anything about this wall. I've been praying for it." Finally the king says, "What's wrong, Nehemiah?" Notice it says "I was afraid." In those days it was a capital crime to be sad before the king. If you frowned in the presence of the king you'd get your head cut off. If you were depressed in the presence of the king, that was it! Notice it says, "This is the first time I ever appeared sad." Nehemiah took a huge risk to do what he did!
Leadership Law: Leaders move ahead in spite of their fears. There is a myth that leaders are never afraid. Courage is moving ahead in spite of your fear.
Maybe you have a vision from God, a heart do great things for Him. But fear has so far stopped you. Maybe you have a friend or a neighbor or a family member you need share the good news of Jesus Christ with, but fear has stopped you. Fear of rejection, fear of ridicule. Leaders, people who make their lives count, they move ahead in spit of their fears!
#3. They Establish a goal
v. 5 "I answered the king, `If it pleases the king and your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so I can rebuild the wall.'" Nehemiah gets specific here. He establishes a goal. He's very specific: He tells the King I want to rebuild the wall.
Goal setting is the next step in planning. You have to have a target. If you aim at nothing, you're going to hit it every time. Ask yourself two questions: What do I want to be? What do I want to do? Those are the questions you ask in establishing a goal.
Let me share something with you, most of us make two errors in goal setting: We set them too low and we try to accomplish them too quickly. Inch by inch anything is a cinch. Set big goals, make big plans -- so big that God has to bail you out! God loves big planning. It honors God to be a big planner. Folks, I have big plans for COV. Unbelievable huge crazy big dreams. I am not crazy myself, but I believe in a big God who can deliver on those dreams. Dreams of having 5 packed services here on weekends. Dreams of planting several other churches in the valley. Dreams of having several different multi-cultural worship services here. A dream of a beautifully landscaped campus. A dream of several portable buildings erected here to house all the children of all the families we will reach. A dream of a student ministries department that reaches hundreds of students for Christ! Should I go on?
What do you want God to use you to do? What’s your goal? Your dream? Your vision?
#4. They Set a deadline
When God put’s a burden on your heart, first, bathe it in prayer. Then think it trough. Prepare for the opportunities. Then you establish a goal. And then number four, you set a deadline.
Verse. 6 "Then the king with the queen setting beside him asked me, `How long will your journey take? and when will you get back' And I said, `It pleased the king to send me, so I set a time.'" He established a deadline.
A goal must have a deadline. If your goal doesn't have a deadline on it, it's not a goal. First, you know what you want to do and then you know when you want to do it. Ask the question: How long will it take? When will I finish? What’s the deadline? For those of you who manage people – oversee others, do you want your people to be more effective? More efficient? When you set goals, give them directions or tasks, always attach a deadline to it. Winston Churchill said “a task without a deadline is like a race with no finish line - – ultimately, it is a gigantic and monumental waste of time.”
#5. They Anticipate the problems.
Nehemiah’s already asked for permission to go, now he's asking for protection. v. 7 "If it pleases the king may I have letters to the governors of Trans Euphrates so that they will provide me safe conduct until I arrive in Judah." It's about 1000 mile journey between Iraq and Israel. He's got to go through a lot of provinces. You didn't travel freely in those days - Nehemiah said, "I want you to give me letters of authority so I'll have clear sailing , I need traveling permits to travel unhindered."
This is a clear example of planning. He was not just praying during those four months but he was also planning so that when the opportunity arose he could say what he needs.
Question to ask yourself in your own planning : What could hold me back? In planning a project, ask yourself, What could go wrong? If anything could go wrong, it will. (example of planning a trip with interns. I always required them to come up with a list of 30 things that could go wrong, and have a plan for each of them)
Proverbs 22:3 (Living Bible)says, "A prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences." One of the laws of life is that it's always easier to get in than it is to get out. It's easier to get into debt than it is to get out of debt. It's easier to get into a relationship than out of a relationship. It's easier to fill up your schedule than to eliminate things from your schedule. It's a principle of life in every area. A wise man counts the cost.
Nehemiah is thinking ahead. He's already thought ahead where he wants to go. He's already thought ahead when he wants to go. Now he's anticipating the problems. What problems might we encounter here at COV?
#6. They Calculate the cost
v. 8 "And may I have a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king's forest so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?" Nehemiah gives the king a shopping list. Remember, Nehemiah is not a contractor. He's never built anything in his life. He's a cupbearer. Yet, when the opportunity arose he rattled off exactly what he needed. Why? He had planned.
How did Nehemiah know what to ask for? He calculated the cost. How in the world did he know there was a royal forest near Jerusalem? Advance planning. He even knew the name of the foreman, the keeper of the forest – Asaph!
If Nehemiah had not had his planning done he wouldn't have been prepared. But because his planning had been so well thought out he knew exactly what to ask for. He had calculated the cost. Leadership Law: Leaders are willing to ask other people for help.
Luke 14:28 says, "If one of you is planning to build a tower, he sits down first and figures out what it will cost to see if he has enough money to finish the job." Who's speaking? Jesus. Jesus is advocating counting the cost.
Leadership law: The wisest risks are those taken after prayer and wise counsel. We need to count the cost! And, at the end of the day, you need to determine are you ready to pay the price? Why don't you read Luke 14:25-34 sometime today, to see if you're ready to pay the price.
I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course.
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