Ethan Mahoney: Oh, there he is, just hand out one to each everybody.
Ethan Mahoney: Hopefully there's enough to go around.
Ethan Mahoney: But I want to thank God for this church.
Ethan Mahoney: Going through the books of the Bible is really exciting and I don't know too many churches that does a task like this and selecting so many different men from different walks of life to give the word, it's almost as if we are indeed one of the scribes of scripture, because the Bible has so many different authors.
Ethan Mahoney: Shepherds and dendrologists, prophets and fishermen.
Ethan Mahoney: All wrote our scriptures from different walks of life and different attitudes, different ages and rages.
Ethan Mahoney: My older brother from Seattle is here tonight, guys.
Ethan Mahoney: So you know I got to preach tonight.
Ethan Mahoney: If my older brother can wave, that's Shwayne, back there from Seattle.
Ethan Mahoney: He's here with us.
Ethan Mahoney: He's joining.
Ethan Mahoney: This is his second night in a row.
Ethan Mahoney: I think he liked your preaching so much that he came back.
Ethan Mahoney: But I'm glad that pastor already preached mostly on the movement of the Jews during this period of Ezra and Nehemiah, their contemporaries, and we give God thanks for his word.
Ethan Mahoney: So if you're going to use the pew Bible, the CSB version, you can.
Ethan Mahoney: I will be using King James, but I will make sure that we're all together on what we're reading and I think basically a lot of it is the same Amen.
Ethan Mahoney: So, as Josiah gives out, we're just going to look at Nehemiah, chapter one.
Ethan Mahoney: Nehemiah, chapter one I want to thank all of the elders who prayed for me up until this point, doing 12 hour days every day and then trying to study and glean and jot down information and you know, edit is very difficult.
Ethan Mahoney: My older brother would tell you I was working on this most of the time between the period of 1 am and like 4 am, because that's the only time I actually had some opportunity to do it.
Ethan Mahoney: But God is good, my wife has been patient and EJ're going to start with, I guess, chapter one.
Ethan Mahoney: And also I want to thank Deacon Vic who helped me put this together with his one of his programs that he had he loaned to me, which was really good.
Ethan Mahoney: So Nehemiah, chapter one, verse one the words of Nehemiah, the son of Helikayah, and it came to pass in the month of Kislev, 20th year.
Ethan Mahoney: As I was in Sushan, the palace toanias, he and certain men of Judah, and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem, and they said unto pass verse 4, that I sat down and wept and mourned certain days or several days, and fasted and prayed before Elohim Hashemayim, the God of heaven.
Ethan Mahoney: So now let's look at verse 11, nehemiah, chapter 1, verse 11.
Ethan Mahoney: And in verse 5, real quick, if you see how the word Lord is written um, some of you know I'm a real big fan of this.
Ethan Mahoney: But if you look at verse five, how the word lord is written in most of our english bibles it's all caps.
Ethan Mahoney: But when you look at lord, here in verse is capital and the other three letters, ord is lowercase and of some of you scholars already know where I'm going with this.
Ethan Mahoney: But if you see that in the scripture, in verse 5, it's capital.
Ethan Mahoney: In verse 11, only the L is capitalized and there's a reason why throughout this prayer Nehemiah does this.
Ethan Mahoney: So the first one in verse 5 is the Tetragrammaton, that's the divine personal name of God, that's Yahweh.
Ethan Mahoney: That's in verse 5 with the capitals.
Ethan Mahoney: In verse 11, though he uses a different name for our God, it's a title, it's an honorary title, it's Adonai, it means master.
Ethan Mahoney: And there's a reason.
Ethan Mahoney: You're going to see in verse 11 why Nehemiah's prayers shift this way because he begins to see himself in relation to who he's praying to and seeking so in Nehemiah, chapter 1, verse 11, o Adonai, which is actually master.
Ethan Mahoney: Master, I beseech thee now, let thou thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy and your English version has servant, that Hebrew word slave, which is why he's now addressing our God as master.
Ethan Mahoney: So what he's saying is let your ear be attentive to your slave and to the prayer of your slaves who desire to fear your name, which he already mentioned in verse 5, yahweh and prosper.
Ethan Mahoney: I pray thee, thy slave this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man who, for I, was the king's cup bearer at Xerxes.
Ethan Mahoney: All right, so look at the last chapter, chapter 13, verse 30.
Ethan Mahoney: Chapter 13, chapter.
Ethan Mahoney: Chapter 13, verse 30,.
Ethan Mahoney: Chapter 13, verse 30.
Ethan Mahoney: And I guess now when you do your Bible studies if you never noticed that, maybe you can start looking for that Whether the word Lord is capitalized or not, you'll know whether it's addressing the divine name, yahweh or Adonai, as master.
Ethan Mahoney: But Nehemiah, chapter 13, verse 30, thus cleansed I then from all strangers and appointed the wards of the priests and the Levites everyone in his business, verse 31,.
Ethan Mahoney: And for the wood offering at times appointed, and for the first fruits and listen, and for the first fruits, and listen.
Ethan Mahoney: Remember me, o my Elohim, o my God for good.
Ethan Mahoney: So the account of Nehemiah ends how it started, with prayer to our God, elohim.
Ethan Mahoney: Yahweh, we ask that you will tabernacle with us.
Ethan Mahoney: Let your word penetrate our hearts and be hid in our souls.
Ethan Mahoney: Let us cherish and nourish your word and let my prayer be set before you as incense in Yeshua's name, amen.
Ethan Mahoney: So it's important that people know always the truth, right?
Ethan Mahoney: So go to Ezra, chapter eight and hold it with with your bookmarker, and while you go to chapter 8, you just hold it.
Ethan Mahoney: But first we're going to look at Nehemiah, chapter 2.
Ethan Mahoney: We're going to stay there also.
Ethan Mahoney: So hold Ezra, chapter 8 and get ready to go to Nehemiah, chapter 2, right?
Ethan Mahoney: The account of Nehemiah, of whom the scroll is written, is perhaps one of my favorite Old Testament accounts, and maybe because it interweaves worship, fasting and intense prayer, drama, the foiling of enemies, leadership, stellar public service.
Ethan Mahoney: Yeah, you know, nehemiah was a governor, so he was a public servant.
Ethan Mahoney: Maybe that's why I like him so much.
Ethan Mahoney: I would have voted for this guy twice, right?
Ethan Mahoney: So, Nehemiah, he demonstrates leadership, bravery in the sight of threats, and he's a community organizer.
Ethan Mahoney: This guy I really do.
Ethan Mahoney: I wish he was running today and maybe I enjoy Nehemiah because it's so relevant to our day and if you turn on the news it's a lot of discussions that go on here is kind of cogent to what we hear on the news today.
Ethan Mahoney: Right, all mean, are we familiar with that, nehemiah being one of these candidates?
Ethan Mahoney: It'd be awesome to hear him debate candidates.
Ethan Mahoney: It'd be awesome to hear him debate.
Ethan Mahoney: And he does a lot of it too.
Ethan Mahoney: So he involves a lot of tasks that he takes on for himself.
Ethan Mahoney: You know he sees a problem and he goes and fix it.
Ethan Mahoney: What a guy to have in your team and perhaps in the church.
Ethan Mahoney: And maybe another reason why I truly like Nehemiah is because the book kind of starts and ends with gastronomy and some people can look at Nehemiah as what we may consider today loosely as a top chef or waiter or butler and some dude who knows how to put food together.
Ethan Mahoney: So I kind of like Nehemiah for that.
Ethan Mahoney: He was always around food, for that he was always around food.
Ethan Mahoney: Nehemiah, the protagonist whose name appears a solid seven times, it actually means consolation of Yah, consolation of Yah, so Yah is Y-A-H and that's the shortened form of Yahweh.
Ethan Mahoney: So he has his name attached to consolation to make Nehemiah right.
Ethan Mahoney: So you know hallelujah, nehemiah right, consolation of Yah is what his name means.
Ethan Mahoney: If you can't say that, then you can say Yahweh comforts, yahweh comforts.
Ethan Mahoney: So there's another guy in this story that shows up a lot, ten times his name appears.
Ethan Mahoney: He's the corrupt politician and antagonist.
Ethan Mahoney: His name is Sanballat, right?
Ethan Mahoney: So let's go through quickly the timeline of this book, so that we you haven't been coming, or or you just like to hear timelines for some reason.
Ethan Mahoney: Okay, so in the book of Nehemiah it takes place in Israel, mostly around 445 BC to about 430 BC, right, and it begins pretty much around the time.
Ethan Mahoney: If you're doing the 70-year exile period.
Ethan Mahoney: Time would start around Pharaoh Necro, who departs King Jehoahaz to Egypt.
Ethan Mahoney: He, he exiles him in 9 BC.
Ethan Mahoney: That would lead then to 586 BC with the fall of Jerusalem, another exile under Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon, ending around 530 BC, leading to the restoration period of Israel, which starts first with a plan by the name of Zerubbabel.
Ethan Mahoney: Then the second group returns under Ezra.
Ethan Mahoney: The last group comes under Nehemiah's governorship around 445 BC.
Ethan Mahoney: In the opening of chapter two we read that Nehemiah now is bringing wine to the king.
Ethan Mahoney: Right, he's doing his job.
Ethan Mahoney: He's bringing wine to the king.
Ethan Mahoney: Right, he's doing his job, he's bringing wine to the king.
Ethan Mahoney: And do you remember in Nehemiah, chapter one, verse one, nehemiah tells us when this takes place.
Ethan Mahoney: So in Nehemiah, chapter one, verse one, it says in the month Kislev, in the 20th year.
Ethan Mahoney: That's Nehemiah, chapter one, verse one.
Ethan Mahoney: And if you look at chapter 2, verse 1, he says and now it came to pass in the Nisan same year, that's the 20th year of the king.
Ethan Mahoney: So I gave you, like, the handout, the first page with the green circle on it.
Ethan Mahoney: If you look to the far left, you will see I circled the month, the biblical month called Kislev, right and I kind of put a blue arrow point all the way to Nisan, because we're in the same month.
Ethan Mahoney: So this is what scholars say.
Ethan Mahoney: I mean it's an interesting concept if it's true, which would mean that Nehemiah then was fasting for about five months, fasting and praying.
Ethan Mahoney: This is why he doesn't give us an exact day, he just says certain days, several days, and if you know, each month has a 30 days total.
Ethan Mahoney: So he went from Kislev all the way to Nisan.
Ethan Mahoney: That would have been about 150 days that he was praying and fasting.
Ethan Mahoney: So he didn't get it praying and fasting, so he could have fasted anywhere within 120 to 120 days.
Ethan Mahoney: I mean that Esther.
Ethan Mahoney: Later on, during the time of Esther, the people do fast for three days and three nights.
Ethan Mahoney: The people in the land of Samuel 31,.
Ethan Mahoney: They fast for 10 days.
Ethan Mahoney: Moses fasts for 80 days and Yeshua fasts for 40 days.
Ethan Mahoney: Daniel fasts for three weeks.
Ethan Mahoney: So we don't know exactly when he started, but some guess that somewhere around that period he was fasting indeed.
Ethan Mahoney: So if you really want to know how Nehemiah was cut bearer and still able to fast, and you want to know that answer, see me afterwards and I'll give you the answer to that.
Ethan Mahoney: But here's another question what does it mean to fast?
Ethan Mahoney: Right?
Ethan Mahoney: What is one biblical definition of what it means to be fasting and why is it important?
Ethan Mahoney: Remember, I told you to go to Ezra, chapter 8.
Ethan Mahoney: I want you to look at Ezra, chapter 8, verse 21.
Ethan Mahoney: What is one definition of what it might mean to fast and why is it important?
Ethan Mahoney: Your answer is found in Ezra, chapter 8, verse 21.
Ethan Mahoney: And Ezra is going to tell us what he did.
Ethan Mahoney: He said then I proclaimed a fast there by the river of Avahav right that we might, what we might afflict ourselves, some versions say, but we might humble ourselves before our Elohim to seek him the right way for us.
Ethan Mahoney: One for us and two for our little ones, and three for all our possessions.
Ethan Mahoney: I love scripture because here I see clearly that there's nothing wrong to fast for yourself if you're going through something, and fast for your family if you need a breakthrough for them, and you can fast for your things.
Ethan Mahoney: Amen, I love that.
Ethan Mahoney: I mean, hey, he was probably fasting for his donkeys that they had enough water, that they had enough food to make the journey.
Ethan Mahoney: He was fasting for his things.
Ethan Mahoney: You could probably fast for that bill that's coming up.
Ethan Mahoney: You can fast for your child who's wayward.
Ethan Mahoney: You can fast for yourself if you're sick.
Ethan Mahoney: So those are the three things that he fasted and gathered the people to do so.
Ethan Mahoney: Look at verse 23, ezra, chapter 8, verse 23.
Ethan Mahoney: So we fasted and entreated our Elohim for this and he answered our prayer.
Ethan Mahoney: So now go to Psalms, chapter 5, hold it, and then we're going to look at Psalms, chapter 10, verse 17.
Ethan Mahoney: So go to Psalms, chapter 35 and hold that, and then we're going to look at Psalms, chapter 10, verse 17.
Ethan Mahoney: Chapter 10, verse 17.
Ethan Mahoney: So when someone seeks Yahweh, the right way and with fasting it's a form of spiritually humbling oneself before God.
Ethan Mahoney: That is a biblical definition.
Ethan Mahoney: Fasting should bring about a sense of meekness, with humility and a humble spirit and disposition.
Ethan Mahoney: So this is what Nehemiah is demonstrating before Yahweh.
Ethan Mahoney: He is humbling himself in earnest prayer because I believe Nehemiah knows a secret to answered prayer.
Ethan Mahoney: And if you don't get anything else tonight from this discussion, just tap your neighbor next to you and tell them to pay attention to this right.
Ethan Mahoney: Nehemiah knows, I believe he knows a secret, if you will, to answered prayer and he knows that the biblical principle is that there is a promise attached to the person who humbles himself before Yahweh.
Ethan Mahoney: So Psalms, chapter 10, verse 17, says Yahweh, you have heard the desire of the pompous.
Ethan Mahoney: No, you have heard the desire of those who are boastful, of those who are boastful.
Ethan Mahoney: No, psalms, chapter 10, verse 17,.
Ethan Mahoney: Yahweh, you have heard the desire of the humble.
Ethan Mahoney: You will prepare their heart.
Ethan Mahoney: You will cause your ear to hear.
Ethan Mahoney: Nehemiah knows by fasting he will be heard by God, just like Ezra is when he fasts.
Ethan Mahoney: In Psalms, chapter 25, verse 9, it says the meek will Yahweh guide in judgment and the meek will he teach his way.
Ethan Mahoney: This is why Nehemiah is able to gather a group of disheveled, disorganized, distraught and even at times discouraging exiles together and rebuild Jerusalem in 52 days, because he humbles himself and Yahweh gives him the right trajectory for success.
Ethan Mahoney: That was Psalm chapter 25, verse 9.
Ethan Mahoney: James says James says God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.
Ethan Mahoney: I believe Nehemiah knows a secret to answer prayer, that genuine fasting allures Yahweh as a signal of spiritual humility.
Ethan Mahoney: Need more proof.
Ethan Mahoney: Psalm chapter 35, verse 13.
Ethan Mahoney: Psalm chapter 35, 35, verse 13.
Ethan Mahoney: Psalm chapter 35, verse 13.
Ethan Mahoney: What does king david say?
Ethan Mahoney: Uh, when he he does when his enemies are sick.
Ethan Mahoney: Psalm chapter 35, verse 13.
Ethan Mahoney: He says I humbled my soul with fasting and my prayer returned unto mine own bosom, so, so I like the way Spurgeon describes and elucidates on this verse.
Ethan Mahoney: Spurgeon says it's like he compares clouds.
Ethan Mahoney: He says clouds don't always rain in the same area, they gather moisture.
Ethan Mahoney: So it would seem like when David was praying that the blessing did not go to his enemy.
Ethan Mahoney: But the blessing came back to David.
Ethan Mahoney: Why?
Ethan Mahoney: Because he humbled himself with prayer.
Ethan Mahoney: God gave him what he was asking for someone else Amen.
Ethan Mahoney: When you humble yourself before God he will draw near unto you.
Ethan Mahoney: Did I make that up?
Ethan Mahoney: No, you can go home and read it.
Ethan Mahoney: It was there yesterday, it's there today in scripture and I guarantee if you wake up tomorrow and you read it it will still be there.
Ethan Mahoney: Amen.
Ethan Mahoney: Thank God for his word.
Ethan Mahoney: So, because David is fasting, it seems that God sends the blessing he was praying for his enemy over him.
Ethan Mahoney: So, with that one not delivered to you, which is the answer to the question, what is one biblical definition of fasting and why is it important?
Ethan Mahoney: The answer would be our God honors genuine fasting.
Ethan Mahoney: It's an act or sign of spiritually humbling oneself before him.
Ethan Mahoney: There you go, that's what it delivered.
Ethan Mahoney: Deposit it in your spiritual database and bring it out when you need it next time for future reference.
Ethan Mahoney: So now let's go through the book of Nehemiah in four principal ways of viewing it.
Ethan Mahoney: The first is the literal view.
Ethan Mahoney: It's the plain meaning.
Ethan Mahoney: In chapter one we see Nehemiah's plight for his homeland and his prayer to get the opportunity to help the plight for his homeland and he to get the opportunity.
Ethan Mahoney: In chapter two we see uh answered prayer.
Ethan Mahoney: Nehemiah is allowed with regal permission to um to lead him to inspect the condition of jerusalem motivate he came with to get well even in the face of early opposition.
Ethan Mahoney: In chapter three, the list of workers and co-workers based on which specific area they are located.
Ethan Mahoney: Chapter four covers opposition to the wall, to the building of the wall, the threats which are made and the continuation of the rebuilding of that wall in the face of opposition.
Ethan Mahoney: Chapter five speaks of social and economical problems, such as the complaints of the poor, the cancellation of debts and Nehemiah being an example of integrity and what good leadership looks like.
Ethan Mahoney: So you know, nehemiah would encourage the people to give the poor when he had already done that.
Ethan Mahoney: Nehemiah would encourage the people to pray when he was praying.
Ethan Mahoney: So Nehemiah would encourage the people to build and he was a part of the crew building.
Ethan Mahoney: He never asked anybody to do something that he didn't do himself.
Ethan Mahoney: He's an example of what godly leadership looks like.
Ethan Mahoney: In chapter six, the wall is complete, even though an attempt on Nehemiah's life was rumored.
Ethan Mahoney: In chapter 7 to 10 has the list of the returnees and the revival worship service with the guest speaker, preacher Ezra from Persia.
Ethan Mahoney: In chapter 11, it has the list of the tribes and where they reside.
Ethan Mahoney: In chapter 12 is the dedication of the wall and ordination service of certain positions.
Ethan Mahoney: And in chapter 13, it closes with Nehemiah correcting the misguided practices of the people in his absence, confronting staff members, even firing those unqualified and unfit for certain positions, and he reorganizes the religious and social and economic issues.
Ethan Mahoney: So that is Nehemiah, through the literal view, the plain meaning of the text.
Ethan Mahoney: Another interpretation would be the moral view, which would probably try to ask the question what are the ethical lessons, if any, we can learn from the book of Nehemiah?
Ethan Mahoney: This is called the moral view.
Ethan Mahoney: So the first thing is obvious, right?
Ethan Mahoney: The first thing Nehemiah teaches us is the first step to any situation is prayer and humility.
Ethan Mahoney: So that's one thing we learn from Nehemiah.
Ethan Mahoney: The first step to any situation is prayer, along with humility.
Ethan Mahoney: We learn about uncorrupt leadership, also by example, integrity and, rightly praised, righteous indignation.
Ethan Mahoney: Nehemiah teaches in chapter one how believers can behave and be trusted, even in a pagan land, right?
Ethan Mahoney: So now get this.
Ethan Mahoney: Nehemiah is a Jew living in Persia, not really because he wants to be there.
Ethan Mahoney: He was brought there, probably, grew up in Babylon and ended up in Persia, right?
Ethan Mahoney: Not necessarily because he wanted to be there.
Ethan Mahoney: Yet the Persian king doesn't hire a Persian to do the job that he gives to Nehemiah.
Ethan Mahoney: So why would the Persian king give this important task to a Jew who's living in exile?
Ethan Mahoney: And I think it's because Nehemiah teaches what bona fide godliness and integrity looks like in the face of an unbelieving world Right that even his Persian overlords could choose him instead of one of their own, choose him instead of one of their own, sila.
Ethan Mahoney: So in chapter two to three, we learn the value of planning ahead can lead to success.
Ethan Mahoney: The value of planning ahead can lead to success.
Ethan Mahoney: Those who fail to prepare can prepare to fail right.
Ethan Mahoney: For which of you intending to build a tower sit, if not, down first and count the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
Ethan Mahoney: You know, the chapter 2 to 3 teaches us the value of preparation.
Ethan Mahoney: The value of preparation Chapter 4, we learn how we can respond to our enemies, especially when we seek to be successful in doing God's work.
Ethan Mahoney: We learn how we could respond to our enemies, especially when we're trying to do God's work and even take steps as believers to come together to defeat demonic and satanic onslaught.
Ethan Mahoney: In chapter four we see that.
Ethan Mahoney: In chapter five, we learn to try to quickly resolve internal conflicts so the unity of the body can thrive.
Ethan Mahoney: We learn we can try to resolve internal conflicts, so the unity of the body can thrive.
Ethan Mahoney: In chapter six to seven we learn wise management to place the right people where they're most useful.
Ethan Mahoney: Place the right people where they're most useful.
Ethan Mahoney: In chapter eight to 10, we learn the beauty of what corporate worship looks like when done right.
Ethan Mahoney: The people hear the word of God and apply the word of God in chapter 8.
Ethan Mahoney: They repent in chapter 9 and pledge to live out the word of God by chapter 10.
Ethan Mahoney: And pledged to live out the word of God by chapter 10.
Ethan Mahoney: In chapter 11 to 12, we learn the value of unity and workers in the ministry and why everyone should want to participate, doing something in the body with their time, talent and treasure.
Ethan Mahoney: And in chapter 13, we learn that the leaders must be fair, practical, stern and accountable.
Ethan Mahoney: Leaders must be fair, practical, stern and accountable.
Ethan Mahoney: So we also learn in chapter 13 about dangerous relationships, and Pastor Micah touched on this last week.
Ethan Mahoney: Being unequally yoked is a danger not just to the individual but to the community at large, and so good relationships doesn't just do good to the community, but not to the individuals but to the community at large, and that's the moral view.
Ethan Mahoney: That kind of answers the question, but to the community at large.
Ethan Mahoney: And that's the moral view, that kind of answers the question what are the ethical lessons we can learn from Nehemiah?
Ethan Mahoney: Another way to explain Nehemiah would be called the allegorical view.
Ethan Mahoney: The allegorical view and this tries to answer the question is there a second level of parabolic understanding?
Ethan Mahoney: Is there a second level of parabolic understanding we can see from the book of Nehemiah.
Ethan Mahoney: Viewing Nehemiah allegorically, we learn like Ezra teaches the law and Nehemiah is the last leader to bring the exiles from a foreign land to their rightful home.
Ethan Mahoney: We see also Jesus as the first and last leader, the author and finisher, who is the completion of the law of Moses and brings sinners from a spiritual state of alienation to be co-heirs with Jesus, bringing us home to the new Jerusalem in the household.
Ethan Mahoney: In Nehemiah, allegorically, we see how the church and how the spirit can distribute gifts, how Messiah can give apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers.
Ethan Mahoney: And we learn allegorically how the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee, and how thus the body of Christ, the church, must work together to build together.
Ethan Mahoney: In chapter 4, we read how the people equip themselves with armor.
Ethan Mahoney: In verses 16 to 18, in the face of a coming threat which teaches us that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but spiritual right and we should also put on the whole armor of God right so that we will withstand the wiles of the devil.
Ethan Mahoney: In Nehemiah, chapter 7, thanks, brother we see allegorically how even genealogy is crucial for these descendants of Abraham.
Ethan Mahoney: Nehemiah is from the tribe of Judah and God plants in Nehemiah's heart the task of tracing the promised seed.
Ethan Mahoney: This is supremely the case when you look at Matthew, chapter 1, luke, chapter 3, with the coming of the Christ child, a descendant of Abraham, and the prophesied lion of the tribe of Judah, lion of the tribe of Judah.
Ethan Mahoney: In chapters 8 to 10, allegorically, we see the people heard and celebrated the feast of booths.
Ethan Mahoney: They're aware of the Passover and they confess their sins.
Ethan Mahoney: Yeshua, who is the Logos incarnate, is our Passover lamb.
Ethan Mahoney: He tabernacles with us and is the one who covers.
Ethan Mahoney: As we look at Nehemiah, chapter 13, verse 25, we even see that when things in the temple and socially are amiss and the people are involved in so much corruption that Nehemiah says I contended with those people and cursed them and smote certain of them and plucked off their hair and made them swear by God, saying and plucked off their hair and made them swear by God, saying ye shall not give our daughters unto their sons, nor take the daughters of their sons for yourself.
Ethan Mahoney: Now, when it says he cursed them, those aren't four words, as we may perceive it to be.
Ethan Mahoney: I think perhaps it means, because he was a person always praying, that he imprecated by them when he saw the corruption going on.
Ethan Mahoney: Basically, what he did was he prayed an imprecatory prayer or he pronounced against these people for going outside of God's law.
Ethan Mahoney: And in this we see the righteous zeal for things which should remain pure before God and the discipline, also, that Yeshua meets out on the money changers when he runs them out the temple with cords and whips.
Ethan Mahoney: Allegorically, Nehemiah is a cup bearer, that is, a trusted personal chef or waiter, even a taster, which is a dangerous job.
Ethan Mahoney: Right, because the cup bearer would have to drink the wine and then he dies.
Ethan Mahoney: Then the king knows not to imbibe, not to consume, but then Nehemiah would then be dying in place of his king.
Ethan Mahoney: Right, would have to give his life up if he drank something that was poisonous and die instead of the one who has authority over him.
Ethan Mahoney: Yes, when Yeshua came the first time of kings, who says, oh my father, if this cup, if this cup may not come from me, except I drink it, I will.
Ethan Mahoney: Nehemiah drinks the cup first, and when he does so he can potentially die to save only one life of that king of Persia.
Ethan Mahoney: But when Yeshua, the king of kings, drinks the cup in Matthew 26 and does die, he doesn't just save one soul, but he saves many and all who believe on him.
Ethan Mahoney: If you go to Daniel, chapter 9, and hold it with a bookmarker, go to Daniel, chapter 9 and hold it with a bookmarker and turn to Nehemiah, chapter 4.
Ethan Mahoney: So that's the allegorical view, like what is the second parabolic meaning, if any, that we find the last way we can view the book of Nehemiah would be anthropologically or eschatologically Big words, I know.
Ethan Mahoney: So.
Ethan Mahoney: In Psalms, chapter 83, and Ezekiel, chapter 38, luke, chapter 21, revelation, chapter 20, and so on, we read of the coming moment in the last days.
Ethan Mahoney: And that's what eschatological means.
Ethan Mahoney: It's the study of the last days.
Ethan Mahoney: So we see, in the last days when God's people will actually be surrounded by its enemies, especially during a time of great duress.
Ethan Mahoney: So in Nehemiah, chapter 4, it says so.
Ethan Mahoney: It was when the Jews who dwelt near them came that they told us ten times from wherever place you turn, they will be upon us.
Ethan Mahoney: Wherever you look, the enemy will be there to threaten us, to harm us wherever you turn.
Ethan Mahoney: So in this account we learn that there are four distinct enemies threatening the Jews, who actually hail from the four corners of the world which surround Jerusalem.
Ethan Mahoney: In Nehemiah, chapter 4, verse 7, it says now it happened that Sambath 1, Tobiah 2, the Arabs, which was led by a man named Gershom, 3, the Ammonites, who's led by Tobiah, so that's still 2, and the Asherites, 4, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry.
Ethan Mahoney: Okay, and you can compare that with chapter six, verse one.
Ethan Mahoney: If you look at the map I gave you, that would be on the second page that I gave you.
Ethan Mahoney: If you look at the map, it kind of shows you where these four people or four groups are from.
Ethan Mahoney: So Sambalit, the Horonite, is from the north and represents most likely Samaria.
Ethan Mahoney: Tobiah and the Ammonites is from the east.
Ethan Mahoney: Geshem and the Arabs are from the south and the Astrodites are from the west.
Ethan Mahoney: From wherever place you turn, they will be upon us.
Ethan Mahoney: So, anagogically, we see in Nehemiah warnings of Messiah such as but when you see Jerusalem surrounded by enemies, then you know that the desolation is near.
Ethan Mahoney: So this happened historically, but it's also a sign pointing to what is going to happen in Israel at a cataclysmic, more intense way.
Ethan Mahoney: Finally, as we learn anagogically how the book of Nehemiah is actually a conduit for biblical prophecy, not only for, like Micah, chapter seven, but also especially from Daniel, chapter nine and I thought Pastor Micah was going to preach the message this morning at ABF.
Ethan Mahoney: But yes, there is a connection with Daniel's prophecy.
Ethan Mahoney: In Daniel, chapter 9, verse 24 to 26.
Ethan Mahoney: In Daniel's 70 weeks prophecy, daniel in 605 BC, right In 605 BC, he writes down the words of the angel Gabriel and in verse 25, he says know, therefore, and understand that from the going forth of the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah, the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and 62 weeks.
Ethan Mahoney: The street shall be built again and the wall, even in troublesome times, and after the 62 weeks, messiah shall be cut off, but not for himself.
Ethan Mahoney: So let's look at just one way of how to interpret this anagogically.
Ethan Mahoney: If you were to calculate this mathematical prophecy, you the biblical rendering of prophetically telling time in what is called weeks, daniel's prophecy here, not a week of days, it's a week of years, a total span of seven years.
Ethan Mahoney: But when you do so, you will discover that the statement about when the wall is to be rebuilt is actually the time.
Ethan Mahoney: So Daniel in exile is writing 160 years before Nehemiah even gets this order.
Ethan Mahoney: But he wrote about it that there will be a time that the order will go out where the wall will be, the decree will go out to rebuild the wall, and that was 445 BC in Nisan, the wall, and that was 445 BC in Nisan.
Ethan Mahoney: So some, and interestingly enough, orthodox Jewish rabbis have put an anathema on anyone who reads this chapter along with Isaiah 53.
Ethan Mahoney: If you have a biblical calendar in your house, like I do and some of you I've given for like gifts, you will see that each weekend they have scripture readings right of where they go through the entire Bible.
Ethan Mahoney: This one chapter nine and Isaiah 52 and 53 is never on those calendars that the Orthodox Jews have.
Ethan Mahoney: They don't want anybody reading that and I think that's sad.
Ethan Mahoney: But some scholars have done this mathematical equation and they found that when you add up the years, you can come up with a number such as 476 years, right?
Ethan Mahoney: And I gave you the last piece of paperwork of those authors who do so.
Ethan Mahoney: And they say when you do the math on the biblical calendar, you will end up at Nisan, palm Sunday, 30 AD, when Yeshua rides the donkey into Jerusalem and then one week later he is cut off.
Ethan Mahoney: So even in 160 years before Nehemiah, it was prophesied that Messiah would die.
Ethan Mahoney: And Nehemiah is that conduit to when the Jews would have known that when this wall was being rebuilt, that they can count down the years.
Ethan Mahoney: Maybe that's why Jesus says if you knew the day of your visitation, right, because this was the day when he proclaimed himself to be Messiah.
Ethan Mahoney: So you can take that on your own.
Ethan Mahoney: And that's just one way of looking at that prophecy.
Ethan Mahoney: So Nehemiah serves as a conduit to prophecy.
Ethan Mahoney: Just as Messiah comes the first time to restore and save, he will return again to rule and be sovereign.
Ethan Mahoney: And one last thing Yeshua says all scripture speaks of himself.
Ethan Mahoney: There are about 13 prayers within the 13 chapters of Nehemiah.
Ethan Mahoney: Nehemiah is constantly seeking Yahweh in his supplications for himself, for God's people, for the work.
Ethan Mahoney: He is constantly praying and I think maybe the 13 prayers within the 13 chapters just mean he prayed, even the maybe.
Ethan Mahoney: You know, I know it's speculative I wonder, on Nehemiah's deathbed did he say Father, receive my spirit and he breathed his last?
Ethan Mahoney: I know that's speculative, but he seems like the person who would pray to the very end.
Ethan Mahoney: So Nehemiah doesn't have any more new prayer meetings anymore.
Ethan Mahoney: His words exist in Scripture forever, but he isn't giving any more new prayers.
Ethan Mahoney: He isn't here to pray for the people of Israel anymore.
Ethan Mahoney: But, thanks be to God, we have a great high priest who continues and his priesthood is unchangeable and he always lives to make intercession for us.
Ethan Mahoney: So Yeshua right now is praying for all of us and he brings our pleads to the father.
Ethan Mahoney: If there's anything that we can take stock in although Nehemiah was a prayer warrior that we can take stock in, although Nehemiah was a prayer warrior, we have one greater, and he's Yeshua, sitting at the right hand of the Father, interceding on behalf of us.
Ethan Mahoney: Amen, yahweh, we give you praise and glory.
Ethan Mahoney: We thank you for this evening.
Ethan Mahoney: We pray that your word will find its nest inside our souls and it will germinate and produce good fruit.
Ethan Mahoney: Be blessed again, for you belongs all the glory in Yeshua's name.
Ethan Mahoney: Amen.