Let's turn this evening to Nehemiah.
In our last session we were considering Ezra
and I mentioned that there were these two
movements of Israel described in great detail in
the Old Testament.
One was their movement from Egypt to Canaan
which speaks of our personal walk with God
coming out of sin, the devil's grip, out
of the world, through the Red Sea of
Baptism into a life of victory over sin.
It relates to our personal life.
The other I said was the movement of
God's people from Babylon to Jerusalem.
And Babylon speaks of a corrupt Christianity.
I just want to mention one thing here
that very often I have noticed that people
think that certain denominations are Babylon and that
certain other denominations are Jerusalem.
I don't subscribe to that view.
I believe that anyone, any Christian who lives
after the flesh is really building Babylon.
Anyone who is seeking his own, even if
he is sitting in the most spiritual denomination
in the world, is actually building Babylon.
And to build the body of Christ, that
true Jerusalem that the Bible says the heavenly
Jerusalem requires a selflessness, the spirit of Christ
where we are concerned with the glory of
God, where we no longer live for ourselves.
And that is the thing that characterizes these
men.
Many people have made the mistake of thinking
they leave some dead system and have left
Babylon.
I wish it were that easy.
It's not that easy.
Babylon dwells deep within us, the spirit of
Babylon.
See Babylon is a commercial system and the
principle of all commercial systems is the principle
of profit, of gain for myself.
And as long as a man lives by
that principle of what can I gain out
of Christianity, what can I gain out of
doing this for the Lord, what can I
gain out of joining this church, what can
I gain out of joining this organization, what
can I gain by working here, he is
motivated by the principle of Babylon.
But as Jerusalem is a city of sacrifice,
it's the opposite of business.
It's what David said.
I will not offer to the Lord that
which cost me nothing.
And wherever a man is motivated by that
principle, he's motivated by the principle of Jerusalem.
And God may have somebody like that in
what you think is a dead denomination, a
man who lives selflessly for Christ.
So, I'm talking about when we seek to
build the body of Christ, it's very important
that we gather together people who have understood
this principle of sacrifice, otherwise we shall just
build another system like so many of the
other so-called separated assemblies which today are
just as dead, sometimes more dead than the
old denominations.
This is the state of affairs today in
Christendom.
And that is because people have thought if
I move from here to here, I've come
out of Babylon.
It's not true.
It's a spiritual system.
We need to understand that.
And here was this movement of God's people
from Babylon to Jerusalem, and we saw that
very few people really came out of that
system.
And Nehemiah was also one of those people
who were involved in this movement.
The temple had already been built.
This is a time seventy years after Zerubbabel
and Joshua had gone out to build the
temple, the prophecy of Haggai and Zechariah, and
about thirteen years after Ezra.
Ezra and Nehemiah lived around the same time,
but Nehemiah came a little later.
Nehemiah's burden, see the burden of Haggai, Zechariah,
Joshua and Zerubbabel was the building of the
temple.
The burden of Ezra was to teach the
word of God.
And the burden of Nehemiah was to build
the city properly with walls and organize the
city and reestablish the people in the covenant
that they had gone back from and bring
a reformation among the people.
And here we read in Nehemiah chapter one,
in verses one to three, he was living
in Susa, the capital of this world power
of those days, and that is King Artaxerxes
was the king and the Babylonian Empire was
over, it was the Medo-Persian Empire now,
and he was living in the capital city
of Susa.
And one of his brothers, one of the
brothers means a fellow Israeli, came from Judah,
verse two, and Nehemiah, you see here, has
a concern, Hanani, this man who came, did
not offer Nehemiah some information.
Nehemiah had a concern to find out what
is the state of Jerusalem, is something being
done, he had a concern to see whether
God's house and God's city was being built.
And this is what I want to say
is the primary characteristic of any man whom
God can use.
God does not use a man who has
no concern.
And he asked Hanani, how are things there?
How are things going on there?
And Hanani said, well, the walls are broken
down, the gates are burnt with fire.
In the book of Isaiah, in chapter 60
and verse 18, the walls are called the
walls of salvation and the gates of praise.
The walls speak of separation from the world
and of security.
There is a security when you have a
wall, there is a separation from the rest
of the world.
And God desires that the church be separate
from the world.
That's the meaning of these walls around Jerusalem.
And they have to be high walls so
that a worldly minded person cannot easily be
a part of your church.
If a worldly minded person can easily be
a part of your church, we'd say the
walls are not very high.
In Jerusalem, it's difficult to be a part
of it.
You got to be a disciple.
You got to be one who loves Jesus
more than anything else on earth.
Throughout the centuries of Christendom, people have gradually
lowered the standards, we can say gradually lowered
the walls, so that anybody can just jump
over now and come in.
The Bible says, Jesus said that anyone who
climbs over a wall and comes in is
a thief.
There is a way to come in through
the gate and that gate is very narrow.
But when preachers have lowered the standards so
that the wall of separation has become so
low, sometimes the wall is broken down completely.
There is no difference between the church and
the world.
Sometimes worldly people behave much better than people
in the church.
That is a picture of a church where
the walls are broken down.
This is the spiritual picture what we see
here in Nehemiah's time.
And the gates, the gates are gates of
praise.
And it's also the place where we read
the elders of Assyrius, this is a place
of authority.
The church has lost its authority and the
church has lost that spirit of praise.
And Nehemiah was concerned about this.
And when he heard it, see how it
affected him.
It says in Nehemiah 1 verse 4, when
I heard these words, I sat down and
wept.
And he mourned for many days.
Lord, look at the condition of your church.
That's how it applies to us.
And I fasted and I prayed.
I want to ask you, my dear brothers
and sisters who seek to serve the Lord,
when was the last time that you mourned,
not for any sorrows of your own, but
because the church of Jesus Christ is in
such a pathetic condition in India today?
When was the last time you fasted and
prayed because you were concerned that the name
of Jesus should be glorified in the church
of Jesus Christ in India today?
We can study a lot from the Bible.
And we can study all these things and
understand all these things.
But if we don't have a concern, nothing
is going to happen.
We're not going to be the men and
women of God that God wants us to
be.
This man was in the Old Testament.
He did not have the Holy Spirit dwelling
in him like we have.
He did not have a full Bible like
we have.
He did not have a fellowship in the
church.
And he did not have books or tapes
or conferences of any such things.
He did not know Calvary.
And yet he had such a tremendous concern.
And he was not what we call a
full-time worker.
He was a man in a secular job
who supported himself and served the Lord.
That was Nehemiah.
Tremendous example of a man who was absolutely
selfless and was concerned for the glory of
God's name.
And if we can be challenged by that,
I believe God can do something in us
first and then through us.
Notice in this movement of God's people from
Babylon to Jerusalem, it began with Daniel.
And Daniel was a man who fasted and
prayed there in Babylon.
Then it continued with Zerubbabel and Joshua and
Haggai and Zechariah.
All of them had a concern, a burden.
There's a lot of fasting and prayer mentioned
in the books of Zechariah.
And Ezra fasted and prayed.
Nehemiah fasted and prayed.
Their fasting and praying was because of a
concern for God's name.
A lot of people fast and pray when
they want something from God.
When they want something from God, they say,
we'll fast and pray and we'll get it.
Well, that's good.
But these people were not fasting and praying
to get something from God.
They were fasting and praying that God's name
should be honored in the city.
I'm sure many of you have fasted and
prayed.
I would ask you, what for?
To get some answer to prayer?
To get some healing in your family?
To get a job perhaps?
Fasting and praying to find a marriage partner?
All that is good.
I'm not against it.
I'm asking, was there a time when you
fasted and prayed because the name of Jesus,
you need to see the name of Jesus
honored in a church.
See, unless we begin here, all our study
is just going to tickle our brains and
it's not really going to lead us into
a godly life.
So that's where we must begin.
And we read, it concerned him so much
that he was the man who offered the
wine.
He was the wine taster who offered the
wine to the king because kings were afraid
in those days that people would poison them.
So they had a man to taste the
wine first before giving it to him and
there was a man of tremendous trust and
reliability.
So Nehemiah occupied a place of great influence.
The king relied on him 100% because
the king's life depended on him.
And Nehemiah was a man of great influence
in the palace of the world's greatest monarch
at that time.
And it says here that he took the
wine and gave it to the king, chapter
2, verse 1.
And I had never been sad in his
presence before.
He was not a gloomy type of person
naturally.
He was a man who was always happy.
He had never in his life been sad
before the king.
The king had always seen him happy.
And now he was sad.
And he was sad for nothing concerning himself
or his family.
He was sad and burdened because the name
of God was not being honored.
Oh that there were more people like that.
And the king saw that and the king
said, You're not sick, are you?
Your face is so sad.
You're not sick.
This is nothing but sadness of heart.
And Nehemiah was afraid.
You know it was a terrible thing to
make, to ruffle the thoughts and opinions of
a majesty, a king in those days.
And I love the honesty of this man
Nehemiah who admits that he was afraid.
See fear is not something which we can
eliminate completely from our lives.
We will feel fear but we must never
act on fear.
Paul said he had fears in 2nd Corinthians
7.
But he never acted on those fears.
And if you are in a dangerous place.
One day if you're going to serve the
Lord in a place where your life can
be threatened any day.
And there are many places like that in
India today.
Naturally you will feel fear.
And you don't have to feel ashamed of
that.
We are human.
But we must never act on the basis
of that fear.
We can be careful.
We can act with caution.
But not with fear.
Fear is the opposite of faith.
And when you act in fear you're acting
in unbelief.
Please remember this.
God cares for us.
He was afraid.
But he still was bold.
And he said to the king.
He says my face has to be sad
because the city where my father's tomb lies.
The place of my father's tomb lies desolate.
And the gates have been burned with fire.
So he said what do you want?
And he made a quick short prayer to
God.
And said if it please the king.
Please send me to Judah to rebuild that
city.
And the king said how long are you
going to go?
And he fixed a certain time.
And he went.
And he went and he surveyed the walls.
We read he came to Jerusalem.
And he was there for three days.
Two eleven.
And he arose at night.
And he took a few men with him.
I did not tell anyone what God was
putting into my mind.
He was not a man who advertised and
told people what he was going to do.
He gathered a few who had a burden.
See he knew it's no use gathering a
whole bunch of people who have no burden
for God's work.
Let me gather those who have a burden.
And he with them he went around and
inspected the work.
And then.
We find as soon as this happened.
There was opposition.
Just like in Ezra's time.
As soon as somebody is concerned.
That the name of Jesus should be honored.
And we need to build the city of
Jerusalem.
Immediately there's opposition.
The devil is alert to these things.
And that's the reason why some people don't
want to go out.
And live and serve live for and serve
God like this.
Because they'll come face to face with the
devil.
But do you know that the way that
you can know.
That you are in the will of God.
Is that you confront the devil very frequently
in your life.
If the devil leaves you alone.
You can be pretty sure you're completely out
of the will of God.
To me one of the indications that I'm
in the right path is that the devil
is angry.
And he stirs up people against me.
And he stirs up all types of situations
to try and hinder me and harass me.
Then I know I'm on the right right
path.
And I hope you'll keep that before you.
You see that throughout scripture.
Wherever a man of God tries to restore
a testimony.
For God's name.
He faces the opposition of the devil.
And throughout church history.
All godly men have faced this.
So you find here how.
Sanbalat verse 19 to 19 and Tobiah.
Heard this they mocked us and despised us.
And they said what is your this you're
doing.
You're rebelling against the king.
And I said to them the God of
heaven will give us success.
And we are going to arise and build.
But you people.
Have no portion or right of memorial in
Jerusalem.
We do not work together with you.
He was not afraid of them.
In chapter 3.
We find very quickly.
Nehemiah was a great organizer.
He was not only a man of prayer.
And fasting.
He was a wonderful organizer.
He was a man who could motivate people.
To work because he worked himself.
And I believe that's the type of leader.
That God wants in the church in India
today.
People who can fast and pray.
Who have a concern for God's name.
Who are good at organizing people.
And motivating them to work for the Lord.
Because they are willing to work themselves.
With their hands.
And so without any delay.
You find in chapter 3.
Nehemiah has organized everything.
I mean that's not mentioned there.
Because he's a humble man.
He doesn't say that he organized the whole
thing.
But when you read chapter 3.
You see everybody's got their job.
The leaders.
The great.
The high priest.
Even the high priest.
He didn't sit on a chair and supervise
the work.
He began working with his hands.
He arose with his brothers.
And began to build.
He took bricks and mortar.
The high priest.
The biggest man in that city.
He began to work.
And it's a wonderful thing.
When Nehemiah could get the leaders.
Not to sit on their chairs and supervise.
But to begin to dirty their hands and
work.
There we see something of the greatness of
this man Nehemiah.
He got everybody to work.
He said we're all brothers.
There's nobody big or small here.
The walls of Jerusalem had to be built.
And all of us have got to work.
Otherwise it won't be done.
And you see this expression.
In verse 2.
Next to him.
Verse 4.
Next to them.
Verse 7.
Next to them.
Verse 8.
Next to him.
Right through.
You find that expression coming.
Next to him.
In other words.
Without a gap.
They all work together.
So that.
Right around that city.
Without a gap.
They built that wall.
Different types of people.
There were even women there.
We read in chapter 3 verse 12.
The daughters.
Of Shalom.
He was a senior official there.
And his daughters were.
Working with their hands.
Dirtying their hands.
Building brick and mortar.
It's amazing what Nehemiah could accomplish.
To get all these people.
Work together.
From one end of Jerusalem.
Right up to the other.
And we read in chapter 4.
This Sanballat.
When he heard that we were rebuilding the
wall.
He became furious.
Now.
Rebuilding the wall didn't trouble Sanballat.
In any way.
He was.
Instigated by Satan.
See very often.
When we are doing a work for the
Lord somewhere.
Some of the people oppose us.
We are not harming them in any way.
We are doing good.
To the area.
To society in general.
But the only way we can explain the
opposition.
And the anger of these people.
Whom we have never harmed.
Is the fury of Satan.
Throughout India.
We see wherever there is persecution.
Why are people so angry against Christians.
Who are seeking to.
Improve the lot of the poor people.
It's the anger of Satan.
We are not harming all those people.
We are not speaking against their religions.
But they are angry.
Because Satan.
Hates.
Anyone.
Who is concerned.
To build the church of Jesus Christ.
And so we find.
Throughout scripture.
This principle.
And here they became furious.
They mock.
They get angry.
They threaten.
They try to bring governmental pressure.
It's all these things.
This is not just happening in the 20th
century in India.
It happened even there.
And he spoke in the presence of the
brothers.
And the wealthy men of Samaria.
And said what are these feeble Jews doing.
Are they going to restore it.
He tries to influence rich people.
To oppose the work.
And Tobiah makes fun of the work.
In verse 7 it says.
They were very angry.
And they conspired together.
In verse 8.
To come and fight against Jerusalem.
To cause a disturbance in it.
And what did Nehemiah do.
He did not get into an argument or
discussion with them.
He prayed.
He said O God.
Verse 4.
We are despised.
These people are against us.
We are only building the wall.
And these people are against us.
But they continued to build the wall.
And it had reached half its height.
We read in verse 6.
And the people had a mind to work.
And we read in the remaining verses.
How they continued to pray to God.
Verse 9.
They prayed to God.
And they set up a guard against these
people.
Day and night.
They watched.
And they prayed.
Jesus used that expression often.
Watch and pray.
And that's what we see here.
They prayed and they watched.
What did they watch for?
They watched for the enemy.
To be alert against the enemy.
And they prayed.
This is how they worked.
And then in Judah also.
You see one of the problems in Christian
work.
Is that.
It's not just the enemies.
Who oppose us from outside.
It's also the murmuring.
That comes from within.
We read even in the Acts of the
Apostles.
That when the disciples multiplied.
There was a murmuring among the.
Greek widows saying.
We are not getting as much food as
the Hebrew widows.
There is some partiality here.
Murmuring coming up within.
And that's another thing Nehemiah had to deal
with.
People began to murmur saying.
There's a lot of rubbish and we can't
handle all this.
Verse 10.
And.
He had to handle all that.
All that murmuring and the discouragement.
When the Jews.
Who lived near them came and told them.
Ten times.
Verse 12.
They will come against you from every side.
Be careful.
Put fear and discouragement.
It's dangerous to go there.
They will attack you.
All these words.
There are many people who.
When they go out to serve the Lord.
All these people are going to come and
say.
It's dangerous to go there.
Ten times they will come and tell you.
They'll attack you here there and the other
place.
But Nehemiah was a man.
Who was not frightened.
We see further.
In verse 14.
When I saw.
Their fear.
That is of the Jews.
I rose and spoke to the nobles and
said.
Don't be afraid.
Remember the Lord.
Who is great and awesome.
And fight for your brothers and your sons
and your daughters.
If we fear God.
We need not fear.
Anybody else.
If we believe that almighty God.
Is always on our side.
Supporting the work that we do.
We need never be afraid.
Of anybody else.
This is the spirit with which.
Nehemiah.
Built that wall.
And I don't have time to go all
over.
I just want to move on to chapter
6.
And verse 1.
Just one thing I want to mention that
is.
In chapter 5.
You see Nehemiah's tremendous example.
See even though he was working so hard.
It says.
In the last part of verse 18.
I did not demand.
The governor's food allowance.
He did not take any money.
Or any allowance for himself.
For all the work that he did.
He served God at his own expense.
And he was a very hospitable man.
It says 150 people.
Verse 17.
Sat at his table.
And he took care of them.
He did not use.
Because money which is contributed.
He used all the money that was contributed.
To the building of the work.
He was a man who lived with great
sacrifice.
And did not use money.
Which was given for God's work.
In any way for himself.
You know when God sees a man.
Who is like that.
Who is faithful with money.
Faithful with his money.
There is no limit to which God can
use him.
Many people fail because.
They take advantage.
Of their service for the Lord.
In this financial area.
In chapter 6.
It says again about these people.
How they came and saw.
That there was no breach left in the
wall.
The whole wall had been completed.
Without any gap.
Then Sanballat.
Tried another tactic.
He said come let us have a discussion
together.
In the plain of Ono.
But they were planning to harm me.
And look at the answer of Nehemiah.
Which is a very interesting answer.
The answer that we should give as well.
He said I am doing a great work.
And I cannot come down.
For all these useless discussions.
When God has given us a task to
do.
We stick to that.
And we don't waste our time.
In useless discussions.
And thus we read in verse 15 of
chapter 6.
The wall was completed.
In 52 days.
For the previous 90 years.
From the time.
The first.
Exiles had come into Jerusalem.
This wall had not been built.
For 90 years.
It was lying like that.
Broken down.
Nobody concerned about it.
Till God found one man.
And when that one man was concerned.
In less than two months.
He did the job.
You know there is so much of the
Lord's work.
In different aspects of the Lord's work.
That we see there is a need of.
In many parts of our own country.
90 years.
100 years.
200 years.
It's been like that.
What is God waiting for?
He is waiting for one man who has
a burden.
Who is not going to be discouraged by
the opposition.
And who is going to motivate people.
Stir them.
And build.
The wall.
The body of Jesus Christ.
Now.
We move on to.
We read about Ezra.
In chapter 8.
We read about Nehemiah.
And the people confessing their sin.
In chapter 9.
And I just want to move on.
To the end of that.
He organizes the people.
And I want to show you something.
In chapter 13.
Just let me mention this.
That Nehemiah organized people.
Who could look after the gates.
And who could sing and praise.
Just like David.
You find in this movement of God's people.
There are always people.
Who are worshiping God.
And singing and praising.
When he came.
He comes to chapter 13.
We find here that.
Nehemiah sets a lot of things in order.
He goes into the temple.
And you see something like what Jesus did.
When he cleansed the temple.
In Jerusalem.
When Jesus was on earth.
You see something similar to that.
In Nehemiah chapter 13.
Where he goes inside.
And he finds that inside the temple.
People have put their unconverted relatives there.
And he chased them all out.
Eliashib the priest.
Had was related to Tobiah.
Chapter 13 verse 4.
And he had prepared a large room for
him.
And Nehemiah came and chased them all out.
And he says in verse 8.
He threw out all of Tobiah's household goods.
And told them to clean the rooms.
This is the house of God.
We don't want all these people staying here.
He was a fearless man.
He was a man who was concerned.
For the purity of God's house.
And he was not concerned about his reputation.
And he cleansed that temple.
Somewhat similar to the way.
Jesus cleansed the temple when he was on
earth.
And the other thing he saw.
Was he saw a lot of people.
Verse 15 onwards.
Who were trying to make money on the
Sabbath.
By selling things on the Sabbath.
And he.
Rebuked these nobles.
And he says what is this evil thing.
Verse 17 that you are doing.
And when he saw certain people.
Trying to sell things on the Sabbath.
In verse 21.
He warned them.
He says why do you.
Why do you spend the night here.
If you do so again.
I will use force against you.
And from that time on they did not
come.
See I have seen this.
There are some leaders.
Who are very weak.
And not firm.
And authoritative.
When it comes to the purity of the
church.
And when God cannot find a man.
Who is strong and authoritative.
For the purity of the church.
God's work suffers.
But Nehemiah wasn't like that.
He wasn't concerned about his reputation.
He said I don't care whether you think.
I'm a gentle man or not.
I don't seek a reputation.
For being gentle and meek and all that.
If you fellows dishonor God.
I'm going to be strict.
And I'm going to push you out with
my hands.
Don't you ever come here again.
They needed something like that.
And we also see.
How he treated people.
Who had married.
Non-Jewish women.
In those days verse 23.
I saw the Jews had married women.
From other countries.
And their children spoke half this language.
And half the other language.
And see how he treats them.
Verse 25.
I contented with them.
I cursed them.
I slapped them.
And I pulled out their hair.
Their beards.
And made them swear.
Don't you ever give your daughters.
To their sons.
Or take that daughters.
For your sons.
See Nehemiah wasn't concerned.
About his reputation.
He was concerned more.
For the purity of God's house.
For obedience to God's laws.
And to that.
To fulfill that.
He was even willing to slap people.
And pull out their hairs from their face.
Now I'm not saying.
That we should do things like that.
But the emphasis there.
Which I'm trying to say is that.
God needs people.
Who are not only concerned.
But who are so concerned.
That they are strict about God's standards.
In the church.
And who are firm.
And the people must know.
That this leader of ours.
Is a firm man.
He will tolerate no nonsense.
When it comes to the standards of God's
word.
And there must be a little fear.
In their hearts.
I've often told people.
In the church.
Listen, if you fellas don't fear God.
Then you better fear me.
Because I'm not going to allow any of
this nonsense in the church.
The best thing is you fear God.
Then you don't have to fear man at
all.
But if you don't fear God.
And you come to the church and start
playing the fool.
You're going to have problems with me.
Because we're not going to allow that in
the church.
And I've observed through the years.
As I've seen different churches built.
That if in a church.
If God cannot find a firm leader like
that.
Nothing solid is ever built.
And I've discovered also.
That the reason why many times.
A leader is not like that.
Is because he is concerned about his own
reputation.
What will people think about me?
I want to have a reputation.
As a very humble, gracious, gentle person.
Well if you're concerned about your reputation.
You might as well forget about building the
church.
So that's what we learn from Nehemiah.
A man who was not concerned about his
own reputation.
And whom God could use.
Now let's turn over to the book of
Esther.
The book of Esther.
Is one book.
In which the name of God.
Never appears.
The word God.
Or Lord.
Never comes in this book.
In fact.
It's the only book in the Bible.
Where the name of God.
Never appears.
The song of Solomon.
In the original Hebrew.
Has got one place.
Where the flame of the Lord.
Which is not always translated.
With God's name in the English translations.
It does appear.
Jehovah or Yah.
Comes in one place.
But Esther is the only book.
In the whole Bible.
Where the name of God never appears.
And yet.
God is working behind the scenes.
Invisibly.
Supporting.
And helping his people.
Now I think there is a reason.
Why God's name is not mentioned here.
And this may be my own opinion.
But I will share it with you.
For what it is worth.
See.
Ezra and Nehemiah.
Referred to people.
Who left the comfort.
Of Babylon and Medo Persia.
And went.
To a difficult.
Work.
To settle down in Jerusalem.
Because they knew that.
There must be a testimony for God in
Jerusalem.
And so you find God.
Openly manifesting himself.
Supporting those people.
Who were concerned about that.
Esther.
In the book of Esther.
We read about the Jews.
Who did not want to pay the price.
To come out and be a testimony for
the Lord.
You see.
We see that today among Christians.
There are believers of all types.
There are believers.
Who like to be believers.
But who are always seeking their own.
And want to make money in the world.
Want to get on in the world.
And want to get a good position.
And honor.
And titles.
And big jobs.
And live very comfortably.
And also want to be believers.
And go regularly for meetings.
And have meetings in their home perhaps.
But they don't want to pay the price.
Of being an out and out disciple.
When God may send them.
To some other place where it's inconvenient.
To serve him.
They don't want that.
They will never hear God call them.
To a difficult place to serve him.
But they are believers.
Those are the type of people.
Like the people who stayed back in Babylon.
Or stayed back in Medo Persia.
And the people mentioned in Ezra and Nehemiah.
Are the people who.
Were willing to be inconvenienced.
Willing to suffer poverty.
And difficulty.
In order to establish a testimony for God's
name.
In some difficult place.
And we know.
There are these two types of believers.
And some of these believers.
Who are seeking comfort.
Externally they are very good.
They are good people.
They don't harm anyone.
And they know the Bible.
And they come regularly for their meetings.
And they praise the Lord.
And they sing well.
And they preach well.
But deep down.
They have never said Lord.
I am willing to go anywhere for you.
I am willing to go to any place.
To serve you.
Because they are afraid.
God may send them to North India.
But they don't want to go to North
India.
Because they want to live comfortably here.
And settle down.
And they want to go regularly to the
meetings.
And be good believers here.
And say God has never called me to
go there.
But God will never call such people.
Because he sees them deep down in their
heart.
They don't want to go.
So.
Even though God helps such people.
He does not publicly.
Identify himself with them.
Like he would.
With somebody else who has gone out.
Sacrificially.
To live for him.
And that is why.
God does not publicly.
Identify himself with.
The people in the book of Esther.
His name is not there.
At all.
I believe that's the reason.
But he cares for them.
Like he cares for all these believers.
Around here who seek their own.
And their own comfort.
And live for money etc.
He cares for them.
So there is a lesson there.
And you see certain compromises.
Here in the book of Esther.
For example.
We see that Mordecai.
When you know the story.
How this king Ahasuerus.
Did not.
He got so drunk one day.
And he told his queen.
Beautiful queen Vashti.
To come and appear before all the other
men.
And she was a very modest queen.
And she said I won't come.
And the king.
Rejected her and said.
We got to look for another queen.
And when Esther.
Esther was a pretty.
Jewish girl there.
And.
Mordecai.
Encouraged Esther.
To get married.
To.
This heathen king.
Now there are many many good qualities.
About Mordecai that I really appreciate.
And I don't want to say anything.
To.
Bring him down.
Because he was a man who stood for
God.
He did not bow down to him.
And there are many good things we see.
In Mordecai.
But you notice that.
This man.
If you knew the scriptures.
He knew very well.
That according to the word of God.
A Jewish girl.
Should not marry.
A heathen man.
A non-Jewish man.
That is exactly.
What we saw in the previous page.
In the last chapter of Nehemiah.
These.
Jewish men had married into.
Heathen families.
And those are the people.
Who Nehemiah slapped and pulled the beard.
And said don't you ever allow your daughters.
To go and marry these.
You shall not give your daughters.
Nehemiah 13 25.
To all these heathen people.
And you turn over the page and you
come to Esther.
And you find this Mordecai.
Doing exactly that.
Now Esther lived at a time.
Before Nehemiah.
But I'm just trying to point out to
you.
That when people.
Do not go all out for the Lord.
And say Lord I'm willing to go anywhere.
I'm willing to do anything.
I'm willing to sacrifice.
And live for you.
Because I've got only one life on earth.
And I don't want to live in comfort
and ease.
I want to go wherever you want me
to go.
If we don't give ourselves to the Lord
like that.
We'll find compromise.
Comes in different areas.
Without even our knowing it.
Do you think Mordecai felt.
That he was doing something wrong.
In encouraging Esther to marry a heathen king.
No.
See when we compromise.
In one area.
We get so used to it.
That we compromise in other areas.
Also without our conscience troubling us.
And God.
Will not publicly identify.
Himself with us.
If you want God to publicly.
Identify himself with you.
You have to be out and out for
him.
You have to say Lord.
I'm not going to live for comfort.
I'm not going to live for money.
I'm not going to live for honor.
I'm not going to live for pleasure.
I'm going to live for you.
I'm willing to go where you want me
to go.
And if you want me to go away.
From a comfortable place to a difficult place.
I'm ready to go.
Those are the people you read in Ezra
and Nehemiah.
And there's a detailed list of their names.
We saw that.
But when it comes to Esther.
There's no list of names.
Or any such thing.
God doesn't identify himself with these people.
But he cares for them.
Just like God cares for a lot of
people in the world.
He makes the sun to rise upon whom?
Upon the good and the evil.
He gives a lot of material blessings.
And material protection.
To people.
What he did for the Jews.
In the book of Esther.
Was that he protected them from death.
Which is a good thing.
But we don't see.
People concerned about the glory of God's name.
Or any such thing.
The only thing Mordecai was concerned about.
Was the Jews should not be killed.
You know.
It's a danger of our being killed.
Let's somehow pray to God.
And ask him to protect us from being
killed.
That's all he was interested in.
So different from Ezra and Nehemiah.
Who were concerned about the glory of God's
name.
So I'm just trying to say.
That there are two types of believers.
And you see both of them.
Here there were those who stayed back in
Babylon.
And there were those who moved out of
Babylon.
Into Jerusalem.
And there are believers sitting in Babylonian systems.
And living by Babylonian principles.
I'm not saying God forsakes them.
He provides for them.
He cares for them.
That's the message of the book of Esther.
And if all that you are interested in.
Is protection from death.
And material protection.
Brother you can stay in Babylon all your
life.
But if you want to fulfill God's purposes.
You better move on.
And say Lord show me what is your
will for my life.
You know the human heart is so deceptive.
The heart is deceitful above all things.
We can think we are such dedicated people.
Because we sing so movingly.
On Sunday morning.
And we feel we love the Lord so
much.
But look at the way we live.
We are seeking our own.
Settle down comfortably.
Not concerned about.
The work of God.
In difficult places.
How much concern.
Do many believers.
Living in comfortable surroundings.
In this state.
Have for God's work.
In very very difficult places.
I ask do they even get.
A missionary magazine.
In their home.
To read.
About God's work being.
Done in North India.
They don't even get that.
They are not interested.
They are interested in their comfortable life.
And Sunday morning praising the Lord.
And come together.
These are the people that we read of
in Esther.
When they have trouble they go to God.
If they get some healing they are very
happy.
And if their financial needs are met.
They are quite happy.
These are the people who drift along in
life.
Useless to God.
Useless to men.
Just satisfying their conscience.
I have lived a good life.
I haven't harmed anybody.
I believe in victory over sin.
I believe in overcoming my dirty thoughts.
I believe in overcoming my anger.
That's not all there is in the Christian
life.
Jesus didn't just overcome dirty thoughts.
And.
Keep himself from anger.
He accomplished the father's will.
And I believe that should come as a
challenge to us.
Anyway let me say how God.
Cared for these people.
We can learn something of God's sovereign protection.
Even for these compromising people.
Mordecai was a man.
Who had a certain fear of God.
He was a man.
Who would not bow down to Haman.
When Haman passed by.
And Haman was the man.
Who was like the prime minister.
Next to the king.
One day we read that.
Mordecai.
Saved the life.
Of the king.
He told Queen Esther.
Esther had become queen by then.
Esther informed the king.
And the plot was investigated.
Chapter 2 verse 23.
And those.
Who were plotting against the king.
Were hanged on the gallows.
And after these things.
Chapter 3 verse 1.
The king promoted Haman to be the leader.
And all the king's servants.
Chapter 3 verse 2.
Bowed down to Haman.
But Mordecai would not bow down.
And.
Haman tried to find out.
Why is this fellow not bowing down to
me.
And he discovered this fellow was a Jew.
So.
When we talk about these compromising believers.
Who are not willing to serve God in
difficult places.
They won't bow down to idols.
No, no, no, no, no.
They won't do such things.
They've got certain principles.
They want a comfortable life.
They've got no interest in Jerusalem.
They want to live in Babylon.
Because Babylon is more comfortable place to live
in.
In Medo-Persia.
But they will not compromise their principles.
So Mordecai had some principles.
He would not bow down to Haman.
And therefore.
Haman got very angry.
With all the Jews.
He said this is a peculiar race.
Let me wipe out the whole lot of
them.
Because this man would not bow down to
him.
And so very cleverly.
He got the king to pass an order.
That on a certain day.
All the Jews.
Were to be wiped out from the land.
Something like.
What we saw in the 20th century.
Of Hitler.
Haman was the Hitler.
Of the Old Testament.
Who wanted to wipe out all the Jews
in the land.
Catch them and wipe them out.
But you know.
You can't do that.
Haman didn't succeed and Hitler didn't succeed.
And nobody will succeed.
What God has promised to Abraham.
4000 years ago will be fulfilled.
Haman's will come and go.
And Hitler's will come and go.
And God's purposes will still be fulfilled.
And.
That's what we see here.
And we read here that Esther.
Learned about this plot of Haman.
And Mordecai told him.
Told her that.
You have come.
Into the kingdom.
For this particular time.
In Esther.
And chapter 4.
Mordecai told him.
That if you don't imagine.
Verse 13.
That just because you are living in the
king's palace.
You can escape.
If you remain silent at this time.
What will happen?
Deliverance will come for the Jews from somewhere
else.
Here God is giving you an opportunity.
You don't find the word God there.
Never in the book of Esther do you
find the word God.
You don't even find the word prayer.
Even when Esther says to the Jews.
In verse 16.
Go and tell the Jews to fast for
me.
Not to eat or drink for three days.
Night or day.
He doesn't tell them to pray.
Just fast.
And Mordecai says.
If you don't stand up.
For your people.
Deliverance will come from another source.
And who knows that.
You may have come into this position.
For this particular time.
Verse 14.
So Esther.
Went before the king.
And planned a banquet.
And Haman.
Was very proud.
Because he had been invited to that banquet.
And we read.
That he went home.
Esther 5 verse 11.
And he talked about.
How rich he was.
And he had ten sons.
And he boasted about that.
And how the king had promoted him.
And how he was going for a banquet.
And Esther the queen has invited only him.
With the king.
Yet he says.
In verse 13.
All of this doesn't satisfy me.
As long as I see this man Mordecai
not bowing down to me.
And so Zerush his wife.
And Haman.
Planned to make a huge gallows.
It was 70 feet high.
75 feet high.
You know.
75 feet high.
Is the height of a 7 story building.
Huge gallows.
Now.
You don't need a 75 foot gallows.
To hang a man.
You need only a 10 foot gallows to
hang a man.
Why did he make one 75 feet high?
So that Mordecai.
Can be humiliated.
Before the whole city.
Should be able to see him.
Hanging there.
And God was watching this.
The scheme to wipe out.
The Jews.
And God did something.
One of the wonderful things we see in
Esther.
Is the sovereignty of God.
That night.
Verse 6.
Chapter 6.
Verse 1.
The king could not sleep.
Why was it the king couldn't sleep?
Because God kept him awake.
This is a great encouragement.
When we read in the book of Esther.
When we see there are people.
Plotting against us.
And God.
Works on our behalf to protect us.
From these people.
Who are plotting against us.
That's what we see here.
Mordecai was fast asleep.
He did not know that there had been
a 75 foot gallows.
That was made that night.
It was Haman and his wife who were
awake that whole night.
Mordecai was fast asleep.
And.
The king.
He couldn't sleep that night.
And the king.
Gave an order.
To get the history books.
He thought he'd get some sleep if he
read some old history books.
And.
So they started reading the history books.
And he still couldn't get any sleep.
And he went on and on and on
and on reading.
Right through the night till about 6 o
'clock in the morning.
They came to that place in the history
book.
Where it said that.
Mordecai had saved.
The king's life.
At some time.
And.
When the king heard that.
He said what was done for that man.
Verse 3 chapter 6 verse 3.
What did we do for this man for
saving my life.
And they said nothing has been done.
So.
He said well we got to honor him.
And.
At that very moment.
You see the timing of God.
At that very moment.
Haman comes in to get permission.
From.
The king to destroy the Jews and hang
Mordecai.
And the king is just planning to honor
Mordecai.
And he asked Haman.
See I want to honor somebody.
What do you think we should do.
And Haman thought well of course that must
be me.
He wants to honor.
So he says you must make him ride
on the king's horse.
And let a prince lead him down the
street.
And say this is the way God's going
to honor.
That the king is going to honor.
Anyone who is faithful.
And he says go and do that to
Mordecai.
Right now.
It's wonderful to see how God turns.
The tables on Satan.
And that was the beginning of that.
Turning the tables on Satan where.
Finally.
Esther exposed Haman.
And.
Haman was finally hanged.
On the gallows which he had made.
For Mordecai.
Now this is written for our instruction.
That.
Nobody can really touch us.
Until God's time comes.
There were times when it says about.
Even about Jesus.
They could not arrest him.
Because his time had not yet come.
They could not chop off Paul's head.
Until.
The time which God had determined had come.
Because God works on behalf of his servants.
Protecting.
Protecting them.
And if he could work on behalf of
these people.
Who were compromised.
Who were seeking their own.
In this Medo-Persian situation.
And who had not gone out and out.
To Jerusalem like the others.
How much more.
He will do today.
For those who want to live for him.
That's the great encouragement.
That comes to us through the book of
Esther.
The sovereign working of God.
When you are asleep.
He works on your behalf.
To protect you from evil men.
Who seek to destroy you.
See if we don't have that faith.
We won't go out to serve God in
difficult situations.
We think there is a danger here.
There is a danger there.
We need to take care of ourselves.
And if the devil can put that type
of fear in our hearts.
And make us act on that fear.
In other words.
We glorify the devil.
We say the devil is almighty and God
cannot protect us.
Then of course we will never be able
to serve God.
A lot of believers live with that type
of fear.
But a true servant of God.
Will say God is almighty.
Everything in scripture shows me.
That God works on behalf of his people.
He is watching.
The eyes of the Lord run to and
fro throughout the whole earth.
To work on behalf of those.
Whose hearts are his.
And the Lord who watches you.
Will not slumber or sleep.
He is the one who protects us.
And that is why.
We need never have any fear.
Even if people.
Scheme against us.
And it's wonderful when we have.
Experiences like that.
I've had experiences like that too.
Where people scheme.
And plan things against me.
And it doesn't work out.
The way they anticipate.
Because there is a God in heaven.
Watching the whole thing.
And he frustrates their plans.
And turns the tables on them.
And makes fools of them.
This is the God we worship and serve.
So.
Let's be encouraged by this.
And we see finally how the Jews.
Became triumphant there in the book of Esther.
And the enemy was defeated.
And that will be how it is.
In our life too.
Let's pray.
Heavenly Father.
We thank you for the challenge of your
word.
We thank you for the examples of those.
Who were willing to sacrifice everything.
To live for you.
And we thank you also for.
Your sovereign care and protection.
For those.
Who were not willing.
To pay the price.
But who are still your children.
Lord.
We thank you for your tremendous love.
This gives us great faith.
And encouragement.
As we seek to serve you in difficult
situations.
That you will protect us from the Haman's.
Who seek to harm us.
That you can even control the thoughts of
a king.
And the rulers of the country.
And make them take decisions.
That will protect your people.
We believe that Lord.
And we want to trust you.
In Jesus name.
Amen.