Three Voices
Nehemiah 4
Intro: We’ve got
a work to do. This work is…
A. God’s
Work – 2:18a
B. Good
Work – 2:18b
C. Group
Work – 4:17-18 (note: 15 times we find plural pronouns)
But there will always be THREE VOICES whenever we endeavor
to do anything for God.
I. The Helpless
Voice of the Faint – 4:10
A. Their
Decay – notice their focus was on THEIR strength = we must focus on HIM!
B. Their
Difficulties – much rubbish - they focus on the work not the reward
C. Their
Disability – we are not able - they WERE able. They did it in 52 days!
II. The Hateful
Voice of the Foe – 4:11
A. Their
Subtlety – they shall not know or see (grievous wolves creep in)
B. Their
Slaying – they don’t want to slow us down; they want to annihilate us!
C. Their
Stopping – cause the work to cease (what exactly is our work?)
D. Their
Steadfastness – they said it to them 10 times (they will not get weary in
their work)
III. The Hopeful
Voice of the Fighters – 4:12-14
A. The
Readiness – vs. 13 (every family was in their proper place)
B. The
Remembrance – vs. 14 (Remember the Lord…)
C. The
Reason – vs. 14 (fight for your brethren, sons, your daughters, your wives
and houses)
D. The
Return – vs. 15 (we returned every one of us to the wall; every one unto
his work)
Conclusion: In
spite of the voices of the Faint and the Foe, the voice of the Fighters
prevailed. They finished the wall in 52 days.
·
Neh. 6:15 So the
wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and
two days. And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all
the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in
their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.