Skip to content Names Known by God: Insights from Nehemiah 7 Jun 3 · 16 min ...more
Names Known by God: Insights from Nehemiah 7
June 3, 2025 · 16 min
Learn why every name and family mentioned in Nehemiah 7 matters to God and how it reminds us of our individual worth.
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Nehemiah's Leadership and Spiritual Renewal 0:10 Good morning. Welcome to Stand on the Word. Thanks for joining this morning as we look at Nehemiah chapter 7 and 8 verse 10 of chapter 8. Then he said to them, go your way, eat the fat, drink sweet wine, and send0:21 fortunes to anyone who has nothing ready. For this day is holy to our lord, and do not be grieved for the joy of the lord is is your strength. Hallelujah. Isn't that a great verse? Alright.0:32 Nehemiah is just he's a wonderful example of a truly great leader. Now Ezra had come back to Jerusalem about 13 years before Nehemiah. He brought the word. He he was a he was a scholar. He0:44 taught the word. He led the people in report repentance. And I understand that Nehemiah's job was to come and to rebuild the wall and to to provide security and secure this the city. Alright? And and in0:56 chapter 8, what we're gonna see is that work has on the wall had been done. The city was secure. Nehemiah then turned his attention to the greatest threat that they were facing.1:08 Now think of this. He's a civil leader, but he turns to the greatest threat. What was the greatest threat? Spiritual compromise. We're gonna look at that in just a moment, but let's take a quick look at chapter 7. It's1:18 gonna be quick unless you want me to read all of the names in verses 5 through 73. This is the roll call of the families who came back from Babylonian captivity. It's almost identical to the list1:30 we saw in Ezra chapter 2. And when we come across a list of names like this, we're often tempted just to skip over it and move on. But we should always ask the question, why is it here? I mean, if it weren't important,1:40 why would have god why would god have preserved it here in his word for us to read today? Well, just a general observation is I think this list reminds us that god knows our name.1:52 God knows your name. You're not just a number. You're not just a figure. You you matter to God. Every individual, every family matters to God. In verse2:04 64, those who were not on the list were priesthood. It's a reminder, we need to make sure our name is on that list. Alright? On that book written in heaven, the lamb's book of2:16 life. Verse 1 chapter 7. Now when the wall had been built and I had set up the doors and the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites had been appointed, I gave my brother Hanani,2:27 Hanani, and my and Hananiah, the governor of the castle charge over Jerusalem, for he was was more faithful and God fearing than many. Now it is thought by a2:39 number of scholars that Nehemiah was setting things in order and preparing to go back to Babylon as he had promised the king. So he was putting qualified leadership in place to oversee things while he was gone. So2:51 he appoints 2 men. First, Hanani, Hanani and Hananiya. And and and and Hananiah was the first 1 who informed him about3:03 the the situation back in chapter 1. So there's 2 descriptors here, that are used. He was more faithful, and he was more god fearing. You see, being faithful in3:15 small things. He was the number 2 guy. Okay? He wasn't out front. He was the number 2 guy. He was just serving. But being faithful in small things prepares us and qualifies us for more significant3:27 task. And this is a principle we see in the New Testament. Jesus taught this. Matthew chapter 25 verse 21. His master said unto them, well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful3:39 over a little. I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master. You see, when we do our work as unto the lord, he does not overlook3:51 those who are faithful. Alright. We need to start with the last half of the last verse of chapter 7 to set the stage for chapter 8. And when the seventh month had come, the people of Israel were4:03 in their towns. The seventh month was the feast of trumpets or literally a day of shouting and blasting. The first day of the seventh month signaled the beginning of the new civil year, the new calendar. In the4:15 seventh month, you would have the feast of the the trumpet. You would have the day of atonement and the feast of tabernacles, something they had not observed as a people for a long, long time. Verse 1. And4:26 all the people gathered as 1 man in the square before the Watergate, and they told Ezra, the scribe, to bring the book of the law of Moses that the lord had commanded Israel. A true leader4:38 understands the importance of the people's spiritual well-being. Alright? And so I I I've said this many times. It's not a criticism. It's just a reality. America won't be great until America is4:50 good. America must have a moral foundation in order for it to build prosperous future. You know, we're not told everything, but through these 2 months experience of rallying5:02 people to tackle this monumental problem, the rubble, the broken walls, propelling the opposition and their nonstop harassment and attacks and and and5:13 attending and attending to the the fissures in his own rank ranks, I think Nehemiah realized these folks had some real problems. They had some issues, and he he needed to deal with these underlying issues,5:26 especially since he was going to be gone if they were to succeed, if if the work that he had invested in was going to continue on. Now with their temporal temporary5:37 temporal security needs met where they could now focus without fear, he turns to the, the only place where individuals, families, communities, and nations can rebuild, and that is on the word5:49 of God. That that's how you build a a solid foundation is on the word of God. Now notice going back to this verse 1 that all the people gathered as 1 man. They were in unity. The challenge of rebuilding6:01 the wall had been nothing but a pile the the this wall that had been nothing but a pile of rubber rubble for nearly a hundred and 50 years required a unified effort, and nothing builds unity among6:13 people like a project of life and death in which you succeed. You know, I've been in some situations where you bond with people because you go through some really significant challenges. And6:25 and on the other side of that, when the lord gives you success, there is a bonding. There's a unity that takes place. Alright. Verse 2. So Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, both men and women and all6:36 who could understand what they heard on the first day of the seventh month, and he read from it facing the square before the Watergate from early morning until midday in the presence of the men and the women of those who6:47 could understand, and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law. And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for that purpose. And by the way, this is the first time in6:59 scripture we actually see reference to a pulpit being used for the presentation of the word of god. Verse 5, and Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people. He was on the pulpit7:11 on the And as he opened it, all the people stood. Notice the reverence that they had for the word of god. Verse 6, and Ezra blessed the lord, the great god, and all the people7:23 answered, amen and amen, lifting up their hands, and they bowed their heads, and they worship the lord with their faces to the ground. And then verse 7, also, Joshua, Benai,7:36 Sherebiah, Jaiman, Aqaba, Shabaiah, Shabbathai, Hodiah, Maasai, Yeah,7:47 and don't try this at home. Okay? Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan,8:00 Peleah, and the Levites helped the people to understand the law while the people remained in their places. So verse 8, they read the from the book, from the law of God clearly, and they gave the sense so8:12 that the people understood the reading. So here's what we have. They would read the word, and then they had these breakout groups, small groups, small group leaders that help people understand what they had just heard.8:23 Now a part of this may have been language they had to translate into the to Aramaic because that was a more common language that many of them probably knew. But but here's the here's the reality. A vibrant church is8:35 going to to have a focus on biblical understanding. Alright? So it's not just hearing it preached and hearing it read. You've gotta study. You gotta understand it has it has to be explained. And this is what we have8:47 happening here. Now some churches call it Sunday school, some small groups, some have cell groups. In in fact, that's the reason for this journey through the Bible, this stand on the word, is to help believers that may8:58 may not have access to that. Maybe that's not in your church, but to go through the the word of god systematically. We're doing it chronologically. But understanding the word of God and how the pieces fit9:10 together, it's it's 1 big story. You know? It's not these little pieces disconnected. It is an interconnected story of redemption and of grace.9:22 Right. So they hear the word for the well, let me go back to verse 9. And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people, said to all the people, this day9:34 is holy to the lord, your god. Do not mourn or weep, for all the people wept as they heard the word of god. Then he said to them, go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet wine, and send portions to anyone who has9:46 nothing ready. For this day is holy to our lord, and do not be grieved, for the joy of the lord is our strength. Those so the Levites calmed the people saying, be quiet, for this day is holy.9:57 Do not be grieved. So they were they were hearing the word of god, some of them for the very first time, and they didn't have Bibles that they could pull off the shelves. This was how they heard. This is how they got the10:09 word of god. It was read to them. Hearing it, they realized how far they had strayed from god, and the result was they were convicted. Their hearts were grieved, and they began to weep. The soil of their hearts was being10:21 tilled by the holy spirit. And and this is how the power of god works. Now the feast of trumpets is we which they were recognizing or celebrating was to be a joyous occasion. So he10:32 occasion. So he said, don't look. Don't weep. Be joyful. Have have joy and be thankful for the grace of god. Alright. Verse 12. And all the people went their way to eat and10:44 drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing because they understood the words that were declared them. On the second day, the heads of father's houses and all the people with the priest and Levites came10:55 together to Ezra, the scribe, just in order to study the word of the law. And they found it written in the law that the lord had commanded by Moses that the people of Israel should dwell in11:06 booths during the feast of the seventh month. Verse 16. So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each on his roof and in their courts and in the11:18 courts of the house of God and in the square at the Watergate and at the square of the gate of Ephraim. Nehemiah and Ezra, I I think, had to have been thrilled. I would have been. I mean, this is what every teacher or11:30 every preacher of the word of god wants to see. People actually hearing, as James said, and not just being hearers of the word but being doers of it. They acted on the word of god. They didn't say, oh, well, we just11:41 heard about this, and, you know, we really don't have time to prepare. So let's make plans to do it next year. No. They went and they did it right then. Verse 17. And all the assembly of those who had11:53 returned from captivity made booths and lived in the booths for from the days of Joshua, the son of Nan, that's Joshua, to the day the people of Israel had not done so, and12:05 there was very great rejoicing. Had it been done it had not been been done since they crossed into the promised land, since Joshua. So don't miss this. There was great rejoicing. Obedience12:16 brings gladness. There are innumerable intangible benefits that come from obeying god, not the least of which is joy because we have no guilt.12:28 There's no there's we're not we don't we get rid of our baggage when we walk in obedience to god. Verse 18. And day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read from the book of the law of12:40 God. They kept the feast 7 days, and on the eighth day, there was a solemn assembly according to the rule. I tell you what. Don't you love Nehemiah? This is a great book for leaders, for12:52 families, for parents, for each and every 1 of us to learn how to to walk in the face of opposition, to focus in on the greatest needs that we have, and that is to walk in13:04 obedience to God dealing with the spiritual foundation of our lives, of our families, of our churches, and, yes, of our nation. Father, thank you for your word. Once again, lord, we just thank you. We're13:15 grateful for your word. Lord, we rejoice in your word. We thank you that you have not left us to try to chart our own course. But, lord, you've given us clear direction. I thank you for, lord, how you haveInvitation to Spiritual Growth 13:27 protected your word and and and and how today, at this very moment, we have more access to your word than any time in the history of mankind. It's13:39 at our fingertips, on our phones, on our computers. God, I pray that we would not neglect your word, but I pray that, lord, we would be diligent to study it. And13:51 as the children of Israel did here in chapter 8, we would obey it. We would put it into that practice. We would not just be hearers of the word, but we would be doers as well. We pray this in Jesus' name.14:03 Amen. Alright. Thanks for joining me this morning. And let me remind you, coming up very soon is the 21 day family Bible challenge as we start the New Testament with the book of Matthew on14:15 June the eleventh, 21 days. It goes to July the first. And you're on the journey already, so that's great. But this is a wonderful opportunity to invite have adult14:27 children. Maybe you have children at home. Maybe you've got grandchildren. Just say, hey. Would you like to join me for this 21 day bible challenge? We've got resources. Not only do we have this reading plan that you're14:38 familiar with, but we have, kind of a study guide, family, questions to talk about. Maybe you could get together with your kids, grandkids on the weekends and, and and do the discussion time. What14:50 whatever. But I I would encourage you to challenge it because, as you know, being in the word of god is life transforming. And what better deposit could you make into someone's15:02 life than exposing them to the life transforming truth of god's word. Alright. Until next time. Oh, by the way. So text Matthew to 6 7 7 415:13 2. Matthew to 6 7 7 4 2, and you'll get a link to all the resources and an and a a link, should be up there for you to invite others to join you. Until next time, keep15:25 standing on the word.15:27 Today's study comes from the stand on the word bible reading plan available for free at f r c dot o r g slash bible. By following along in just a few minutes a day,15:39 you can read through the entire Bible in just 2 years. Learn more and request the free reading guide at frc dot org slash bible.In this video 0:00 Nehemiah's Leadership and Spiritual Renewal13:19 Invitation to Spiritual Growth
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