Somebody Loves You

Raul Ries: Whatever you're going through tonight, whatever you're facing, whatever you need in your life tonight, the King of kings is sitting on the throne waiting for you like Nehemiah to pray, to ask, and to wait until the answer comes. God wants to answer our prayers. God wants to use our lives.

Announcer (Male): Welcome to Somebody Loves You Radio, the Bible teaching ministry of Raul Ries in Diamond Bar, California. Today's lesson continues our journey through the book of Nehemiah, and we're glad to have you with us for encouragement to daily step out in faith with the Lord.

You'll see that like Nehemiah, when you seek God's face and trust His power, He can help you navigate obstacles that appear to have no workaround and challenges that feel too powerful to overcome. Today's study is titled "Nehemiah's Prayer Answered." Here is Raul Ries in the book of Nehemiah.

Raul Ries: Tonight if you have your Bibles, turn with me to the book of Nehemiah, chapter 2. If you remember, let's go a little bit back from last week in the book of Nehemiah, when Nehemiah was introduced in the court of the King by the name of Artaxerxes. Nehemiah had been born in Persia, and he had been there when his parents were carried away into captivity when God punished the people of God for 70 years as King Nebuchadnezzar came and made three sieges against the city of Jerusalem.

And now Nehemiah's parents are dead. He's been living there since his birth, and now he's probably in his 30s or 40s. He has been the cupbearer to the king, which was a very different and difficult and dangerous occupation to have at this particular time—tasting food, drinking the wine, making sure that the king wasn't poisoned. If he was, then the cupbearer would be the first one to die.

As Nehemiah is introduced in chapter 1, he receives a report from his brother Hanani, and he begins to ask him, "Hey, how is Jerusalem? How are the people there doing?" When Nehemiah began to hear about the situation that was going down in Jerusalem, he was crushed with the bad news. What he did is that he began to pray and to fast and to mourn and to just really wait upon God because the people were in great distress.

Let me read it once again. "They said to me, 'The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province there are in great distress and great reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down and its gates are burned with fire.' So it was, when I heard these words, that I, Nehemiah, sat down and wept and mourned for many days, and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven."

Incredible man, Nehemiah was. Now we pick it up in chapter 2. Look what happens, how God answers prayer. "And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the 20th year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, that I, Nehemiah, took the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had never been sad in his presence before." Notice how he's telling us the story.

Now, what's interesting here is that not only is Nehemiah being praying and fasting for four months, but this is God's perfect divine time in world history and Jewish history. This is March 14, 445 BC. You say, "What's the big deal about that?" Well, to us, it's nothing. But this is now the beginning of Daniel, chapter 9, verses 24 to 27, of the 70 weeks of Daniel.

This is the beginning of it where God will fulfill. Remember, 490 years from the time the commandment was given to rebuild the walls in Jerusalem—this is where it starts. Remember this: from now until the end of the Old Testament, 49 years will be fulfilled. And then by the time Christ enters the city of Jerusalem on a donkey—Matthew 21—400 years between Malachi and Matthew, called the silent years where no prophet spoke.

But there was history being made by the Persians, by the Roman Empire, by the Grecians. And then there in Matthew 21, when Jesus enters the city in Jerusalem, sitting on a donkey as they're spreading the palms on the floor and they're waving them and saying, "Hosanna, Hosanna," it's April 6, 32 AD. 483 years to the tee, prophetically speaking, according to Daniel chapter 9, verses 24 to 27.

He said 490—why 483? Because the last seven years of world history have not been fulfilled yet. That's the last seven years of world history called the Tribulation period. This is where it all starts right here in chapter 2. Listen to what he says. This is so incredible. Watch this, verse 2: "Therefore the king said to me, 'Why is your face sad since you are not sick? This is nothing but sorrow of heart.' And so I became dreadfully afraid."

Check this out, verse 3. "And I said to the king, 'May the king live forever! Why should my face not be sad when the city, the place of my fathers' tombs, lies waste and its gates are burned with fire?'" Remember, he's been praying, and God says to him, "Now Nehemiah, speak up. This is the time." I think that we should be able to learn from Nehemiah. There are times to keep quiet and there are times to speak when we pray.

Not blabbing off to people what we prayed about, but waiting on God's perfect time. When it's time, God will say, "Now speak." It was perfect timing when he spoke out. Why? Because this is the time where God not only stirs up things, but this is the time where God speaks to the king's heart. Nehemiah gets what he's been praying for.

He says in verse 3 again, "And I said to the king, 'May the king live forever! Why should my face not be sad when the city and the place of my fathers' tombs lie waste and its gates are burned with fire?'" Did you notice that he didn't say the city of Jerusalem? Because the king already in the past had worked with that guy by the name of Rehum. He had been working with him, that Samaritan official, in tearing down and oppressing the people. But now God is changing his heart to help the people. Interesting.

Here he is, verse 4. "Then the king said to me, 'What is your request?'" So what does he do? I love it. He prayed a quick prayer. "Dear Lord Jesus." He just bowed down and prayed real quickly. I think we can learn from Nehemiah that Nehemiah was not sporadic in speaking out, but he really had a mission. He really had a purpose. He was hitting the target, not missing the target.

Because here we see Nehemiah in this great request that is given, and the king says, "Whatever you want, I'll do for you. What do you want?" And what does he do? He bows his head very quickly, and behind his lips in quietness, he wants to align himself with the purposes and the will of God, not his will. Let us learn from that.

Look what he says. "And I said to the king, 'If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' tombs, that I may rebuild it.'" Wow, that's a big request. He's talking to a guy that helped to knock down and to destroy part of the city. Imagine that. Here he is talking to him.

Check this out, verse 6. "Then the king said to me, the queen also sitting beside me, 'How long will your journey be?'" Good question. Notice that. "'And when will you return?' So it pleased the king to send me, and I set a time before him." Interesting. Can you imagine that? You know how long he would be gone? He would be gone 12 years. 12 years he would get permission to leave the presence of the king. God's timing.

Not only 12 years would he be permitted to go, but the king would send bodyguards with him on his way with letters written by the king's hand and signed by the king's seal so nobody would mess with him. Protection. He said, "How long will your journey be, and when will you return? And so it pleased the king to send me, and I set a time before him." You see, this is an opportunity given to him.

God gives us so many opportunities that when the opportunity is given, listen, go through the door. Don't wait. If God is for us, who can be against us? But if He closes the door, then don't try to force yourself through the door. Stand back. Wait on the Lord. The door had been shut. The door's wide open. God's sitting on the throne, controlling all the destinies of men and history.

We need to remember that. Whatever you're going through tonight, whatever you're facing, whatever you need in your life tonight, the King of kings is sitting on the throne waiting for you like Nehemiah to pray, to ask, and to wait until the answer comes. God wants to answer our prayers. God wants to use our lives.

Announcer (Male): This is Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Ries. For scripture-rich resources to guide you in God's will, visit us anytime at somebodylovesyou.com. Our free app also provides a variety of ways to infuse the Bible into your daily life, including digital studies and live-streamed Bible teaching. Now back to more with Raul Ries.

Raul Ries: Imagine not only Nehemiah receiving permission to go to Jerusalem, but it's prophetical. March 14, 445 BC, the beginning of the 70 weeks of Daniel. The 490 years that had to be fulfilled starts right here in chapter 2, verse 1. And it actually doesn't end in Matthew 21. 483 years are fulfilled when Jesus enters the city of Jerusalem, and then the one week left, which makes 490, at the second coming of Jesus Christ.

It makes me feel so good. Because you know why? You and I can do the same thing. We can pray for such a time as this. Check this out. This is so neat, verse 7. He goes on to say this, "Furthermore I said to the king, 'If it pleases the king, let letters be given to me for the governors of the region beyond the River Euphrates, that they must permit me to pass through until I come to Judah.'"

If you can, give me some letters so nobody will bug me and nobody will come against me and I can have free passage all the way to Jerusalem, all the way through. Nobody will be able to stop me. Check this out, verse 8. "'And a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he must give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel which pertains to the temple, for the city wall, and for the house that I will occupy.' And the king granted them to me according to the good hand of my God upon me."

Interesting. Underline that. He's giving glory to God for everything. Not only am I going to give you protection, I'm going to give you the timber, I'm going to give you the money, and I'm going to give you a house. Interesting. And then check this out, verse 9. "Then I went to the governors in the region beyond the River Euphrates and gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me."

"When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard of it, they were deeply disturbed that a man had come to seek the well-being of the children of Israel." They were mad. They said, "Oh no, somebody's coming to help them. We gotta get rid of this guy." Now you know how Satan feels when you get saved and God wants to use your lives. He becomes like a Tobiah and a Sanballat.

And now here comes Nehemiah, and his enemy is there waiting for him, waiting for him. "So I came to Jerusalem and was there for three days." Check this out. The first thing he does, he gets to Jerusalem, he doesn't act like a big shot. He's very humble. He doesn't even tell anybody. You know what a good leader does? He gets to Jerusalem, and at night, he sneaks out with his donkey and he goes out and examines the problem in the city.

That's good leadership. Watch what happens. This is so cool. "Then I arose at night, I and a few men with me; I told no one what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem." This is so beautiful. Notice God already had put something in his heart. Sometimes God will put something in your heart and you don't have to tell anybody. People may think you're crazy, but you know what God has told you to do and you've gotta do it.

Do it fully. Watch what happens. "And I told no one what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem; nor was there any animal with me except the one on which I rode. And I went out by night through the Valley Gate to the Serpent Well and the Refuse Gate, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem which were broken down and its gates were burned with fire."

So what is he doing? He's doing a survey of the city. He's surveying the problem, and God already has given him the solution to the problem because God spoke to him. Verse 14: "Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King's Pool, but there was no room for the animal under me to pass" because it was in shambles. "So I went up in the night by the valley and viewed the wall; then I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned."

"And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I had done; I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, or the others who did the work." Notice he didn't go as a big shot. He did not go impressing people. He did not speak out of turn. What did he do? God set him up to go back, gave him everything.

The first thing that he does is he does his homework before he speaks to his people. He's not going to make up a plan. He already has a plan. Why? He's already been out to look at the problem, and he's looking for a solution. He comes back and he takes a survey, and then when he's ready to talk to the people, he has an answer for the people.

Watch again. This is so cool. Verse 17: "Then I said to them, 'You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire.'" What is he trying to do? He's trying to say we have a problem, you guys. Do you understand that we all agree? We have a problem, he says. "How Jerusalem lies waste, its gates are burned with fire. Come, let us..."

Here's his encouragement. "Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach." You guys, you want to get rid of your enemy? Build your spiritual walls in your life. The walls are walls of protection. It keeps the enemy out. Watch this, verse 18: "And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king's words that he had spoken to me. So they said, 'Let us rise up and build.' Then they set their hands to this good work."

Isn't that neat? A good leader gathers people together, he unifies them, he exhorts them, he gets them excited and they do the work of God. In 52 days, they will build the walls of Jerusalem with all kinds of oppression, all kinds of problems. Wait until we get to chapters 4 and 5. Incredible. Because it says they had a willing mind and a willing heart to work.

That's what's so cool. A willing mind and a willing heart. That got placed in their hearts. That's the only way anything will ever get done. Nothing will get done if people are not united. He lets them know about God and his life and the work of God. And then in verse 19, notice the opposition. The moment you set your mind to rebuild the walls of your house spiritually speaking, guess what happens?

Satan will come after you. I guarantee it. I put my life on it. Look what he says. "But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed at us and despised us, and said, 'What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?'" Notice the harassment immediately. The enemy's opposition against what? Against the work of God.

It's not against you. It's against God. Opposition when people are getting ready to serve God, to do the will of God. You're going to have opposition. And then what? "So I answered them..." Notice his confidence in God. He's not afraid. "So I answered them and said to them, 'The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem.'"

Hey, get lost! I love this guy. You have no part with us, so keep quiet. God sent me, God's going to do it, and you have nothing to do with it. Notice that. I love it. God's in control of their lives. Again, listen to what he said. "So I answered them and said to them, 'The God of heaven Himself will prosper us.'" Listen, we cannot prosper without the hand of God.

I don't care if you're a business person and you say, "Well, I'm making a lot of money." Hey, that's great, but God can give and God can take away. The number one thing is putting God first in your life. God has to be first. First in everything that you do. Why? Because He will prosper you spiritually first of all. It doesn't mean always financially. That happens too.

"I answered them and said to them, 'The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore because of this we His servants will rise up and do what? And build. Build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem.'" What does that speak of? The sovereignty of God and at the same time, what? You never allow flesh, your flesh, to overrule your life.

You don't let people that are ungodly do the work of God. You separate yourself from them and you get up to their face and say, "You have no part in God's work." Separation. Be you not unequally yoked together with an unbeliever. What fellowship has light with darkness? You see, Nehemiah makes a stand. What does he do? He draws the lines in the sand. This is what we're going to do. And the people are following the godly leader to accomplish the work of God.

Announcer (Male): We hope today's lesson has been an assurance for you that God hears your prayers and He will equip you with all that you need to fulfill His call on your life. You're listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Ries. Today's lesson was titled "Nehemiah's Prayer Answered." We've made an unedited copy available to you for a donation of five dollars or more. To get your copy, just call us at 800-634-9165.

We'd also like to tell you more about Raul's 10-part series "From Opposition to Victory." It's available on CD and thumb drive. Drawing from Nehemiah's example, this resource will challenge you to stay steady when you face resistance for obeying the Lord and vigilant when you come under spiritual attack. You'll also explore the strength that comes from serving God in fellowship with other Christians.

Visit somebodylovesyou.com or call 800-634-9165 to order Raul's 10-lesson series titled "From Opposition to Victory." We'll send you the CD set for 22 dollars or if you'd like, the flash drive for just 13. That's 800-634-9165. Or write to Somebody Loves You Radio, Post Office Box 4440, Diamond Bar, California 91765. Every gift given to this ministry helps us keep sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Thank you for your partnership. And we encourage you to join us again next time for more biblical insight to enrich your faith and direct you in the Lord's plan for your life.