When One Yes Changed Everything | Nehemiah 2:1-20

You're listening to The Bible Guys, a podcast where a couple of friends talk about the Bible in fun in practical ways. Hey, everybody, welcome to the Bible Guys. I'm Chris Kyle. This is Kyle and today we're the Bible Guys because Jeff's out of town. So Kyle is a favorite, a fan favorite of you know. It's it's I don't know how they rank. I don't know either. It's probably probably Chris and Jeff. Yeah, definitely, It's definitely christ and Jeff, and then probably and. Then probably Quinn because that one time got on there, that one time you like Quinn on there. He still doesn't let that down, by the. Way, it's so funny. Yeah, and by the way, for our listeners, I h Quinn. I said, hey, is this the first time you get on the Guys? He goes, I've been on twice before you. This is my third time. It was good. It's terrible you're greeting it was It was funny because you were so genuinely like thinking it was you were greeting the first time. Oh yeah, terrible. Anyway, we have a great story happening with Nehemiah and Nehemiah is we're about to see that he's about to approach the king and he's going to ask him whether or not he has permission to go back to Jerusalem and build the wall. And it's going to be an incredible journey. But before we get into that, we have a segment, and the segment is the Babylon Bee. Because we are committed to the finest news. Have you ever heard Jeff say that? Yes, he he's insistent about saying it. He goes, we are just committed to your listeners to bringing the best source of news. And of course Babylon Bee's a satire. And here's how this one reads. It says, oh no, Phil Robertson greeted in Heaven by twelve million angry ducks, which is hilarious the Duck Dynasty guy. Yeah, okay, so it says it's Look, it starts off with location Heaven Church elder and Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson came face to face with consequences this after he caught up to Paradise. After he was caught to Paradise where twelve million angry ducks awaited him, Robertson the Christian founder of duck commander, a store specializing in gear for it, says, the store specializing in gear for duck murder was found dead following a battle with Alzheimer's disease at the age of seventy nine. In his life, he had allegedly murdered millions of ducks. Oh, my goodness, have mercy. I'm sorry. It was just a harmless hobby, Robertson reported, and yelled as he ran from a great ducks that s rolled all around him. Don't hold against me. You're delicious and fun to shoes, so funny. We are not so merciful, commander, said John Mallard. A duck gifted with tongues. Ducks attack. Oh, this is ridiculous. According to witnesses, a mighty flock of ducks appeared like a seat of locusts and descended upon him, just as Paul the Apostle was beginning the orientation tour, and he chased away his own mansion. He chased away. Oh, he was chased away to his own mansion and forced to barricade himself indoors as ducks circled overhead. We can do this. All day, Commander Mallard. Quacky ducks don't get tired in heaven. The dramatic event was witnessed by former American Presidents Abraham Lincoln and James A. Garfield. At publishing time, Phil Robertson had arrived at the wedding feast of the Lamb with enough duck duck al lrange for everyone. Oh my goodness, gracious, that is ridiculous. By the way, why did they say former American Presidents Abraham Lincoln and James Dark hunters? Maybe Dan if Jeff was here, he would have told them. He would totally. You would have been like, the duck unders has to be a connection. Okay, that is so. Glad. That got you too. He's in his story specializing indur for Dug murder. It is so funny. That's great. Yeah, that's good. Rest in peace, Phil Robertson. Yeah, no kidding. And I've never once seen an episode Doug, so. I know that, Like since the show has come on, it's definitely been like a It was a cult classic for sure, and then a lot of their their family members members have done like spin offs. Sadie Robertson is actually like an influencer if you have teenage girls or I guess twenty something girls. That's a great person for them to follow. She's she's pretty solid. But yeah, I don't know. It's really sad, sad story, but I love that met by twelve million ducks. That's Now. Have you ever gone hunting? Yeah? Once? And what did you hunt? It was? It was going deer hunting a long time ago. It was I just it's not for me. Yeah, sitting still? Nope, Well yeah I didn't hit anything, but yeah, I my impatience got to me. Yeah, so what what What did you not like about it? Because it's sitting it's probably the same. Thing sitting still. It's the patie, it's the way. I just it was just a lot of it. And I think if I what have like, that's the thing people like, go duck hunting. They said it's a lot of fun. Pheasant hunting. Apparently it's a lot of fun. Okay, But when it comes to sitting in a tree stand and enjoying the scenery, I think I could do that for about an hour. But yeah, it was a while ago, and I remember just being a little bit bored with it. How about you? Yeah, well I've never been hunting, but people describe it to me like it's heaven. And like, for instance, like Jeff as we as most of us know, Jeff's a hunter, right, And by the way, I'm grateful for hunters. I'm not anti hunter. I'm very glad. I love my hamburgers and steaks right, well, not steaks, I mean that's that's pretty hamburgers and steaks are pretty easy to kill, right, But but like you know, I'm thankful for everything else, right, I'm grateful for all that. However, I want to say this, when people describe it to me like heaven, I literally think to myself, I can't imagine a more miserable existence. They're like, dude, man, I was sitting in the tree for like eight hours. I was just looking at the woods and I was sitting in the little and I'm like, you mean that little red cherry that you have, that that fastens against the tree. Yeah, yeah, that one. I'm like, you sat in that for eight hours. It's crazy, like like that would be uncomfortable for one hour. Yeah yeah, let alone. It's like it wasn't like forty degrees out, oh yeah, man, it was great. It's freezing cold. Yeah yeah, you just dress up warm, you know, And it was great, and then the duck hunting, even like you're wading through the you know, the muck and the mire. You know, it's just I think even a little bit of movement would be would do well. But I would also say too, Jeff, he wouldn't enjoy sitting on a golf course, you know, playing golf right most of the day. I know he does golf from Timetown, but it's not his heaven, right. But for me, you know that to him sometimes of going to a golf thing, he's like, oh, I guess I will. He will if it's a social thing. But to me, that's more My speed is going and doing something where you actually have to you know, it's just a little bit of variety. Even on a golf course where things are going slow, that's that That is like hell on Earth to me is sitting and waiting super long. But that's also I probably need to work on patients. Sounds like we both probably do. Yeah, yeah, yeah, well we're probably wired that way because because golf is golf, what would be something I would enjoy for yes, four to five hours. Yes, it allows you to, Yeah, you have to move along a little bit. I mean, it's not a super fast paced event, but definitely more so than hunting. Okay. For all the hunters out there, and especially all of our listeners in my city and surrounding regions, thank you for what you do. And I love Venison, and I love. Thank you for what you do. Yet and I hope you enjoyed that story about the ducks fwollow million angry. Gosh, it's so funny. All right. Well, hey, we're going to move on to Neamiah chapter two for our listeners. Neemaiyah is a cup bearer to the king, and he was moved when he had heard that his people were defenseless back in his hometown. And so he is about to approach the king and ask him to quit his job. Yes, a very comfy, favorable job by the way of prominence, all right. Neemiah chapter two says this early the following spring, in the month of Nissan, during the twentieth year of King Arctic Service's reign, I was serving the king as wine. I never before appeared sad and presence. So the king asked me, why are you looking so sad. You don't look sick to me. You must be deeply troubled. Then I was terrified but I replied, long live the King. How can I not be sad? For the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins and the gates have been destroyed by fire. The King asked, well, how can I help you with a prayer to the God of heaven. I replied, if it please, if it yeah, if it please the King, and if you are pleased with me your servants, send me to Judah to rebuild the city where my ancestors are buried. The King, with the Queen sitting beside him, asked, how long will you be gone and when will you return? After I told him how long I would be gone, the King agreed to my request. I also said to the king, if it please the King, let me have letters addressed to the governors of the province west of Euphrates River, instructing them to let me travel safely through the territories, dressed to through the territories, I'm a way to Judah, and please give me a letter addressed to Asaff the manager of the King's forest, and directing him to give me timber. I will need it to make beams for the gates of the temple fortress for the city walls and for a house for myself, and the King granted these requests because the gracious hand of God was on me. When it came to the governors of the province west of the Euphrates River, I delivered the King's letters to them. The King, I should add, had sent along army officers and horsemen to protect me. But when san Balat and Hahrnit and Tobiah, the Ammonite official, heard of my arrival, they were veried, displeased that someone had come to help the people of Israel ont Verse eleven. So I arrived in Jerusalem three days later. I slipped out during the night, taking only a few others with me. I had not told anyone about the plans God to put my heart for Jerusalem. We took no pack animals with us except the donkey I was riding. After dark, I went out through the valley gate, passed the jackals well, and over to the dung gate dung gate to inspect the broken walls and burn gates. Then I went to the fountain gate and to the King's pool, but my donkey couldn't get through the rubble, so though it was still dark, I went up to the Kidron Valley instead, inspecting the wall before I turned back and entered again at the valley gate. The city officials did not know I had been there or what I was doing, for I had not yet said anything to anyone about my plans. I had not yet spoken to the Jewish leaders, the priests, the nobles, the officials, or anyone else in the administration. But now I said to them, you know very well what trouble we are in Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire. Let us rebuild the Wall. Of Jerusalem and end this disgrace. Then I told them about how the gracious hand of God had been on me, and about my conversation with the king. They replied at once, yes, let's rebuild the wall. So they began the good work. But when san Balat Tobaia and Gesshem the Arab heard of our plan, they scoffed contemptuously. What are you doing? Are you rebelling against the king, they asked. I replied, the God of Heaven will help us succeed. We his servants will start rebuild in this wall. But you have no share, legal right or historic claim in Jerusalem. Wow, all right, that is amazing. There's a there's a graph on the next page where it actually shows all of the different gates of the old Jerusalem walls, and uh, man, there's a lot of gates. I mean there's like what looks like the looks like fifteen gates or so. So the walls, of course, back then you had to have city walls to protect the city. Uh And so I would say most prominent cities of significance especially had walls. And the reason why is because it is very difficult to infiltrate a city or attack a city when it has walls. And so we've all seen the old movies right where you know, like a castle for instance, you know it's surrounded by a moat. That's one way to protect the city. And then even even people trying to climb the climb the walls and then they would pour down you know, hot tar or you know, you know, be able to shoot things and drop rocks and all these different things, and and so yeah, that's that's what it was needed. And so one of the reasons why ne andm Iah was so moved is because he realizes that back in that day, cities would just conquer cities tribes would conquer tribes. I mean, case in point, the Babylonians, right, you know, the Persians. King David's whole life was conquering other people, right, and and so so that was obviously a very big concern. And so imagine just an entire city completely in ruins. And so yeah, sure, thanks King Cyrus for letting all the Jews go back to Jerusalem. But but but you know, I fear for my people. That was the Amiah's big thing. I fear for them. And so and again I love I love his vision because because what does he say. He says, how can I not be sad to the king? He says, the city of my ancestors, right, So he's just I mean, he's he's such a big thinker. It's it's a great thing. I think there's a lot to learn about how he approaches the king. Because it says that he had never appeared sad in his presence. So this is somebody who. Whether he sounds he said, I've never appeared sad, never it's not didn't say I've never been sad in his present, never appeared sad. So he definitely knew how to turn it on, turn it off, and also, you know, look the part because, like you mentioned in a previous episode, Chris, there's probably a little bit of fear he had, well, there's probably a lot of fear that he had of the king, of the position, of the king's power, maybe even the queen's power. And so he's going there and it says he was terrified, and then he responds by saying, long live the King. And then he just kind of broke down and was honest there when the king said what can I help you with? I love that The king just says, well, how can I help you? Like that was the king's response, probably not at all what he was expecting, yeah, to say, how can I help you? Well, I mean, there's a couple of things about what you just said. When it says then I was terrified, it makes me believe that he didn't intend on looking sad. No, Right, So it's like because it seems like maybe in his mind he was probably thinking, hey, I'm gonna approach the king, but all of a sudden he was caught off guard by this premature conversation because the king said, why do you look sad? He says, then I was terrified, So I wonder if that's what it means, or it could just mean that he planned it. Like you said, he turned it on and uh and then uh and then all of a sudden, it's like the reality kicked it. He kicked in like here comes. But I love it. And it was mentioned again in the last episode. But about his prayer life, it's interesting how before when they when the King asked him, well, how can I help you, it wasn't like he came up with and well, he actually did have a plan, which I think was kind of cool. We can get to that a little bit, how he actually had already planned out the house how much Like that's kind of sweet. And that's what's awesome about about Neami. He's definitely a strategic leader. But I like how it'd start off by saying with a prayer to the God of Heaven. It's like he's just like, it's just this idea that like he's in a wisconstant state of prayer. It wasn't like, we know, we're pretty confident. He didn't stop say let me pray before I ask him. It was just this state. And I think everybody listenings can relate to a time or maybe you had to go to a boss or to a friend or fember something where you know you have to ask for something, or there's a little bit of fear of trepidation about what's upcoming. And how often do we just think, man, I want to make sure I got all my questions lined up. I want to make sure that I'm strategic. I want to make sure that an argument is. Correct, as opposed to saying I'm gonna pray first, you know, it's very important. And then I like too how the response the king says, with the queen sitting behind them beside him, asked how long a you be gone? And when we return? I want to just believe that this was exactly how the king felt like. I want to believe that that the king was just like, okay, how long you be gone? I don't know if that's exactly how I responded, but it also is a cool indication of the mindset of this king of king. Art exercees the fact that he wasn't trying to hold on to the cup bearer, who is a very important position. It wasn't something that he felt like he needed to try to restrict him and hold him back. Well, you would think you would think that a king's reaction would be literally the opposite of everything that our desertions did. Like, for instance, the first thing is, hey, you look sad. What king that we know in history would ever care? That? Was cup bear looks at yes, right, who cares? He's a cupbear? Right, It's like, it's like, who cares? Why would a king even pay attention to that? And the answer is because our desert sees obviously was a caring person. And then you know there's probably a second answer to that. And the second answer to that is obviously Nehemiah was very well loved. Yes, right, So if like Daniel was like, that's what school A lot of the characters in the same time frame, ish were very much they were influential. Yes, well, they were revered as employees, right, so they were the most faithful, they were the most uh you know, uh efficient, dynamic, performing because after all, everything they touched prospered and they had the favor of God. And so those who were above them in Daniel's case, with Sharick, Meshek and Bendio and Daniel, they continued to promote them because their God favored them and uh and in this particular case, we obviously they're seeing that Nemiah is Is is a great and valued person and employee. And you know what that there's a sermon in there somewhere, and that is I remember one time hearing one of my favorite speakers as Andy Stanley. I remember hearing him one time, and it said Christians should be the best employees. Uh. That that there, that there could be. So in other words, every boss should say, man, is that person a Christian? I want to hire that person? And somebody'd say, why, WELLY may not necessarily be a Christian, but I want to hire a Christian because Christians are always on time, they're always loyal, they're always kind, they're always you know, faithful, they're always diligent, they're always in all these different kinds of things. And uh, and if you think about that, that is a big testimony. I remember when I was a high school student, I obviously grew up in a household that had a lot of attitude, a lot of rebellion in my household, right, And so a lot of times if we felt like we were being treated unfairly, or if somebody was not worthy of respect, we would we would not react to that person kindly. Right, we would do anything we could to stick it to the man kind of thing, right. We would just we would just rebel disrespect. And that was sort of the family culture that I that I sort of grew up in. I apologize if that sounds offensive to anybody in my family who is listening. But the reality of it is, it is true. It is sort of the mindset that we had, in fact, the whole neighborhood mindset, right, maybe even the whole west side Youngstown, I'm not sure, but anyway, the point is is that I remember hearing that Christians should be different, and I remember reading and I think it's in Ephesians, right, that actually says we don't serve our bosses for our boss's sake. We serve our bosses like we're serving Christ, right, and therefore God will be honored because we serve the boss, our employer, because of Christ. If you think about it, it's like, what like, even if my boss is a jerk, even if my boss is it doesn't treat me well. Well, isn't that the nature of the Gospel. The nature of the Gospel says, you know, we should, you know, heap coals of fire in someone's head. In humility, not returning anger for anger. But you know we should, we should constantly forgive and love and demonstrate Christ's spirit. And it's just I mean, that's a massive sermon in there somewhere, Christians. Let's check ourselves. Let's be the best example where we are, even if it's frustrating. Ye and Neemiah is somebody who is his influence and all those things that led him to the permission from the king, because at the end of the day, if the king doesn't give permission, this story ends there. I mean, who knows what have happened. You could have been killed, There's a lot of things that could have happened. But instead he had earned the favor of the king. And when I was reading this, it actually a story that came to my mind as I was looking at this, because I think that the king's response was so important here because I believe that the God actually gave favor to Neemayah, and and Neamiyah previously prayed to have favor in. The King's eyes and the king granted it to him. Made me think there was a time a few years ago she had somebody who was interning for me in a role and she was awesome, like superstar intern. When it got time to like the new year, we wanted to hire her on the staff, and I remember she'd spent a few months like kicking, but it was gonna be awesome. Had this perfect role planned out for her. And then I presented with the idea of her working on this team in this role, and she said, you know, I'm gonna pray about it and think about it. I'll get back to you and. I'll be honest. I was kind of surprised because I feel like it was such a slam dunk thing that I was like, Okay, of course, go pray about it. She comes back and she said, I've been praying about it. You'd be surprised because I'm gonna say no for now, and here's why. And what it was was that her heart broke for the job she currently had as well, like before that where she was making some headway and sharing her faith with some of her lost unsaved coworkers, she was making a ton of headway, she was sharing her faith and was going great, and she said, I'm not ready to say yes to this job right now because I feel like it would be a bad example to my coworkers who have like put so much trust and hope and faith in me, and I'm still trying to lead them to Jesus. Now what do I say in that situation? Right, I'm like, I'm like, in a way, I'm like, okay, I think that's very noble of you. In a way, I'm like, that's where your heart is breaking. I'm not going to stop what God is doing your heart crazy enough? Is this is wild? We just started our Stony Creek in Rochester Hills campus eight months ago. One of the people that she was trying to reach for Jesus comes every single week. I think he's missed one week. He makes a joke about it. He's only missed one week. He recently told me he accepted Christ for the like for the first time, and he's getting baptized in August, like very excited about it. Now, this is a person who he doesn't know this. He doesn't listen to this podcast. Maybe maybe he will. But years ago she made the decision to stick with that job because her heart broke for someone like him, and now he can't. He has come to know Jesus. And so it was really just this cool moment where I began to realize that there's so much going on behind the scenes that oftentimes when somebody wants to be released from something or that maybe God is moving them in a certain way, it's really easy to want to stay in our comfort, right, It's really easy for us want to like make our plans and of course our you know, sometimes your emotions or feelings get hurt. But in that moment, I remember just being like, I'm just going to trust whatever God has said to you, kind of like with this king, I mean the king, he clearly was like, Okay, what do you need? How are we going to make this happen? And I think it was because God had already softened his heart to what Neamiah was about to ask. Right, Yeah, that's great, And and it's also a reminder that God is orchestrating all things everywhere. Right, there's a master plan. There's a you know in neami is a great example last chapter where he said he said, hey, you know, you predicted that this would be true if your people return to you, that we would come back after the exile, And so he has this massive picture of you know, what it means to you know, look through the generations and and here you are. You had enough sense in that moment to say, Okay, well God's obviously up to something you didn't know what. And now you're able to look back over how many years ago? Is that three? Yeah? A long time. That's a good amount of time to be sure through planting those seeds. Yeah, and then and then all of a sudden, three years ago you look back and say, oh, God, God obviously had her there for a reason, right, And who knows, maybe she was instrumental in his life where you know, you know, he was the one that you know, she was the one that got used primarily to uh, to push him that way. And so yeah, entire families could be changed because of that one decision, yes, which is amazing. Well, hey, that looks like a great place to end. And Nehemiah is going to start the task next chapter and hopefully we'll have you join us on the Bible guys, see tomorrow