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Good Things About a Bad Day
Introduction: The book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Woke up with gum in his hair and then tripped on a skateboard
At breakfast his brothers got a prize in the cereal and he got nothing
hin the car he was in the middle and getting car sick
Lost his best friend
he didn’t have any desert
then he goes to the dentist
I mean when it rains it pours for Alexander
Have you ever felt like Alexander?
WE have all faced a bad day but the problem is many times we don’t face them the right way
We allow bitterness, anger, cynical to energize us verses trying to turn around a terrible horrible no good very bad day
Tonight I want to talk about Good things about a bad day
First, allow me to give you the background.
The book opens in 445 bc, with Nehemiah who is a Jew, serving in the court of the Persian king Artaxerxes
The book opens in 445 bc, with Nehemiah who is a Jew, serving in the court of the Persian king Artaxerxes
Nehemiah starts where Ezra left off, in 444 bc.
Ezra has led a third group of exiles back to Jerusalem and now Nehemiah leads a fourth.
This continuity is evident in that Ezra and Nehemiah were treated as a single book in antiquity.
The events of Nehemiah occur between 444 and 432 bc during King Artaxerxes’ reign over the Persian Empire (which included Judah)
Outline of Nehemiah
• The wall is rebuilt (1:1–7:73)
• The covenant is renewed (8:1–10:39)
• Society is reformed (11:1–13:31)
Themes
The books of Ezra and Nehemiah were intended to encourage the Jewish community to remain obedient to God’s covenant in the face of hardship.
Decades after the Babylonian exile had ended, the people were struggling to restore Jerusalem, where insecurity abounded and so did ungodly values.
In the face of this adversity, Nehemiah faithfully perseveres.
For Nehemiah, loyalty to God and His people looks like leaving his position as the king’s cupbearer—a trusted and esteemed role.
Nehemiah then acts upon the plans God places on his heart, acting with integrity and calling others to do the same (2:12; 7:5).
Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016).
Faithlife Study Bible.
Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016).
Faithlife Study Bible ().
Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
In late autumn, in the month of Kislev, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ reign, I was at the fortress of Susa. 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, came to visit me with some other men who had just arrived from Judah.
I asked them about the Jews who had returned there from captivity and about how things were going in Jerusalem.
3 They said to me, “Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah.
They are in great trouble and disgrace.
The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.”
4 When I heard this, I sat down and wept.
In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven.
1. Bad New Will Bring You to Your Knees
When I heard this, I sat down and wept.
In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven.
Maybe not physically, but through humility
Maybe not physically, but through humilty
You realize your not all that
It says he fasted for days…Fasting was not a requirement except on the annual day of atonement, so for him to be fasting for days he was completely overwhelmed with grief.
Nehemiah faced a situation he knew he could not solve by himself.
But he also knew that with God all things are possible (cf.
).
What is the first thing Nehemiah did?
Complained, argued, blamed someone else…the bad news brought him to his knees
Nehemiah began his prayer by acknowledging that fact: O Lord, God of heaven (cf.
), the great and awesome God (cf.
4:14; 9:32).
“Lord” speaks of His covenant relationship to Israel,
Speaks of a deep commitment to seeing the success of God’s people
I think many times we forget who we are IN Christ.
“God of heaven” refers to His sovereignty,
and the words “great and awesome” are mindful of His power and majesty.
Surely such a God could answer Nehemiah’s prayer.
As the “Lord” He keeps His covenant of love (ḥeseḏ, “loyal love“) with those who love … and obey Him.
While his prayer was desperate he was praying to a “Covenant God”.
As the “Lord” He keeps His covenant of love (ḥeseḏ, “loyal love“) with those who love … and obey Him.
It’s important that in desperate times we stand on God’s promises.
However we must not forget the requirements....Yes He keeps His Covenant but with those who Love and Obey
Tyndale House Publishers.
(2013).
Holy Bible: New Living Translation ().
Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
2. Bad News Will Always Force You to Look at the Brutal Fact
I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s house, have committed against you.
7 We have acted very wickedly toward you.
We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.
God can use you to revive hope in the circumstance when bad news shows up.
How did we get here?
The current problem that was happening was due to past mistakes.
Nehemiah had to approach it Spiritually by prayer and forgiveness
This prayer is actually a prayer of repentance.
It can be outlined as follows: (a)invocation to God; (b) confession of sins; (c) request to the Lord to remember his people; (d) request for success
he also had to approach it with a practical approach.
he inspects the the wall and looks at what need to be done.
Nehemiah realized that God justly punished Israel, but he reminded God that this very situation had been anticipated in and of his promise of mercy, faithfulness, and forgiveness.
3. Bad News Can be the Genesis of a New Beginning
Nehemiah challenges us to prayer based on an understanding of God’s purpose and will as found in his Word.
He also reminds us that we can always begin again in our relationship with God if we return to him in humility.
Breneman, M. (1993).
Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (electronic ed., Vol. 10, p. 173).
Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
Breneman, M. (1993).
Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (electronic ed., Vol. 10, p. 171).
Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.God can use you to revive hope in the circumstance when bad news shows up.
Bad News Will Always Force You to Look at the Brutal Facts
Since “Nisan” spans parts of our March–April, four months had passed since Nehemiah received news from Jerusalem.
He had been praying and planning during these four months so that he would be ready when the opportunity arose.
Then I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your presence, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my ancestors’ burial sites, so that I may rebuild it.”
Bad News Can be the Genesis of a new beginning
After prayer comes action
After prayer comes action
Injustice to initiation
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