1 00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:10,720 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Study Headquarters 3 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:15,440 Speaker 1: dot com. You're listening to the chapter a Day Audio Bible. 4 00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:21,119 Speaker 1: I'm John Stanghy, and today we're in Nehemiah chapter two, 5 00:00:21,239 --> 00:00:26,560 Speaker 1: and we'll be reading from the New English translation. Then, 6 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:29,360 Speaker 1: in the month of Naissan, in the twentieth year of 7 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:32,800 Speaker 1: King Arta Xerxes, when wine was brought to me, I 8 00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:36,360 Speaker 1: took the wine and gave it to the king. Previously 9 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:39,879 Speaker 1: I had not been depressed in the king's presence. So 10 00:00:39,960 --> 00:00:42,600 Speaker 1: the king said to me, why do you appear to 11 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:46,040 Speaker 1: be depressed when you aren't sick. What can this be 12 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:50,199 Speaker 1: other than sadness of heart? This made me very fearful. 13 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:56,280 Speaker 1: I replied to the king, O King live forever. Why 14 00:00:56,280 --> 00:00:59,120 Speaker 1: would I not appear dejected when the city with the 15 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:04,119 Speaker 1: graves of my ancestors lies desolate and its gates destroyed 16 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:10,720 Speaker 1: by fire? The King responded, what is it you are seeking? Then? 17 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:13,360 Speaker 1: I quickly prayed to the God of heaven and said 18 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:16,399 Speaker 1: to the King, if the King is so inclined, and 19 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 1: if your servant has found favor in your sight, dispatch 20 00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:23,280 Speaker 1: me to Judah, to the city with the graves of 21 00:01:23,319 --> 00:01:27,640 Speaker 1: my ancestors, so that I can rebuild it. Then the King, 22 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:31,840 Speaker 1: with his consort sitting beside him, replied, how long would 23 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:35,679 Speaker 1: your trip take and when would you return. Since the 24 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:38,920 Speaker 1: King was amenable to dispatching me, I gave him a time. 25 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:42,840 Speaker 1: I said to the King, if the King is so inclined, 26 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:45,560 Speaker 1: let him give me letters for the governors of trans 27 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:49,280 Speaker 1: Euphrates that will enable me to travel safely until I 28 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:52,520 Speaker 1: reach Judah, and a letter for Asaf, the keeper of 29 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 1: the King's nature preserve, so that he will give me 30 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:59,240 Speaker 1: timber for beams, for the gates of the fortress adjacent 31 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 1: to the temple, and for the city wall, and for 32 00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:05,560 Speaker 1: the house to which I go. So the King granted 33 00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:08,840 Speaker 1: me these requests, for the good hand of my God 34 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:11,840 Speaker 1: was on me. Then I went to the governors of 35 00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:15,120 Speaker 1: trans Euphrates, and I presented to them the letters from 36 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:18,880 Speaker 1: the King. The King had sent with me officers of 37 00:02:18,919 --> 00:02:24,119 Speaker 1: the army and horsemen. When Sanbalot the Horonite and Tobiah, 38 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:28,399 Speaker 1: the Ammonite official, heard all this, they were very displeased 39 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 1: that someone had come to seek benefit for the Israelites. 40 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:36,600 Speaker 1: So I came to Jerusalem when I had been there 41 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:39,560 Speaker 1: for three days. I got up during the night along 42 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:41,960 Speaker 1: with a few men who were with me, but I 43 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:44,639 Speaker 1: did not tell anyone what my God was putting on 44 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:48,600 Speaker 1: my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no animals 45 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:52,160 Speaker 1: with me except for the one I was riding. I 46 00:02:52,240 --> 00:02:55,320 Speaker 1: proceeded through the valley gate by night in the direction 47 00:02:55,560 --> 00:02:59,440 Speaker 1: of the Well of the Dragons and the Dungate, inspecting 48 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:02,639 Speaker 1: the Wall of Jerusalem that had been breached and its 49 00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:06,919 Speaker 1: gates that had been destroyed by fire. I passed on 50 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:09,799 Speaker 1: to the gate of the well and the Kingspool, where 51 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:12,359 Speaker 1: there was not enough room for my animal to pass 52 00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 1: with me. I continued up the valley during the night, 53 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 1: inspecting the wall. Then I turned back and came to 54 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 1: the valley gate, and so returned. The officials did not 55 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:27,239 Speaker 1: know where I had gone or what I had been doing. 56 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:29,720 Speaker 1: For up to this point I had not told any 57 00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:32,960 Speaker 1: of the Jews, or the priests, or the nobles, or 58 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:36,600 Speaker 1: the officials or the rest of the workers. Then I 59 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:39,720 Speaker 1: said to them, you see the problem that we have. 60 00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:44,200 Speaker 1: Jerusalem is desolate and its gates are burned. Come on, 61 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:48,120 Speaker 1: let's rebuild the Wall of Jerusalem so that this reproach 62 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:51,960 Speaker 1: will not continue. Then I related to them how the 63 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:54,400 Speaker 1: good hand of my God was on me and what 64 00:03:54,480 --> 00:03:58,440 Speaker 1: the king had said to me. Then they replied, let's 65 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:02,520 Speaker 1: begin rebuilding right away. So they readied themselves for this 66 00:04:02,640 --> 00:04:06,880 Speaker 1: good project. But when sanbal At the Horonite, Tobiah the 67 00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:11,200 Speaker 1: Ammonite official, and Gesham the Arab heard all this, they 68 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:16,359 Speaker 1: derided us and expressed contempt toward us. They said, what 69 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:19,680 Speaker 1: is this you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king. 70 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:24,720 Speaker 1: I responded to them by saying, the God of Heaven 71 00:04:24,839 --> 00:04:29,320 Speaker 1: will prosper us. We his servants will start the rebuilding. 72 00:04:30,080 --> 00:04:35,159 Speaker 1: But you have no just or ancient right in Jerusalem. 73 00:04:35,839 --> 00:04:40,359 Speaker 1: Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for your word, and 74 00:04:40,360 --> 00:04:42,560 Speaker 1: we thank you for the privilege of being able to 75 00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:44,839 Speaker 1: look at it today. And we thank you, Lord for 76 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:47,360 Speaker 1: the things that we can see that you were inspiring 77 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:50,960 Speaker 1: Nehemiah to do as he approached the king and was 78 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:54,200 Speaker 1: willing to make this request before him, and you granted 79 00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:56,800 Speaker 1: him favor so that he was given permission to head 80 00:04:56,839 --> 00:05:01,280 Speaker 1: to Jerusalem and rebuild the walls around this place. Lor 81 00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:04,040 Speaker 1: we're grateful to be able to witness this act of faith, 82 00:05:04,360 --> 00:05:06,320 Speaker 1: and we're grateful to be able to see that your 83 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:09,120 Speaker 1: hand of favor was on Neemiah and on the people 84 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:12,600 Speaker 1: of Jerusalem. And Lord, when we look at the totality 85 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:15,080 Speaker 1: of your word, we can see that one greater than 86 00:05:15,160 --> 00:05:19,400 Speaker 1: Neemiah has come, who is preparing a place for all 87 00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:22,480 Speaker 1: those who trust in him and follow him, your son, 88 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:26,560 Speaker 1: Jesus Christ, who will ultimately rule and reign on this 89 00:05:26,720 --> 00:05:30,920 Speaker 1: earth from Jerusalem, and every knee will bow and every 90 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:34,479 Speaker 1: tongue will confess that he is Lord. We're grateful for 91 00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:37,159 Speaker 1: this promise that we see in your word. And we're grateful, 92 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:39,520 Speaker 1: Lord that we have the privilege to be part of 93 00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:42,120 Speaker 1: your kingdom, that we can be people who worship you, 94 00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:45,039 Speaker 1: and that you welcome us into your family, and that 95 00:05:45,080 --> 00:05:48,280 Speaker 1: you give us an inheritance in your kingdom. We don't 96 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:50,880 Speaker 1: deserve these things, but we're grateful that these things are 97 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:55,320 Speaker 1: ours through faith in your son Jesus Christ. And we're grateful, 98 00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:57,760 Speaker 1: Lord for your presence with us today. We commit this 99 00:05:57,880 --> 00:06:00,240 Speaker 1: day to your care, and we thank you for all 100 00:06:00,279 --> 00:06:03,479 Speaker 1: of these things in Jesus' name. Amen.