WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.850 --> 00:00:03.710 You're listening to The Bible Guys, a podcast where a 2 00:00:03.750 --> 00:00:06.500 couple of friends talk about the Bible in fun, in 3 00:00:06.599 --> 00:00:13.300 practical ways. Well, good morning. 4 00:00:13.660 --> 00:00:14.750 Good morning. 5 00:00:15.109 --> 00:00:18.750 We talk the whole night through. Good morning. Good morning 6 00:00:19.170 --> 00:00:20.690 to you and you and you. 7 00:00:21.699 --> 00:00:22.940 That's it. You were born for this. 8 00:00:23.460 --> 00:00:26.539 Yeah, my little jingle. You know, I can't believe that 9 00:00:26.579 --> 00:00:27.440 just became a thing. 10 00:00:27.539 --> 00:00:27.780 Yeah. 11 00:00:28.039 --> 00:00:29.760 I don't know. It just somehow happened. 12 00:00:29.879 --> 00:00:33.479 I think that's only second to what made Chris mad. 13 00:00:33.619 --> 00:00:34.090 I don't think so. 14 00:00:34.100 --> 00:00:37.479 What made Chris mad is the top. People literally wait 15 00:00:37.719 --> 00:00:39.000 on the edge of their seat. 16 00:00:39.020 --> 00:00:40.960 That is so not true. You're just like Jeff. You're 17 00:00:41.000 --> 00:00:44.939 just like Jeff. You're just like trying to puff me up. So, hey, well, hey, 18 00:00:44.979 --> 00:00:47.380 good morning. We are the Bible Guys. This is Wesley. 19 00:00:47.479 --> 00:00:50.659 I'm Chris. And today we're your Bible Guys because Jeff... 20 00:00:51.100 --> 00:00:55.929 is out there actually traveling. Where is he at? Mexico? 21 00:00:56.409 --> 00:00:57.829 No. Well, he was. 22 00:00:58.090 --> 00:00:59.009 He came back. 23 00:00:59.070 --> 00:01:00.409 Now he's in Africa. 24 00:01:00.710 --> 00:01:04.049 Now he's in Africa. Holy Christmas. That is just crazy. 25 00:01:04.150 --> 00:01:05.829 A short flight, you know, a couple of hours. 26 00:01:05.890 --> 00:01:08.549 Yeah, just a few. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But he works 27 00:01:09.049 --> 00:01:12.819 also for an organization called the Timothy Initiative, which focuses 28 00:01:12.879 --> 00:01:16.590 on planting churches around the world that don't know the gospel. 29 00:01:17.790 --> 00:01:19.650 They focus on regions that have never heard. 30 00:01:19.670 --> 00:01:22.530 It's pretty unbelievable. Yeah, I think that's amazing. Yeah. 31 00:01:22.870 --> 00:01:25.409 So anyway, so this is two weeks in a row 32 00:01:25.430 --> 00:01:28.510 that we have a guest, but that's okay because Platinum 33 00:01:28.530 --> 00:01:34.870 Edition is, people love Platinum Edition. So, hey, today we 34 00:01:34.909 --> 00:01:37.469 have a segment that has a jingle. Do you know 35 00:01:37.489 --> 00:01:43.299 the jingle with me? It's called Mailbags. And Mailbags is 36 00:01:43.340 --> 00:01:45.299 where people write in. So if you have a question 37 00:01:45.680 --> 00:01:47.819 or something that you want us to talk about, you 38 00:01:47.840 --> 00:01:52.310 can always email us at info at thebibleguys.com. Or you 39 00:01:52.329 --> 00:01:55.969 can always just type in... Like on a YouTube comment 40 00:01:56.010 --> 00:01:59.010 page or any of your, any of your devices. 41 00:01:59.109 --> 00:01:59.349 Yeah. 42 00:01:59.849 --> 00:02:01.950 So you want to, you want to tackle it? 43 00:02:02.049 --> 00:02:04.590 It says, what's something you thought, and this is from 44 00:02:04.689 --> 00:02:06.950 Sarah K by the way. So Sarah K, if you're watching. 45 00:02:06.969 --> 00:02:07.549 Hi Sarah K. 46 00:02:07.629 --> 00:02:10.949 Thank you for this question. What's something you thought was 47 00:02:11.090 --> 00:02:15.639 totally normal until someone told you it absolutely wasn't. 48 00:02:16.039 --> 00:02:16.259 Yes. 49 00:02:16.780 --> 00:02:18.479 Yeah, do you have anything for that one? I have 50 00:02:18.520 --> 00:02:19.379 a small one. 51 00:02:19.400 --> 00:02:21.719 I have so many. I have so many. Yeah, do yours. 52 00:02:22.280 --> 00:02:24.490 So mine is super small. The first thing that comes 53 00:02:24.530 --> 00:02:25.870 to mind is ketchup. 54 00:02:26.310 --> 00:02:26.509 Yeah. 55 00:02:26.650 --> 00:02:29.389 So when I first got married, okay, don't judge me. 56 00:02:29.449 --> 00:02:31.439 I just want to say this. When I grew up, 57 00:02:31.789 --> 00:02:35.590 we put the ketchup just in the cabinet, in the cupboard, 58 00:02:35.650 --> 00:02:36.110 in the kitchen. 59 00:02:36.189 --> 00:02:36.870 After you opened it. 60 00:02:36.990 --> 00:02:38.909 After you opened it. Wow. Yeah, we never put it 61 00:02:38.930 --> 00:02:41.530 in the refrigerator. And when I got married, my wife 62 00:02:41.590 --> 00:02:43.780 is like, what are you doing? Are you trying to 63 00:02:43.810 --> 00:02:47.060 kill us? This has got to go in the refrigerator. 64 00:02:47.080 --> 00:02:49.810 Are you trying to kill us? 65 00:02:50.479 --> 00:02:51.159 That's so good. 66 00:02:51.180 --> 00:02:53.180 But it's like, no, we always just put the mustard 67 00:02:53.199 --> 00:02:55.819 and the ketchup just in the cupboard. That's just what 68 00:02:55.840 --> 00:02:56.039 we did. 69 00:02:56.060 --> 00:02:56.780 That's so funny. 70 00:02:56.900 --> 00:02:59.120 So, yeah, I discovered that was not a normal thing. 71 00:02:59.219 --> 00:03:01.500 No, no, not after you open it. Yeah. Yeah, because 72 00:03:01.520 --> 00:03:03.800 you can put it in there beforehand. Yes. So that 73 00:03:03.860 --> 00:03:07.189 is so funny. So I got one for you. So 74 00:03:07.389 --> 00:03:12.930 I grew up Italian. Well, I mean, obviously I'm still Italian. 75 00:03:12.949 --> 00:03:15.650 Let me clarify that statement. 76 00:03:15.689 --> 00:03:15.909 Yeah. 77 00:03:20.139 --> 00:03:23.400 My dad's German. My mom is Italian. Yeah. There was 78 00:03:23.560 --> 00:03:25.780 zero German culture in our family. 79 00:03:25.879 --> 00:03:26.159 Yeah. 80 00:03:26.340 --> 00:03:27.919 The only culture was Italian. 81 00:03:28.340 --> 00:03:28.500 Yeah. 82 00:03:28.659 --> 00:03:33.550 I no longer am a part of that culture in 83 00:03:33.569 --> 00:03:36.729 my normal household. So that makes sense that I said 84 00:03:36.770 --> 00:03:40.330 I grew up Italian because I'm still Italian, right? It's like, 85 00:03:40.509 --> 00:03:44.030 you changed? Yeah, but it was so Italian in Youngstown, Ohio. Yeah. 86 00:03:44.110 --> 00:03:46.870 And it so is now, right? I mean, just, you know, 87 00:03:46.889 --> 00:03:49.159 but anyway. The point is, is that, you know, it 88 00:03:49.180 --> 00:03:53.280 was always all Italian all the time. So for, consequently, 89 00:03:53.840 --> 00:03:57.180 all through the entire city of Youngstown, for Christmas, people 90 00:03:57.240 --> 00:04:00.360 make Italian food. And so there's so many Italians, it's 91 00:04:00.400 --> 00:04:03.219 so normal to say, oh, what'd you have for Christmas meal? Well, 92 00:04:03.240 --> 00:04:06.020 we have ravioli or we had manicotti or gnocchi, whatever 93 00:04:06.039 --> 00:04:06.400 it is, right? 94 00:04:06.460 --> 00:04:07.319 Yeah. 95 00:04:07.419 --> 00:04:09.580 So that was just a normal thing. And then I 96 00:04:09.620 --> 00:04:12.960 went to college and I remember being, you know, in 97 00:04:13.020 --> 00:04:15.729 Missouri and the Midwest and And I remember somebody saying 98 00:04:15.770 --> 00:04:18.170 something like, oh yeah, for Christmas we had like ham 99 00:04:18.250 --> 00:04:20.230 and turkey. And I said, what are you talking about? 100 00:04:20.250 --> 00:04:21.089 You're like, what is this? 101 00:04:21.170 --> 00:04:23.750 I said, that's Thanksgiving food. Yeah. And they said, they said, 102 00:04:23.769 --> 00:04:27.319 what do you eat for Christmas? And I said, ravioli. 103 00:04:28.180 --> 00:04:31.300 And they go, what? And I was like, doesn't everybody? 104 00:04:31.319 --> 00:04:35.220 I was like, but it's because everybody, I knew all 105 00:04:35.259 --> 00:04:35.779 my friends. 106 00:04:36.040 --> 00:04:36.259 Yeah. 107 00:04:36.720 --> 00:04:39.500 That would be a normal thing. Right. And, uh, and 108 00:04:39.560 --> 00:04:42.220 not saying that everybody's Italian from Youngstown, cause that's not true. 109 00:04:42.699 --> 00:04:44.920 But a lot of the Italians hang out with Italians. 110 00:04:45.120 --> 00:04:45.319 Yeah. 111 00:04:45.720 --> 00:04:48.319 So for my group of people, it certainly was. 112 00:04:48.360 --> 00:04:48.600 Yeah. 113 00:04:48.759 --> 00:04:52.180 Right? So anyway, I thought it was normal until it wasn't. 114 00:04:52.459 --> 00:04:53.639 Yeah, that is hilarious. 115 00:04:53.800 --> 00:04:55.500 But I got a funny one too. It's very quick. 116 00:04:55.600 --> 00:04:56.160 Yeah. 117 00:04:56.319 --> 00:04:59.009 My youth pastor used to sing very famous songs that 118 00:04:59.029 --> 00:05:00.810 everybody else across the nation knows. You know, in my 119 00:05:01.170 --> 00:05:04.329 little youth group growing up, we always had the same jingles. Yeah. 120 00:05:04.410 --> 00:05:06.470 And most of them now you would sing with kids ministry. 121 00:05:06.610 --> 00:05:06.810 Yeah. 122 00:05:06.850 --> 00:05:08.709 But back then with high school ministry, that's what we 123 00:05:08.730 --> 00:05:11.970 used to do. Like for instance, you ever heard the song, Oh, 124 00:05:11.990 --> 00:05:15.769 you can't get to heaven on roller skates. You ever 125 00:05:15.790 --> 00:05:16.050 hear that? 126 00:05:16.149 --> 00:05:16.899 No, I've never heard that one. 127 00:05:16.910 --> 00:05:21.660 Oh, you can't get to heaven on roller skates. Oh, 128 00:05:21.680 --> 00:05:24.220 you can't get to heaven on roller skates. Oh, you 129 00:05:24.259 --> 00:05:27.860 roll right past those pearly gates. All my sins are 130 00:05:27.920 --> 00:05:30.360 washed away. Praise the Lord. 131 00:05:30.519 --> 00:05:31.930 No, I don't know that one. 132 00:05:32.160 --> 00:05:36.730 So anyway, in my group of church people, they sing that, right? 133 00:05:37.910 --> 00:05:40.790 So anyway, for some reason, my pastor used to take 134 00:05:40.910 --> 00:05:44.389 very popular songs and he would change them how he 135 00:05:44.410 --> 00:05:44.730 saw fit. 136 00:05:44.769 --> 00:05:45.889 I see what you're saying. 137 00:05:46.050 --> 00:05:47.889 And there would just be a little bit of change. 138 00:05:48.089 --> 00:05:48.329 Yeah. 139 00:05:48.550 --> 00:05:51.300 And so we would know them, we would know all 140 00:05:51.319 --> 00:05:53.579 the songs, but the rest of the world knew them 141 00:05:54.139 --> 00:05:54.560 like that. 142 00:05:54.699 --> 00:05:54.939 Yeah. 143 00:05:54.959 --> 00:05:57.879 They would know the normal way. So this song that 144 00:05:57.899 --> 00:06:00.660 I just sang to you has on the third chorus, 145 00:06:00.920 --> 00:06:03.100 it goes, can't get to heaven on, there's a pause, 146 00:06:03.600 --> 00:06:09.310 can't get to heaven on roller coaster. skates is a pause, right? 147 00:06:10.240 --> 00:06:12.879 For some reason, my pastor's saying, oh, you can't get 148 00:06:12.920 --> 00:06:15.120 to heaven on roller skates. Oh, you can't get to 149 00:06:15.139 --> 00:06:21.199 heaven on roller skates. Instead of on roller skates. 150 00:06:21.240 --> 00:06:22.439 He got theatrical with it. 151 00:06:22.699 --> 00:06:25.810 Yeah, he's like on roller skates. I don't know why, 152 00:06:26.019 --> 00:06:29.509 he just changed it. And apparently I'm the only human 153 00:06:29.970 --> 00:06:31.589 and the people in my church are the only humans 154 00:06:31.889 --> 00:06:34.230 who know that song, but know that version of that song. 155 00:06:34.670 --> 00:06:36.850 So I'm at Baptist Bible College, We're sitting around with 156 00:06:36.889 --> 00:06:39.850 a group of like 200 people. And he's like, hey, 157 00:06:39.910 --> 00:06:40.709 everybody know this one? 158 00:06:41.189 --> 00:06:42.709 Oh, he's going for it. 159 00:06:43.009 --> 00:06:44.269 And he goes, and he gets to that part, he goes, 160 00:06:44.490 --> 00:06:48.180 on roller. And everybody pauses. It's really quiet for a second. 161 00:06:48.500 --> 00:06:52.379 And I'm going, on roller skates. 162 00:06:52.759 --> 00:06:55.379 And everybody looks at me like, what is this guy doing? 163 00:06:55.420 --> 00:06:59.060 What is he saying? Yeah. And I'm like, what? And 164 00:06:59.100 --> 00:07:01.449 by the way, I found out that it's like 10 165 00:07:01.449 --> 00:07:05.329 different songs. I learned 10 different major songs wrong. 166 00:07:06.209 --> 00:07:07.689 And it's like, what? 167 00:07:08.269 --> 00:07:10.949 Oh, that's good. Whenever I'm singing them with people, I 168 00:07:11.620 --> 00:07:14.779 realize I'm like, he did it again. He embarrassed me again. 169 00:07:15.000 --> 00:07:16.660 Yeah? Oh, man, that's good. 170 00:07:16.680 --> 00:07:18.709 Changed it. 171 00:07:19.060 --> 00:07:19.500 There it is. 172 00:07:19.579 --> 00:07:20.699 So there's my thing. 173 00:07:20.879 --> 00:07:21.579 Oh, that's good. 174 00:07:21.600 --> 00:07:25.579 Yeah, that was super embarrassing. And you know what else 175 00:07:25.620 --> 00:07:26.600 was embarrassing? 176 00:07:26.779 --> 00:07:27.379 What was that? 177 00:07:27.740 --> 00:07:32.300 This moment where Nehemiah had to go before the king 178 00:07:32.339 --> 00:07:34.240 and ask him this really dangerous thing. 179 00:07:35.160 --> 00:07:35.399 Ding! 180 00:07:35.720 --> 00:07:36.560 There it is. 181 00:07:37.060 --> 00:07:38.170 We're going to say it worked. 182 00:07:38.620 --> 00:07:39.319 It worked. 183 00:07:39.670 --> 00:07:40.610 We're reading Nehemiah. 184 00:07:40.829 --> 00:07:43.490 Yep, Nehemiah. Chapter one. Which, by the way, Nehemiah is, 185 00:07:43.949 --> 00:07:46.629 in a lot of ways, a pretty obscure passage for 186 00:07:46.670 --> 00:07:47.290 a lot of Christians. 187 00:07:47.389 --> 00:07:48.050 Yeah. Right? 188 00:07:48.069 --> 00:07:50.689 I mean, there's not a ton of sermons on Nehemiah. 189 00:07:50.709 --> 00:07:53.500 There's not a ton of history. So if you don't 190 00:07:53.519 --> 00:07:56.660 know who Nehemiah is, he was a cupbearer to the king. 191 00:07:57.519 --> 00:07:58.959 Just to give you a little bit of context before 192 00:07:59.000 --> 00:08:02.879 Wesley reads. So like Babylon had taken over the world, right? 193 00:08:03.180 --> 00:08:06.920 Remember the story of Daniel where they had stolen all 194 00:08:06.939 --> 00:08:08.860 the goods from the temple and they had taken all 195 00:08:08.879 --> 00:08:10.980 the princes and everything. And then they took people all 196 00:08:11.019 --> 00:08:14.240 the way up to Babylon and And so there was 197 00:08:14.339 --> 00:08:17.910 like this exile of the Jewish people and this whole 198 00:08:17.949 --> 00:08:22.209 captivity thing. Well, it was over. Everything was over. And 199 00:08:22.470 --> 00:08:25.170 so they had allowed people to go back to Jerusalem 200 00:08:25.230 --> 00:08:28.389 in waves. And some people had gone back, but they 201 00:08:28.430 --> 00:08:31.879 had discovered that Jerusalem was in ruins. In fact, the 202 00:08:31.920 --> 00:08:34.659 city walls were down. It was unprotected. And of course, 203 00:08:34.700 --> 00:08:38.259 the city that's unprotected is open for siege. And so 204 00:08:38.320 --> 00:08:41.100 these people who are trying to rebuild their lives Uh, 205 00:08:41.120 --> 00:08:44.279 you know, we're talking like a whole generation or so later, uh, 206 00:08:45.100 --> 00:08:46.720 you know, for them trying to get their footing and 207 00:08:46.740 --> 00:08:49.539 their culture and their people. And so Nehemiah was a 208 00:08:49.679 --> 00:08:52.980 Jew and, and, and he was, uh, he was, you know, uh, 209 00:08:53.259 --> 00:08:57.120 he knew and remembered, uh, as a boy, uh, you know, his, 210 00:08:57.240 --> 00:09:00.419 his great city and his father and his, his family 211 00:09:00.440 --> 00:09:02.659 and everything else. And, uh, and so now he's an 212 00:09:02.700 --> 00:09:04.700 older man and he has favor working for the king 213 00:09:04.740 --> 00:09:07.379 as a cupbearer. And, and he had, he's about to 214 00:09:07.440 --> 00:09:12.019 learn something about Jerusalem. And he ends up basically going 215 00:09:12.039 --> 00:09:13.820 to the king saying, will you please allow me to 216 00:09:14.700 --> 00:09:18.700 go back and rebuild the walls around my city? Will 217 00:09:18.960 --> 00:09:20.870 you please allow me to do that? And so that's 218 00:09:20.950 --> 00:09:24.570 the story of Nehemiah. Yeah. That's it. Yeah. 219 00:09:24.830 --> 00:09:28.110 So let's dive in. That's Nehemiah chapter one, verses one 220 00:09:28.149 --> 00:09:31.289 through 11. It says, in late autumn, in the month 221 00:09:31.330 --> 00:09:35.149 of Kislev, in the 20th year of King Artaxerxes reign, 222 00:09:35.870 --> 00:09:39.240 I was at the fortress of Susa. Hanani, one of 223 00:09:39.299 --> 00:09:42.470 my brothers, came to visit me with some other men 224 00:09:42.519 --> 00:09:45.990 who had just arrived from Judah. I asked them about 225 00:09:46.029 --> 00:09:49.250 the Jews who had returned there from captivity and about 226 00:09:49.309 --> 00:09:52.309 how things were going in Jerusalem. They said to me, 227 00:09:52.789 --> 00:09:55.330 things are not going well for those who return to 228 00:09:55.370 --> 00:09:58.870 the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. 229 00:09:59.370 --> 00:10:02.039 The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down and the 230 00:10:02.080 --> 00:10:05.220 gates have been destroyed by fire. When I heard this, 231 00:10:05.740 --> 00:10:10.460 I sat down and wept. In fact, four days I mourned, fasted, 232 00:10:10.559 --> 00:10:13.360 and prayed to the God of heaven. Then I said, 233 00:10:13.620 --> 00:10:16.440 O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God 234 00:10:16.480 --> 00:10:19.779 who keeps his covenant, of unfailing love with those who 235 00:10:19.840 --> 00:10:22.980 love him and obey his commands, listen to my prayer. 236 00:10:23.700 --> 00:10:26.679 Look down and see me praying night and day for 237 00:10:26.720 --> 00:10:30.769 your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, 238 00:10:31.029 --> 00:10:34.409 even my own family and I have sinned. We have 239 00:10:34.490 --> 00:10:39.269 sinned terribly by not obeying the commands, decrees, and regulations 240 00:10:39.309 --> 00:10:43.460 that you gave us through your servant Moses. Please remember, 241 00:10:43.970 --> 00:10:46.769 that you told your servant Moses, if you are unfaithful 242 00:10:46.830 --> 00:10:49.700 to me, I will scatter you among the nations. But 243 00:10:49.740 --> 00:10:52.039 if you return to me and obey my commands and 244 00:10:52.159 --> 00:10:55.759 live by them, then even if you are exiled to 245 00:10:55.799 --> 00:10:57.820 the ends of the earth, I will bring you back 246 00:10:57.860 --> 00:11:00.100 to the place I have chosen for my name to 247 00:11:00.139 --> 00:11:03.700 be honored. Verse 10, the people you rescued by your 248 00:11:03.740 --> 00:11:07.159 great power in strong hand are your servants. Oh Lord, 249 00:11:07.320 --> 00:11:10.799 please hear my prayer. Listen to the prayers of those who... 250 00:11:12.870 --> 00:11:15.399 Listen to the prayers of those of us who delight 251 00:11:15.440 --> 00:11:19.120 in honoring you. Please grant me success today by making 252 00:11:19.179 --> 00:11:22.549 the king favorable to me. Put it into his heart 253 00:11:22.570 --> 00:11:25.590 to be kind to me. In those days, I was 254 00:11:25.629 --> 00:11:26.820 the king's cupbearer. 255 00:11:28.049 --> 00:11:30.509 So first of all, what a great way to start 256 00:11:30.570 --> 00:11:30.990 a chapter. 257 00:11:31.230 --> 00:11:31.830 Yeah. Right. 258 00:11:31.929 --> 00:11:36.269 I mean, just an unbelievable, uh, you know, epic setup 259 00:11:36.370 --> 00:11:38.870 to what is about to unfold. And if you want 260 00:11:38.889 --> 00:11:41.230 to go back and read the rest of Nehemiah, uh, 261 00:11:41.289 --> 00:11:43.750 what a great story and what a great accomplishment that 262 00:11:43.769 --> 00:11:46.000 God has done through Nehemiah, which by the way, did 263 00:11:46.019 --> 00:11:47.960 you know that the wall of Nehemiah is still there today? 264 00:11:48.120 --> 00:11:48.320 Yeah. 265 00:11:48.799 --> 00:11:51.559 And, and, uh, they've uncovered this wall and honestly it, 266 00:11:51.980 --> 00:11:55.299 it looks like children built it. It is not a 267 00:11:55.360 --> 00:11:59.320 work of architecture. It is thrown together with rocks and 268 00:11:59.919 --> 00:12:05.120 mud and mortar, and it does not look flat or polished. 269 00:12:05.200 --> 00:12:08.860 It's like, how is this thing still standing? And it 270 00:12:08.919 --> 00:12:14.259 has to be that God wants to preserve this unbelievable symbolism, 271 00:12:14.929 --> 00:12:18.809 what this represents. Everything done in the Old Testament is 272 00:12:18.830 --> 00:12:21.870 a model for us on how to behave, or it's 273 00:12:21.909 --> 00:12:25.190 a foreshadowing of what God wants to do in our lives. 274 00:12:25.529 --> 00:12:29.009 And so this importance of Nehemiah's wall that he ended 275 00:12:29.049 --> 00:12:32.809 up building in such a small amount of time is 276 00:12:32.850 --> 00:12:38.549 a great accomplishment, but God's still today, 2,700 something years later. 277 00:12:39.250 --> 00:12:41.299 In fact, I think it's even more than that, isn't it? 278 00:12:42.019 --> 00:12:49.700 Nehemiah is a couple thousand years old, isn't it? No, no, no. Isaiah, Nehemiah... Wait, 279 00:12:49.960 --> 00:12:55.980 I don't actually have my Siri on because I don't 280 00:12:56.019 --> 00:12:56.500 want the buzz. 281 00:12:57.080 --> 00:12:58.950 Yeah. All right. 282 00:12:59.779 --> 00:13:02.309 I'm doing this in the microphone. Hey, when was the 283 00:13:02.350 --> 00:13:08.289 book of Nehemiah written? Here's an answer from BibleHub.com. Okay, 284 00:13:08.289 --> 00:13:14.980 445 B.C. So 2000... 400 years ago-ish, right? 285 00:13:15.139 --> 00:13:15.320 Yeah. 286 00:13:15.700 --> 00:13:18.820 So, and that wall still- It's still there. It's still there. 287 00:13:18.840 --> 00:13:19.539 Isn't that amazing? 288 00:13:19.559 --> 00:13:19.799 Yeah. 289 00:13:20.100 --> 00:13:21.299 Yeah. That's awesome. 290 00:13:21.840 --> 00:13:24.059 There are two things early on that I want to 291 00:13:24.159 --> 00:13:26.740 dissect a little bit as we get into this. In 292 00:13:26.799 --> 00:13:29.799 verse five, it says,' Then I said, O Lord God 293 00:13:29.840 --> 00:13:34.620 of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant.' 294 00:13:35.120 --> 00:13:37.200 And I like that line right there. The fact that 295 00:13:37.299 --> 00:13:40.299 God is a God who will do what he said 296 00:13:40.360 --> 00:13:42.740 he will do. If God said he will do it, 297 00:13:43.000 --> 00:13:46.110 we can take that to the bank. It's certain, it's sure, 298 00:13:46.370 --> 00:13:49.009 doesn't matter what it looks like. There have been times 299 00:13:49.210 --> 00:13:52.750 in the Old Testament where God may have told a 300 00:13:52.809 --> 00:13:55.429 group of people to take a village or to take 301 00:13:55.470 --> 00:13:58.509 a town. And they're like, well, God, we're outnumbered. If 302 00:13:58.629 --> 00:14:01.629 God told you to do it, he will equip you 303 00:14:01.669 --> 00:14:03.899 to carry out what he told you to do. So 304 00:14:03.960 --> 00:14:05.940 God is a God that will keep his covenant. So 305 00:14:05.960 --> 00:14:08.639 when you're reading the Bible, keep that in mind. I 306 00:14:08.659 --> 00:14:11.909 think that's super important to know that if God promises 307 00:14:12.110 --> 00:14:14.690 us something in the Bible, he will do what he 308 00:14:14.750 --> 00:14:17.350 said he would do. And that gives me great confidence. 309 00:14:17.629 --> 00:14:20.169 But the other thing in there in verse six, it says, 310 00:14:21.129 --> 00:14:24.519 I confess that we have sinned against you. And I 311 00:14:24.779 --> 00:14:29.250 absolutely love that. Pastor Kevin here at Heritage Church where 312 00:14:29.269 --> 00:14:33.110 we both attend, he says, when you mess up, fess 313 00:14:33.250 --> 00:14:36.620 up and fess up fast. Don't try to hide it. 314 00:14:36.970 --> 00:14:39.370 God saw you when you did it. So there's no 315 00:14:39.429 --> 00:14:41.710 hiding it or trying to put it away or no, 316 00:14:41.750 --> 00:14:45.009 that wasn't me. Yeah, everyone knew, all of heaven knows 317 00:14:45.080 --> 00:14:48.379 that it was you. Just fess up, come clean to God. 318 00:14:48.759 --> 00:14:50.940 And if you confess your sins to him, he is 319 00:14:51.059 --> 00:14:54.340 just and faithful to forgive you for your sins and 320 00:14:54.440 --> 00:14:56.220 cleanse you from all unrighteousness. 321 00:14:56.320 --> 00:14:56.940 Yeah, that's right. 322 00:14:56.960 --> 00:14:57.580 So I love that. 323 00:14:58.360 --> 00:15:00.840 That's great. 1 John 1.9. First that was ever quoted 324 00:15:00.860 --> 00:15:01.360 to me, by the way. 325 00:15:01.600 --> 00:15:01.840 Yeah. 326 00:15:02.059 --> 00:15:07.639 By my wife, nonetheless. You know, it's some context to 327 00:15:07.679 --> 00:15:09.679 that prayer as well. So the two things you mentioned 328 00:15:09.700 --> 00:15:12.340 in that prayer that were awesome is the fact, the 329 00:15:12.379 --> 00:15:14.860 first thing that Nehemiah said was, I want to recognize 330 00:15:14.899 --> 00:15:17.460 God that you're a God that keeps your covenant. Well, 331 00:15:18.000 --> 00:15:24.919 think about the context. So, excuse me, Nehemiah is among 332 00:15:24.980 --> 00:15:27.980 a group of people that were most likely very discouraged 333 00:15:28.379 --> 00:15:31.080 because their whole people were exiled. Yeah. We're talking people 334 00:15:31.139 --> 00:15:38.019 were captured, kidnapped, slaughtered, killed, imprisoned, chained. I mean, just 335 00:15:38.460 --> 00:15:40.159 all these different wicked things. 336 00:15:40.299 --> 00:15:41.470 Yeah, they've lost everything. 337 00:15:41.490 --> 00:15:42.259 They've lost everything. 338 00:15:42.279 --> 00:15:42.419 Yeah. 339 00:15:42.450 --> 00:15:47.269 And yet... What Nehemiah is acknowledging is his responsibility. And 340 00:15:47.289 --> 00:15:51.759 he's acknowledging his people's responsibility because he's a God. He's a, yeah, 341 00:15:52.000 --> 00:15:54.120 our whole people, some of them are mad at you. 342 00:15:54.139 --> 00:15:55.940 Some of them are mad that, you know, our lives 343 00:15:56.000 --> 00:16:00.879 are so terrible. But understand that I'm recognizing you warned us. 344 00:16:01.419 --> 00:16:01.679 Yeah. 345 00:16:01.740 --> 00:16:05.350 Right? This is you keeping your covenant. You said... that 346 00:16:05.389 --> 00:16:07.490 if we dishonored you, that we would be scattered among 347 00:16:07.509 --> 00:16:11.529 the nations. And guess what you did? You kept your promises. 348 00:16:11.970 --> 00:16:14.730 And then he says, we have sinned, and he's acknowledging 349 00:16:14.809 --> 00:16:19.200 his responsibility. Now, I think that's important because the context 350 00:16:19.269 --> 00:16:22.559 is he's acknowledging the fact that even his family had 351 00:16:22.580 --> 00:16:26.899 their part in dishonoring God, right? Like he's responsible part 352 00:16:27.039 --> 00:16:30.919 in part for the exile and the capturing of Jerusalem 353 00:16:30.940 --> 00:16:33.490 and the walls being burned down So when he hears 354 00:16:33.830 --> 00:16:36.870 that the city walls are destroyed by fire, he's thinking, 355 00:16:36.970 --> 00:16:40.009 I did this. These are consequences in part to my 356 00:16:40.070 --> 00:16:43.080 sin and my family's sin. So he's like, God, even 357 00:16:43.100 --> 00:16:46.159 though I can complain, I can look at how bad 358 00:16:46.220 --> 00:16:48.740 my life is, we can all do that. We have 359 00:16:48.759 --> 00:16:51.639 to acknowledge our part in it. You warned us. We 360 00:16:51.679 --> 00:16:55.149 didn't obey. So you're a covenant keeper. You did exactly 361 00:16:55.169 --> 00:16:59.169 what you said. And guess what? I own my responsibility. 362 00:16:59.649 --> 00:17:01.779 We are sorry for what we've done. And then what 363 00:17:01.820 --> 00:17:05.019 does he do is he sort of capitalizes on God's faithfulness. 364 00:17:05.460 --> 00:17:08.779 He capitalizes on then God's promises. And he says, God, 365 00:17:09.019 --> 00:17:13.089 you said this, but God, guess what? You also said this. 366 00:17:13.329 --> 00:17:13.609 Yes. 367 00:17:13.730 --> 00:17:15.849 Right? So you said this as a warning, but you 368 00:17:15.890 --> 00:17:18.170 also said this as a promise. If we came back 369 00:17:18.210 --> 00:17:20.700 to you, then you would be with us. Look at me. 370 00:17:21.279 --> 00:17:23.279 I'm praying for my people. You see me, you see 371 00:17:23.319 --> 00:17:27.640 my earnest prayer. You see my sincerity, my heart. I'm 372 00:17:27.759 --> 00:17:30.680 weeping because I'm broken over this and I am coming 373 00:17:30.720 --> 00:17:34.599 to you and I'm asking you to keep your promises. 374 00:17:35.119 --> 00:17:38.000 And so therefore God, here's my request. And then he 375 00:17:38.039 --> 00:17:41.009 goes to God with his request, right? Ask the kingdom 376 00:17:41.400 --> 00:17:45.630 to be favorable to me. And what an unbelievable request. 377 00:17:46.329 --> 00:17:50.819 But Nehemiah backs it up with scripture. And he reminds 378 00:17:50.839 --> 00:17:52.000 himself of God's promises. 379 00:17:52.380 --> 00:17:55.529 Yeah, and I would say, Chris, that's super important, and 380 00:17:55.569 --> 00:17:59.890 it's very subtle. He had to know the promises to 381 00:17:59.930 --> 00:18:01.019 bring the promises up. 382 00:18:01.079 --> 00:18:01.599 That's right. 383 00:18:01.759 --> 00:18:05.430 Which means that... He had to know the scriptures, which 384 00:18:05.509 --> 00:18:08.410 is why it's so important for us to read the 385 00:18:08.450 --> 00:18:11.490 Bible daily, to know what those promises are, to know 386 00:18:11.569 --> 00:18:14.089 what God said he would do, and to know what 387 00:18:14.150 --> 00:18:17.009 God said to avoid. Because it's, yeah, it's good to 388 00:18:17.069 --> 00:18:19.230 know what blessings he will give you, but it's also 389 00:18:19.269 --> 00:18:22.150 good to know what to avoid. But you only get 390 00:18:22.210 --> 00:18:24.930 that from reading God's word on a consistent basis. 391 00:18:25.059 --> 00:18:27.880 That's right. Yeah. I have a motto that I've always 392 00:18:28.059 --> 00:18:30.200 lived by. So my number one spiritual gift is faith. 393 00:18:30.829 --> 00:18:32.950 which is odd for a skeptic. I'm a skeptic at heart. 394 00:18:33.470 --> 00:18:36.549 But actually it's true. Every time I take the spiritual 395 00:18:36.569 --> 00:18:39.029 gifts test, there's a spiritual gifts test you can take online. 396 00:18:39.369 --> 00:18:42.630 Actually several versions of it, but you can Google it 397 00:18:42.650 --> 00:18:44.559 and find a free one. But I took a spiritual 398 00:18:44.579 --> 00:18:46.660 gifts test actually on and off throughout my whole life 399 00:18:46.700 --> 00:18:50.220 and almost always. Faith is either number one or number two. 400 00:18:51.680 --> 00:18:56.579 But it manifests itself in my life during struggle. So 401 00:18:56.619 --> 00:18:58.940