The man tried to calm her down and very nicely asked to see her insurance information. With that, she started crying again. "It's probably in the glove compartment," the man suggested, "that is where most people keep it." They looked, and sure enough, it was—it was in an envelope and attached was a note from her husband. It read, "Honey, in case of an accident, remember that I love YOU and not the car." Praise God—that is the freedom of the Christian faith! Through Jesus Christ, God is saying to us, "In case of any tragedy, a broken heart, discouragement, or any other hardship or tribulation, remember, I love YOU and I will be your vehicle through it all!
As the 4th of July fast approaches, many will be thinking of freedom. But true freedom can only be found in the Spirit-led life, graphically forecasted in Nehemiah. Originally, in the Jewish Scriptures, Ezra and Nehemiah were one book. While the rebuilding of the temple is the focus in Ezra, Nehemiah stresses the importance of the rebuilding of the protective city walls. Once the "church" is built, God, out of pure love, does not leave it alone to fend for itself—He protects and empowers it through the Third Person of the Trinity—like a formidable wall against all worldliness! This "Trinity," of course, does not mean we have three Gods, for there is only oneor His Holy Word—just look at the baptism of Jesus in Luke 3:22 to see only one proof of the Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!
God, who has chosen to express Himself in three persons—Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. I know some don't believe this, but that is because they don't "know" the One True God
So, who is this Holy Spirit, and how does He actually work in the Christian's heart and life? Let me begin with a very simple analogy. Take me, for example—many people know me, either by acquaintance or friendship. Several know me as pastor. Two people know me as son, and two people know me as father. But only one person knows me as husband. Just as it is possible to know one person in so many different ways, the Holy Spirit can be experienced on many different levels. On Easter Sunday night, Jesus breathed on His disciples and told them, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost." (John 20:22) In that moment, they were born-again under a New Covenant, but the Lord didn't leave them there. When we are born-again, we "have" or "receive" the Holy Spirit, but other levels of "knowing" are yet to come on the Christian path. In the Book of Acts, the disciples, and a whole host of others, are "filled" and even "baptized", or immersed, in the Holy Spirit and His sanctifying fire. (see Luke 3:16) Praise God—the Spirit has already come, but how many will want Him and even desire to be more and more intimate with Him? Perhaps an even clearer way of putting it would be, "How much of us will we let Him
have?"
As we turn to Nehemiah 1, all of this comes to the forefront. Nehemiah, whose Hebrew name means "Yahweh comforts and encourages," is a Jew among many still experiencing the Babylonian Captivity. Ezra had already returned to Jerusalem with thousands of others and rebuilt the temple. Now, in 444 BC, some 15 years later, Nehemiah grieves over the city's protective walls being in shambles. As the cupbearer to Artaxerxes the king, Nehemiah is in an amazingly trustworthy position and definitely has the ear of the Persian monarch. As the cupbearer, it was his job to "taste-test" all food and drink, in case an enemy had infiltrated the palace and poisoned the food—the king would live, but he would die. Imagine—the king putting his total trust in a Jewish "prisoner-of-war"—what an open window to the Godly character of Nehemiah! ALL was for the king! Now watch this—in the 2nd Chapter, when Nehemiah doesqueen is by his side. You see, that would be quite the encouragement for Nehemiah—this queen is probably Esther! When she was called to risk her own life for the protection and the safety of the Jews, she said clearly, "If I perish, I perish." (Esther 4:16) This would be Nehemiah's attitude, as well!
approach the king, the
What an amazing picture of the Holy Spirit, and it can be all seen through Nehemiah's prayer before he approaches the king! Once the people of God are brought together, He does not leave them to worry and fret. Once the "church" is built, the walls of strength and safety are greatly needed. Such is the Holy Spirit's place in the church, and He is willing to go through "hell or high water", so to speak, for God's people. Nehemiah's initial focus is on the confession of sin, praying, "We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments…" (vs. 7) Even this proves the Holy Spirit is at work within, for He alone convicts us of sin, which should lead to confession and repentance. Jesus, referring to the coming of the Holy Spirit, tells us, "And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment." (John 16:8) It must begin in the heart!
Nehemiah's prayer also reveals a very deep concern for God's glory to be known and His purposes to be embraced. We see in the 5th verse that He began by recognizing the majesty and greatness of God. Centuries later, when Jesus describes the coming ministry of the Holy Spirit, we see the same emphasis—"Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come. He shall glorify me: for He shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you." (John 16:13-14) A little later, Jesus would pray, "Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee." (17:1) Praise God—He alone gets the glory when the Trinity's purpose is embraced!
Furthermore, Nehemiah, the "comforter," pleads that God will remember to keep His promises of deliverance and unity. Praise God—He proves that He did that and that He continues to do so, "…the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." (14:26) You see, He shows His remembrance of His promises to us by causing us to remember His greatness and majesty. Many people today hear about this "Comforter" and automatically picture God as a consoling Grandfather-type, who just pats His little ones on the head and tells them they are fine the way they are. No, the Holy Spirit will never declare you to be fine in your sin. The Greek word for "Comforter" is "parakletos", and it speaks more of a counselor or an intercessor who is always calling and inviting us to draw ever nearer to the center of His heart, and, at the same time, ever further from sin. This is true freedom! Matthew Henry once wrote, "When we have entrusted our concerns to God, the mind is set at liberty; it feels satisfaction and composure, while all difficulties vanish." Maybe we need to stop telling God how big our storms are, and start telling our storms how big our God is. With such a great and wonderful inheritance laid out before us, just waiting to be received, the main obstacles that stand in our way are often rebellion and stubbornness. And it was the Holy Spirit Himself who inspired the writing of these powerful words—"For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry." (1 Samuel 15:23a) This is His merciful counsel—if you refuse to take it, there will come judgment; if you receive it, true comfort will abound! Oswald Chambers once wrote, "Stubbornness is an unintelligent barrier, refusing enlightenment and blocking its flow. The only thing to do with this barrier is to blow it up with 'dynamite,' and the 'dynamite' is obedience to the Holy Spirit."
Praise God—all is for the King! While Nehemiah was the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes, the Holy Spirit is the cupbearer to the King of kings and the Lord of lords. It is the Holy Spirit who desires to keep the poison out of the palace. It is the Holy Spirit who reminds us of the truth of God's word, and places it around us like a fiery hedge or a massive stone wall—not only to keep us in the center of His will, but also to protect us from the outside influences that try to draw us away. Convicting, counseling, comforting—and all because He truly loves US…and not the "car!"
