THE FIRST PART: A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
From the Captivity to the Return
Message Nine—Nehemiah
Scripture Reading: Neh. 2:4, 10, 17-20; Rev. 21:18-20; Num. 6:1-9, 22-27; 1 John 2:15-17, Neh. 2:4, 10, 17-20; 4:17; Zech. 2:5, 8; Titus 1:9; Acts 20:26-35
I. Nehemiah took the lead to build up the wall, which is to build up the church as the kingdom of God; the wall separates God’s people unto God from all things other than God—Neh. 2:4, 10, 17-20; 4:11-23; Rev. 21:18-20. (2004 FTTA, msg. 14)
II. God desires that all His people be Nazarites, those who separate themselves unto God to be absolutely, utterly, and ultimately for God, that is, to be for nothing other than God—loving God, seeking God, living God, and being constituted with God to bless others with God for the expression of God—Num. 6:1-8, 22-27; Psa. 73:25-26; Jer. 32:39; 2 Cor. 13:14: (2004 FTTA, msg. 14)
A. According to typology, among the human race the unique Nazarite is the Lord Jesus Christ; a Nazarite is a type of Christ in His living absolutely for God in His humanity—John 4:34; 5:19, 30; 7:18; 14:24. (2004 FTTA, msg. 14)
B. All overcomers live in the principle of the Nazarite with a voluntary fourfold consecration to God—1 Cor. 6:15-20; Rom. 12:1-2; 9:23; cf. Dan. 5:23: (2004 FTTA, msg. 14)
1. A Nazarite must overcome worldly enjoyment and pleasure, signified by abstaining from wine and anything related to its source—Num. 6:3-4; cf. Psa. 104:15; Eccl. 10:19; Dan. 1:8; James 4:4; 1 John 2:15. (2004 FTTA, msg. 14)
2. A Nazarite must overcome rebellion, signified by not shaving his head; not shaving the head signifies not rejecting but being absolutely subject to the headship of the Lord—Num. 6:5; cf. 1 Cor. 11:3, 6, 10, 15. (2004 FTTA, msg. 14)
3. A Nazarite must overcome death, signified by not being allowed to be defiled by the death of the relative closest to him or by the sudden death of one beside him—Num. 6:6-7, 9. (2004 FTTA, msg. 14)
4. A Nazarite must overcome natural affection, signified by not making himself unclean for his father, mother, brother, or sister when they die—Num. 6:7; Matt. 12:46-50; 2 Cor. 5:16. (2004 FTTA, msg. 14)
C. Our separation unto God is for our being blessed by God to bless others with God in the divine dispensing of the Divine Trinity—vv. 22-27. (2004 FTTA, msg. 14)
III. We need to intrinsically follow Nehemiah’s pattern to “build up the wall,” to build up the church as the kingdom of God, for the protection of the church as the house of God—Neh. 2:4, 10, 17-20: (2004 FTTA, msg. 13)
A. We must build up the wall to protect the church from the idolatry and division of Babylon (1 John 5:21; Jude 19), the worldly pleasures and ways of Egypt (2 Tim. 3:1-5), and the sin and wickedness of Sodom (1 Cor. 6:9-11, 18-20). (2004 FTTA, msg. 13)
B. We must build up the wall to protect the church from the destruction of the destroyers of God’s building—Eph. 4:14; 1 Tim. 1:4; 2 Pet. 2:1; 2 John 7-11; Titus 3:10; Rom. 16:17; 3 John 9; Acts 20:29-30. (2004 FTTA, msg. 13)
IV. We must build up the wall to protect the church by holding to the healthy teaching of God’s economy—Titus 1:9; Acts 2:42; 1 Tim. 1:3-4; Prov. 29:18: (2004 FTTA, msg. 13)
A. We must shepherd the flock of God by declaring to them all the counsel of God, all of God’s economy; under the Lord’s shepherding, all the evil persons who disturb God’s people are kept away from them so that they can dwell in peace and safety to be mingled with God and bound together in oneness—Acts 20:26-35; Ezek. 33:1-11; 34:25; cf. Zech. 2:8; 11:7. (2004 FTTA, msg. 13)
B. By putting out the pure truth from the Word, we can protect the interests of the riches of God’s divinity on the earth and the attainments of Christ’s consummation—cf. John 17:17; 1 Tim. 3:15. (2004 FTTA, msg. 13)
V. We must build up the wall to protect the church by helping all the saints realize the headship of Christ—Neh. 4:11-23; cf. Ezek. 22:30; Eph. 1:22-23: (2004 FTTA, msg. 13)
A. We must have our will subdued by Christ and transformed with Christ through sufferings so that it is submitted to the headship of Christ to be rich in the defending power of Christ in resurrection—S. S. 4:1, 4; 7:4a; 2 Cor. 2:14. (2004 FTTA, msg. 13)
B. The building up of the wall is a matter of spiritual warfare, which involves our will; everyone must keep his position for the building up of the wall and must learn how to build with one hand and fight with the other—Neh. 4:17; cf. Rom. 12:3. (2004 FTTA, msg. 13)
C. We must be today’s Nazarites, who are separated unto God from all rebellion and live under the headship of Christ—Num. 6:2, 5; Col. 1:18. (2004 FTTA, msg. 13)
VI. We must build up the wall to protect the church by fighting the battle in the Body—Rom. 16:20: (2004 FTTA, msg. 13)
A. The Body puts on the whole armor of God and renders protection to every member; we must seek the counsel and covering of the Body to receive the Body’s protection and safeguard—Eph. 6:10-20; Matt. 16:18; Acts 21:4. (2004 FTTA, msg. 13)
B. Spiritual warfare is in this principle—one will chase a thousand and two will put ten thousand to flight—Deut. 32:30; Eccl. 4:9-12; Exo. 17:11-13. (2004 FTTA, msg. 13)
VII. We must build up the wall to protect the church by persevering in prayer to be kept from the evil one and to slay the adversary—Matt. 6:13; 26:41; Col. 4:2; John 17:15; 2 Thes. 3:3; Eph. 6:17-18. (2004 FTTA, msg. 13)