Old Testament Revivals
LEADING A GREAT ENDEAVOR
A Guide to Spiritual Revitalization
Nehemiah 8-13
Introduction
The book of Nehemiah can naturally be divided into two halves. Chapters one through seven show Nehemiah leading a massive building campaign, and chapters eight through thirteen show his part in guiding the nation toward spiritual renewal. So, while the whole book can be thought of as “The Nehemiah Model of Successful Leadership,” Nehemiah is aiming his leadership at two goals: one is physical, and the other is spiritual. For this reason, we can call the first half “Leading a Great Endeavor: The Nehemiah Model of Spiritual Leadership” and the second half “Leading a Great Awakening: The Nehemiah Model of Spiritual Revitalization.”
From this historical narrative we can learn how to carry out the tasks that God has given us. In the first half, God gave the Israelites the responsibility to rebuild the physical walls around Jerusalem that had been broken down due to their sin. In the second half, the task God gave them was to rebuild the spiritual walls of their own lives that had also been broken down due to their sin.
In this study, you will witness a remarkable revival. It is beautiful and exciting to read about and describes the key essentials of revitalization. What you learn can help you and your church pursue personal and corporate spiritual awakenings.
When you hear the word “revival,” what picture comes into your head?
Some envision church revivals. In days past, many American churches held annual “revival meetings.” If this is your background, you may be able to resurrect some vivid memories.
An energetic song leader directs the church through the hymn “Revive Us Again.” He is swinging his arms and bouncing on the stage as everyone sings,
“Revive us again, filling hearts with your love,
let each soul be rekindled with fire from above.
Hallelujah, Thine the glory. Hallelujah, amen.
Hallelujah, Thine the Glory. Revive us again.”
Then, the evangelist preaches an impassioned biblical message filled with heart-rending stories. It concludes with an invitation for people to come down the aisle, repent of their sins and get things right with God. And down they come. The revival has begun.
Others visualize the historical movements of revival. As a student of church history, I, like many people, love to study the various waves of revival, such as the Protestant Reformation, the Moravian revival, or the First and Second Great Awakenings. It is wonderful to reflect on these Sovereign displays of God’s grace.
Of course, many will reflect on times of personal revival. They remember how God broke through the crust of their defenses, softened their hearts, led them into repentance, brought about a fervent love for the Lord, and used them to impact others missionarily.
With these and other stereotypes of revival, we may have some accurate perspectives, but others need to be discarded or, at the least, remodeled. As we study spiritual revitalization, let’s keep revising our views to be biblically accurate.
More important than understanding revival is experiencing it. My prayer is that we will begin an individual quest for a fresh encounter with God. Then we will pray for church revival and movements of revival.
• Do you want revival and renewal in your own life?
• Do you want revival and renewal in your family?
• Do you want revival and renewal in your church?
• Do you want revival and renewal in your land?
Does Your Heart Ache for Revival? The Psalmist prayed, “Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? (Psalm 85:6)” Those who long for a fresh touch from God can make this their prayer as well. The literal meaning of the English word “revival” is “to live again.” The Hebrew word chaya, translated as “revive” or “renew,” similarly means “to bring back to life.” It speaks of a new commitment to the Lord which results in renewed spiritual vitality. Is that something you would like to have?
Before we study this great revival in Nehemiah, I would like us to give some attention to an earlier series of spiritual awakenings described in the Second Book of Chronicles. I call them the “Revival Chronicles.” These dramatic narratives display examples of how God brings seasons of spiritual revitalization to God’s people.
This emphasis is neither original nor inventive. The Chronicler intentionally used accurate historical accounts to teach spiritual principles. The pattern for revival is spelled out in God’s night-time encounter with Solomon in the seventh chapter of 2 Chronicles. The key verse is 2 Chronicles 7:14, “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
If the people keep God’s conditions, He will do three things:
• He will “hear” us.
• He will “forgive” us.
• He will “heal” us.
What are those four conditions?
• We must “humble” ourselves.
• We must “seek” God’s face.
• We must “pray” for God’s working.
• We must “turn” from sin to God.
Then, as the history of the following four Judean kings is given, special attention is devoted to the revivals that occurred under the reigns of each. The author demonstrates how these great awakenings illustrate the truths of 7:14. Each revival is characterized by one of its conditions.
The Asa Revival (2 Chronicles 14-16)
Key Emphasis – “Seek my face”
The Jehoshaphat Revival (2 Chronicles 17-20)
Key Emphasis – “Pray”
The Hezekiah Revival (2 Chronicles 29-32)
Key Emphasis – “Turn from your wicked ways”
The Josiah Revival (2 Chronicles 34-35)
Key Emphasis – “Humble Yourself”
These revivals vividly picture how God revitalizes those who wholeheartedly forsake sin and pursue Him. The principles found in these ancient stories and amplified in the New Testament can refresh your spiritual passion for God.
The Chronicles were probably written around 400 to 420 BC, after Nehemiah’s restoration ministry. By then, the mixed-racial, mixed-religious Samaritan people populated Israel, built their own temple at Mount Gerizim, and claimed a stake as the people of God. The chronicler shows that they had no legitimacy.
The central message was about God’s covenant relationship with His people and His desire to bless them when they were devoted to Him. Though the people often rebelled and incurred His judgment, His long-suffering love allowed them to experience spiritual renewal and the many gifts associated with His presence. These times of refreshment are celebrated in the Revival Chronicles.
Who was the chronicler? Tradition strongly suggests that it may have been Ezra the Scribe. If not, it was certainly written by someone like him, who was of the priestly order. It is easy to note the attention given to the temple, the feasts, the temple musicians, and the registers of names. And the writing of the Chronicles is very similar to the book of Ezra. Please also note that the last two verses of Second Chronicles are the same as the first two verses of Ezra. In the original version, the two books of the Chronicles were just one and they may have been hinged to Ezra and Nehemiah and viewed as a unified work.
Much of the book of Nehemiah is written in the first person by Nehemiah himself. But the parts written in the third person were probably written by Ezra—perhaps during the time Nehemiah had to return to Babylon.
Ezra had returned to Jerusalem about thirteen years before Nehemiah’s quest to the Holy Land. The scribe was an eyewitness and an active participant in this physical and spiritual restoration era. He was a great spiritual leader who motivated the people to set their hearts right before God. He also led the people in finishing the temple that Zerubbabel had begun. And now, in the eighth chapter of Nehemiah, he makes his appearance as one who, along with Nehemiah, would be used by God to help bring revival to the people. This must have been so exciting for him. He not only got to write the definitive history of the revivals in his book of Second Chronicles, but he also got to participate in one — a big one!
LEADING A GREAT ENDEAVOR: A Guide to Spiritual Revitalization
We shall look at six characteristics of the Renewal Process.
Renewal Process
• Phase #1 – PROCLAMATION
• Phase #2 – INTERACTION
• Phase #3 – CONSECRATION
• Phase #4 – PARTICIPATION
• Phase #5 – CELEBRATION
• Phase #6 – REFORMATION
Prepare for the next class by reading Nehemiah 8. There will be a quiz.