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The Story of Nehemiah Lessons from the life Part 1. The King's Cupbearer This story opens in the imperial palace of Artaxerxes, Persian Emperor in the fifth century B.C. He was a wise and tolerant king, giving his subjects as much freedom as possible. He had inherited the great empire of Babylon together with other conquered lands, hence the land of Israel was included in his vast domain. In his service at Shushan, capital of Persia, was a Jew named Nehemiah. Like many of his fellow nationals, he was part of Israel's exiled nobility. His position in the royal household would carry many privileges, providing him with every comfort and giving little cause for complaint. Yet Nehemiah's heart was in far off Jerusalem and he eagerly sought information from travellers concerning his brethren in Judea. News from his homeland was bad, and the plight of God's people was truly an unhappy one. The stories he heard made him long more than ever to return to the land of "the Promise", to see the rugged hills of Judah and to help to restore to Israel her ancient heritage and national prestige. The King was an observant man and he readily detected the sorrow reflected in the face of one who served him at table. Enquiry soon revealed the cause of Nehemiah's distress, and permission was given to him to go to Jerusalem as governor of the city. Artaxerxes also supplied military protection for the long and hazardous journey, and requisitions to obtain building materials to restore the walls of Jerusalem, which were in ruins. Two very important principles emerge from this first episode in the story of Nehemiah. His first reaction was to pray about his great trouble. He had learned to trust the King of Heaven rather than the kings of the earth and thereby God opened the way for Nehemiah's successful audience with the King. Israel as a nation had sinned, and according to the prophecy of Moses, recorded in Deuteronomy 4:25‑31, they had been scattered and exiled by a foreign power. Nehemiah does not blame someone else for this situation but links his own name with those who had sinned. His prayer, found in Neh.1:4‑11, is remarkably like that in Daniel 9. Daniel and Nehemiah exhibit a wonderful spirit of humility and express to God their repentance for sins which they have not committed. Neither of them were responsible for Judah's exile, because the fate of the children of Israel was sealed by their idolatry and general disobedience to their covenant with God, long before Daniel and Nehemiah were born. It was not their fault that Jerusalem had been sacked and God's holy temple thrown down. It is an important lesson for us because we so readily blame other people for the distress in the world and for the lack of spirituality in the Church. This was the beginning of Nehemiah's success. He went before Almighty God with a repentant heart and thus the floodgates of God's mercy and mighty power were opened to him. It is to be noticed that this was not the repentance of a flagrant sinner who forsook a wicked life for the first time. This was a fine upright child of Abraham who realised that he constantly fell from grace and was in need of Divine forgiveness. To those who have come into Christ the same principle applies, as in 1 John 1:7,8; "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." Throughout his great work, Nehemiah constantly resorted to prayer, particularly in any special crisis. His prayers were not vague, abstract sermons about the plan of God, but earnest, practical entreaties for help, guidance and strength. Such is the example given by all true servants of God from the time of the Patriarchs until the present day. Like Daniel, Nehemiah probably practised the Jewish custom of special hours of prayer, of which we read in our Lord's day. Regular, frequent prayer is the solution to many of the difficult problems which beset the Church of God in the last century. The hindrances to our unity and to our preaching of the Word of God to unbelievers would vanish if prayer meetings became a regular feature in the worship of God's people. We in England, where complete religious freedom has been protected by the government for more than a hundred years, enjoy the same privilege that Nehemiah experienced while living in Persia and Palestine. He was guarded on his journey from Shushan to Jerusalem. He did not obstinately refuse Gentile assistance, but gladly accepted the credentials given to him by Artaxerxes. God does not expect us to make ourselves odious in the sight of the world merely for the sake of it. Godly men have frequently throughout the ages acknowledged and received the help which this world has given to the Divine purpose. Jesus never showed antagonism towards the civil powers, and Paul solicited the aid of pagan Rome in order that he might further his missionary work. Provided that righteous principles are not jeopardised, we ought to take advantage of civil liberties to advance, not our own interests, but the interests of the Kingdom of Heaven. Another essential aspect of serving the Lord is to be willing to sacrifice the comfort and security of a fine career in secular life. Nehemiah is a wonderful example of this. We must be ready to give up those things which we hold dear according to the flesh in order that our spiritual life may develop, and make our service more effective. There are many things around us in our everyday lives which hinder our service for God. Our daily occupation, worldly wealth, a comfortable home, entertaining pleasures, the accumulation of knowledge, all of which might be beneficial and given to us by Divine providence, yet they can, and frequently do, distract God's servants from fulfilling their duty. When the voice of the Lord calls us from the things of this life, let us relinquish our grasp upon them and cling more surely to the unseen, eternal things which will never perish, as mentioned in Hebrews 12:27‑28. These two principles, a repentant and prayerful heart and a willingness to deny self of earthly comfort and ambition, are essential if we would embark upon any great work for God. We must recognise that we can do nothing alone, but be fully devoted to the will and purpose of God, and live in an attitude of prayer and communion with our Heavenly Father. To be continued AOH
These three books form the closing section of Old Testament History. They tell the story of the Jews' Return from Babylon, the Rebuilding of the Temple and of Jerusalem, and the Reestablishment of the Jews' National Life in their Home Land. They cover about 100 years (536‑432 B.C.). The last three of the Prophets, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, lived and wrought in this era of the Jews' Restoration. Halley's Bible Handbook |
