Passionate Commitment Nehemiah 1-2:18

The Old Testament book of Nehemiah. It’s about rebuilding, refining, restructuring, re-starting. I see an important movement through the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Movement one is the returning and re-engagement with God through his promise of a remnant. Secondly, there is a rejoicing and rejuvenation from the renewal of worship. Ezra reads the word of God to the people and his compatriots teach the people what God’s Word means. This then prompts a movement of repentance and re-establishing of protection—the physical building of the wall to guard against peoples and efforts to keep the Israelites down and small. Returning - Rejoicing - Repenting - Rebuilding. All of which were necessary for the remnant to not just survive but thrive.

The Persian empire was pretty dominant and there were several kings we read about—Cyrus, Cambyses, Darius.1, Xerxes, Artexerxes.1 (and their alternative names) . . . well, you get the picture. There were a lot of them over a long period of time. Remembering that Persia had a preference for accommodation over assimilation, we can see how the kings allowed the Israelites to return to their homeland and particularly to Jerusalem. When we open the book of Nehemiah, the city was still pretty much in ruins and surround by pagan people groups including the Horonites, Ammonites and Arabs. All of these folks were also allowed to operate under the Persian banner. As you read through Ezra and Nehemiah, you can see all of their agendas at play. Ezra 4:1 characterizes some of them as “the enemies of Judah and Benjamin” In fact, in Ezra 4:17-24, we can read how they influenced the Persian king to shut down any rebuilding of the Jerusalem city and its walls by saying that it was historically a “rebellious and wicked city.”

Let’s spend a little time on the man Nehemiah. We know who is father is. We know that he was an Israelite living in exile. Several scholars point out that it was quite likely that Nehemiah was born in exile. This is an interesting thing, for as we shall see, he was still a dedicated Israelite but may have never lived in Jerusalem. He was a high-ranking, influential person in the Persian court. Never doubt that God can and does place his faithful people in some of the seemingly inaccessible or godless places of the world to share God’s influence on leaders and people. Godly, embedded spiritual forces are everywhere! Think also of Daniel and Esther. We learn a lot about Nehemiah through his prayer life recorded in his account.

Read Nehemiah 1:1-4.

The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah:
In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.

They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”

When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.

How connected are you to your country of origin? I come from a German/English ethnic stream, but I have never grieved over those two countries. I been in both of them, but never really felt connected to them. How is it then that Nehemiah has such a strong connection to Jerusalem while living in exile? Perhaps a way for us Gentiles to enter into this experience is to imagine that we cannot worship in our churches. Many people across the world have experienced the loss of their church building through fire, natural disaster, war or political action. What about the absence of corporate physically-close worship while in this pandemic? While we know and understand that God’s spirit is accessible everywhere, we could imagine the loss of that symbol of our community.

Nehemiah’s brother brings back a bad report. The exiles who returned had lived there already nearly seventy years, and yet their circumstances were still dire. Let’s think about why that is. When they had been taken into exile they had little to nothing. While they lived in exile they had little to nothing. Many had learned to survive and thrive while in exile. But, as a people, their resources were quite limited. It seemed that they had few resources to rebuild and they faced daily opposition. But God had a plan. He always does.

Nehemiah’s brother and friends related the state of disgrace and trouble. Walls were so important in that region and at that time in the world. They provided protection and a means of defense. While the Israelites were trying to rebuild, they also lacked the courage and will to keep up with the work and the resources. On top of that, as we read further in Nehemiah, there was the constant pressure from the surrounding peoples to stop the building. If that wasn’t enough, the disgrace also came from the reflection on God and his character. Jerusalem was to be the symbol of God’s presence and his promise! All of these things brought Nehemiah to a deep state of mourning. Nehemiah was passionate about God and passionate about his people and city. Oh, that we had such sorrow over the places in our nation and world demoralized by poverty, prejudice, oppression and persecution!

But that did not paralyze Nehemiah. He did the one thing that he had been doing his whole life—he turned to God! His prayer, like that of Ezra’s prayers, is a prayer of declaration of who God is, a deep intercession and corporate repentance for his people, a reminding of God to hold to his promise. The relationship between God and Nehemiah is strong and powerful and beautiful and honest! I wonder if anyone in Jerusalem knew how effectively someone was interceding for them?

Read Nehemiah’s prayer in 1:5-11.

“Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.

“Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’

“They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.”

Then Nehemiah makes a very plain statement of fact: I was cupbearer to the king. He had been strategically placed, had he not? There are a variety of descriptions of cupbearers in the Persian empire, not of which can be absolutely verified—chief baker, overseer of the king’s food production, manager of his kitchen, taster of potentially poisoned wine . . . What we do know, especially as we read the encounter between the two, is that he was highly respected and very close to the king. As you read this next lengthy section from your personal Bible, note what you discover about their relationship. How would you describe it to someone who had never read this portion of Scripture?

Read Nehemiah 2:1-10.

I see a trusted courtier, someone the king deeply cares about, a king who values people who has served him faithfully. I also see a person who understands the kind of power that the Persian kings have and who fears and respects it deeply, even if he does not agree with it. I also see someone courageous enough to ask for help. I also see an individual who integrates God into every moment of his life! Some have called Nehemiah’s shortest prayer in verse 4 as an “arrow prayer”—short, piercing, direct. “Oh, God, help me now!” I see a person imbued with courage and a profound commitment to seeing God’s reputation and his people rightfully restored. I see someone who knows his resources and how to use them! We can be so self-limiting in our efforts—but not Nehemiah! He saw a world of resources and tapped into each one of them. The king’s word, the king’s resources, the king’s blessing, the king’s . . . we’ll let’s get this right—God’s word, God’s resources, God’s blessing, God’s power over all, through all and in all!

Commentators estimate that Nehemiah prayed and fasted for four months. Then it took he and his retinue another four months to get to Jerusalem. All that time the Israelites in Jerusalem were feeling more and more defeated, giving way to depression and some were even giving up on the Law of God. But God had made a passionate commitment to them and so had Nehemiah.

Let’s read Nehemiah 2:11-16.

I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on.

By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate. The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work.

Once again Nehemiah’s heart is broken, but that does not stop him. A passionate commitment is more than a thought process. It’s taking the time to survey the situation, coming to terms with reality, wrestling with what will be required and then acting on it. Throwing aside shame, depression, inertia and defeat is what gives commitment wheels. Watch what he does next!

Nehemiah 2: 17-18.

Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me.

They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.

God moves particular individuals at particular times with a passionate commitment to move his marvelous work forward, and to engage people who long for his Kingdom but are not really quite sure how to start or re-start. Can you hear it? Come, let us rebuild . . . Let’s do this together! We can do it! God is with us! Look at all he has provided! This is possible! C’mon!

So they began this good work. And so can we! We have been facing daunting and depressing challenges these days. There is a mantel of oppression and heaviness from a global pandemic, systemic racism, and violence that seems interminable and insurmountable. And God is still on his powerful throne working his way with people across the world to pray, to confess, to plan, to strategize, to pray again and to engage with all the resources that God has available. If Nehemiah can demonstrate his passionate commitment to rebuilding, so can we!

Amen

M.R. Hyde
Copyright 2020