1In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. 2And the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of the heart.” Then I was very much afraid. 3I said to the king, “Let the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” 4Then the king said to me, “What are you requesting?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ graves, that I may rebuild it.” 6And the king said to me (the queen sitting beside him), “How long will you be gone, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me when I had given him a time. 7And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah, 8and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress of the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy.” And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me.
What can we learn about Nehemiah from his ready response to the King?
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Observe how tactful Nehemiah’s presentation is. Twice he refers to Jerusalem, not as the capital of Judah or even by its name, for it had a reputation as a troublesome city and had been the source of revolt in the empire before, but he designates it as the city where my fathers are buried. That is an accommodation to the emperor’s own concerns. These ancient kings were greatly concerned about their burial. The pyramids in Egypt that the pharaohs have left are ample evidence of that. This king would be immediately sympathetic to Nehemiah’s desire to go and restore the city where his fathers were buried. Nehemiah wisely plays upon that interest and presents his case in the best possible light.
Note also the thoroughness with which he had thought out all that he would need. He knew it would require a lengthy period of time, so he asked for the time he needed. He was actually gone for twelve years. I doubt if he asked for that long a time, but it took that long in the working out of his plans. He must have known it would take at least a number of years, and whatever he asked for, he was granted that amount of time.
Not only did Nehemiah need sufficient time for this expedition, but he needed secure travel. So he asked for letters to the governors of the provinces that he would have to pass through to provide safe conduct for him. We learn later in this book that this not only gave him diplomatic immunity, but it also meant that he was appointed as the governor of Judah. This would give him diplomatic status as he traveled. From secular sources we learn that there had been trouble in the province of Syria (just north of Judah) two years earlier. The satrap (governor) of that province had rebelled against Artaxerxes. It is likely that the king welcomed this opportunity to place a trusted man in the governorship of Judah and interpose a buffer between Syria and Egypt, who were often at war. Thus this journey of Nehemiah was something the king found very satisfying.
Finally, Nehemiah knew he would need some special supplies that only the king’s authority could provide. He asked for special timbers to be cut for him out of the king’s forest. Some believe that was located in the mountains of Lebanon. But others say it was probably a local forest, south of Jerusalem, from which King Solomon had taken wood for the building of his temple. At any rate, Nehemiah got what he asked for. He had done his homework thoroughly.
This suggests to us that if we are truly concerned about rebuilding parts of our life, we need to think seriously about what it will require. We must assess what we will actually need, what steps we should take, and what may be involved in changing our habits so that we can be freed to be what God wants us to be. Nehemiah teaches us that we need to face honestly our situation.
Have we assessed the costs to our pride and self-reliance in rebuilding parts of our lives? Are we trusting God to show us His way through Christ?
Happy Memorial Day! There is a couple of things I’ve taken away from Nehemiah’s responses to the king. One is that he cares a lot about the opinions of the king. He always opens with “if it pleases the king” and never just says his requests and petitions right away. He acknowledges that the king is always in control of everything and there won’t be anything that slips past him. The second note I saw in Nehemiah’s response is how prepared he is with his requests. He knew exactly what he was asking for, where he wanted to go, and what he needed in order to rebuild the walls of the city. And lastly, among the many good points Nehemiah has displayed here, is that he came to the king in humility and gentleness and he knew his place in the king’s eyes. He didn’t overstep or acted as if he had full power. He knew full-well that the king can have him in big trouble if he so much as stepped out of line. I pray that I would come to God the same way, in humility and humbleness, so that Christ would be the center of my worship and praise.
Happy Memorial Day! How Nehemiah handled the king was brilliant but what I would want to emulate is how he readily accepted help from the King.
I think that my independent streak and my pride causes me to be reluctant in asking for and receiving help.
Nehemiah was not just praying but as Bumble said in the sermon he was also preparing and planning so that he knew what to pray for and what he needed. It is like when people want know the will of God for their lives but don’t read His Word to be able to understand and discern his voice. For us to draw near to God we not only need to pray for it but to also prepare our hearts and minds for it.
From brother Don’s reflection:
“And the king said to me, ‘Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of the heart.’ Then I was very much afraid,” (Nehemiah 2:2). This particular verse in today’s reading stood out, and seemed a bit strange to me. Why would Nehemiah be afraid of being perceived by the king to look sad? As it turns out, upon further study, sadness would have been a dangerous emotion to express in the king’s presence. He would want to subjects to express happiness, since this would reflect the well-being brought about by his administrative abilities. Nehemiah feared that either his countenance, his explanation, or his request would anger the king and potentially lead to his death! Yet, albeit with much reverence and submission to the king’s authority, Nehemiah proceeds to explain the reason for his sadness, and then, quite courageously, goes on to make his request.
“Then the king said to me, ‘What are you requesting?’ So I prayed to the God of heaven,” (Nehemiah 2:4). This verse stood out to me as well, illustrating the continual aspect of Nehemiah’s prayer life. Even in the midst of his conversation with the king, in line with a recognition of his dependence upon God, he prays before he responds with his request.
Lord, I pray that we would have not only the wisdom to pray, but also the courage to act, as Nehemiah did. Help us to recognize our utter dependence upon You, as well as Your ultimate sovereignty over any and all circumstances. Humble us enough to respect earthly authority, and embolden us to fear only You, that we would be able to be used by You for the good of Your people and the furthering of Your kingdom.
baomy’s reflection:
Nehemiah was confident in his prayers and confident in God that the king will grant his requests. And we could see that in verse 8. When it comes to asking for help from others and sometimes even from God, I tend to feel doubtful and uncertain so I wish I had Nehemiah’s assertiveness.
What stood out to me is that Nehemiah valued his call and the land of God much more than his own status or life. Asking the King for such a favor requires an abundance of bravery and faith in God. Nehemiah didn’t know that the King would be so willing to provide yet that didn’t stop him from asking. I can also appreciate that he was a man with a plan 🙂
It was interesting to know just how prepared Nehemiah was when asking the king his requests. He knew what resources he needed, how long it would take, and what obstacles he might encounter. That took a lot of planning and prayer and it got the job done.
Daniel shared:
Personally, I found this chapter very encouraging for workplace behavior as I often have trouble being open with my feelings or my faith with my co-workers. Usually when I’m asked how I’m doing I just give the typical deflective response of “I’m ok” just to not garner attention or seem like a bother to my peers. But Nehemiah is different, he’s so transparent with his feelings. And it’s with his boss of all people, someone usually seen high up on the work chain. He still treats him with respect as someone above him, but he also doesn’t give him the same reverence as he does God and talks openly to him as not just a work boss but as a person, too. Not only that, but Nehemiah didn’t even hesitate to pray to God in front of his boss for guidance, he did it right on the spot. When I’m at work I try to act cordial and nonconfrontational trying to appear as unnoticable as possible but I realize that isn’t how one should act as a christian. One should be more open, like a beacon, like Nehemiah, and be comfortable with themselves and their beliefs regardless of who’s watching. So, if I learned anything from Nehemiah’s behavior, is that I should be comfortable with how I am with others but I should also be comfortable with practicing my faith regardless of others.