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In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
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. Then I said:
“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.”
I was cupbearer to the king.
Nehemiah 1
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
The books of Ezra and Nehemiah were originally one text covering three distinct stages of the Israelite return to Jerusalem from Babylonian exile.
In the first stage, King Cyrus permitted the Israelites to return to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua. Stage 2 found Ezra returning to Jerusalem with a group of volunteers from Babylon and some recruited Levites. As Nehemiah begins, so too does the third stage with Nehemiah seeking to leave Babylon to return to Jerusalem.
As Chapter 1 opens, Nehemiah receives some bad news while he was in the “citadel of Susa” from “one of (his) brothers” who “came from Judah with some other men.” After questioning his brother and his comanions regarding “the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and… Jerusalem”, Nehemiah learns that “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.” Peril had struck God’s holy people and city.
Nehemiah took the news hard. We read that he “sat down and wept” and “for some days” he “mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.”
Nehemiah had to have felt pretty helpless. His fellows Jews were under siege and he was in Babylon. What could he do to help when so far away?
Maybe you have felt this way at sometime or another? I know I have. I have family members spread all over the country and I have had service men and women forward deployed to all parts of the world, often in harm’s way. When things go wrong from a distance with people you care for, one can feel just like Nehemiah…a four month’s journey away from Jerusalem in Babylon.
So what can we do in the midst of our helpless when we are so distant from people we love who may be going through hardship?
We can follow the example of Nehemiah in our scriptures today. For Nehemiah knew where to turn. He turned to God, the only One who can do all things no matter the distance.
Our scriptures reveal Nehemiah’s prayer:
“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.”
I was cupbearer to the king.
Note the key components to Nehemiah’s prayer because it offers us a template to follow ourselves as we bow before the Father.
First, Nehemiah acknoledges God for who He is:
1. Lord
2. The “God of heaven”
3. The “great and awesome God”
4. The God who “keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments”
As we petition the Lord, we should always proclaim who He is to us…and this shoudn’t be hard when we fully realize God’s majesty and power (if you have forgotten, just read Genesis 1).
Next, Nehemiah asks for God to hear his prayer saying, “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.” A humble approach to prayer will always involve asking God to hear our petitions.
Third, Nehemiah turns to confession praying, “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.”
We, like Nehemiah and the Israelites, have sinned before God, failing to keep His commands and decrees…failing to follow His will and way. We know we serve a forgiving God and we also know He expects us to confess and repent when we sin, seeking His help to become more like the people He wants us to be. Confession should always be a part of our prayers. Nehemiah models that for us.
Fourth, Nehemiah shows he understands the history of God’s relationship with the people of Israel to include the promises God made. Note how Nehemiah frames up the Lord’s promised consequence and restoration as he states:
“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.’”
Indeed, God had done just what He said He would do. The people of Israel were unfaithful and so the people of Israel were scattered and exiled…but not forever, for after 70 years the people were returned to the place where God chose as a dwelling for His Name. That place was Jerusalem.
As we form our prayers to God, we should remember His promises…His promises of consequences if we choose to be disobedient and His promises of restoration as we enter back into favor with Him through righting our wrongs in accordance with the guidance provided by His word and Spirit.
Finally, Nehemiah turns to intercession, pleading on behalf of the returning exiles in Jerusalem. Nehemiah states, “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.”
Nehemiah felt he might be able to do something to help his fellow Jews if God would grant him the favor in the “presence of this man”, referring to the king of Persia, King Artaxerxes, who Nehemiah served as cupbearer.
Yes, Nehemiah knew who he could turn to in his time of distress. He knew God was only a prayer away. He knew of God’s infinite power. He knew God answered prayer and trusted in that truth. he knew he was a sinner and confessed such before God. He knew of God’s promises and knew God kept His holy word. And he knew God listens to the pleas of intercessors and so he pettioned the Lord on behalf of the besieged Jews in Jerusalem.
We know he knew because his prayer revealed it. Our prayers would be well served to reveal the same as we come before our Almighty Lord.
So how would God respond to Nehemiah? We’ll see in Chapter 2.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
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