Nehemiah 1
Nehemiah is concerned for Jerusalemverses 1-2
The words of Nehemiah
the son of Hachaliah
And it came to pass in the month Chisleu in the twentieth year
as I was in Shushan the palace
that Hanani – one of my brethren came
he and certain men of Judah
And I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped
which were left of the captivity – and concerning Jerusalem
Hanani gives a reportverse 3
And they
said to me
The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province
are in great affliction and reproach
the wall of Jerusalem
also is broken down – the gates thereof
are burned with fire
Nehemiah response is prayer and fastingverse 4
And it came to pass – when I heard these words
that I sat down and wept
and mourned certain days – and FASTED
and PRAYED before the God of heaven
Nehemiah’s prayer: Confess of sinverses 5-7
And said
I beseech YOU – O LORD God of heaven
the great and terrible God
that keeps covenant and mercy
for them that love HIM
and observe HIS commandments
Let YOUR ear now be attentive and YOUR eyes open
that YOU may hear the PRAYER of YOUR servant
which I PRAY before YOU now – day and night
FOR the children of Israel YOUR servants
and CONFESS the sins of the children of Israel
which we have sinned against YOU
BOTH I and my father’s house have sinned
We have dealt very corruptly against YOU
and have not kept the commandments – nor the statutes
nor the judgments – which YOU commanded
YOUR servant Moses
Nehemiah’s prayer: Claim of promiseverses 8-9
REMEMBER – I beseech YOU – the word that YOU commanded
YOUR servant Moses
saying
IF you transgress
I will scatter you abroad among the nations
BUT IF you turn to ME
and keep MY commandment
and do them – though there were of you cast out
to the uttermost part of the heaven
Yet will I gather them from thence – and will bring them to
the place that I have chosen to set MY name there
Nehemiah’s prayer: King’s favorverses 10-11
Now these are YOUR servants and YOUR people
whom YOU have redeemed by YOUR great power
and by YOUR strong hand
O Lord – I beseech YOU – let now YOUR ear be attentive
to the PRAYER of YOUR servant
and to the PRAYER of YOUR servants
who desire to fear YOUR name – and prosper
I PRAY YOU – YOUR servant this day
and grant him mercy in the sight of this man
FOR I was the king’s cupbearer
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 3 And they said to me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire. (2781 “reproach” means disgrace, shame, reviling, taunt, a state of dishonor, scorn, despised, taunt, abuse, or contempt.)
DEVOTION: Before you start any project you need to get all the facts. Sometimes we find people who don’t know what is really going on and they come up with a solution that doesn’t match the problem. They think they have figured out what is necessary and start acting before they really understand what is going on is a given situation.
We have to be individuals who find out what is really going on and then go to the LORD for a solution. Here we find that Nehemiah is asking his brother who has just returned from a visit to Jerusalem what is really going on in the city.
Now that he has a real evaluation of what is happening he can make a judgment as to what to do next. The city is in great trouble and a disgrace. Why are they in such a condition? It is because they have built the Temple and then gave in to doing other projects for themselves and not cared what was happening around them. They didn’t want another building project so soon after building the Temple.
Do we sometimes think that once we complete on project we should have a time period for ourselves and not be concerned about what the next project that needs to be done is on our project list.
One time we had many projects that needed to be done but we didn’t have any money for the projects. A man in the church came up with the idea of putting a barrel in the back of the church for loose change. Everyone was invited to give what they had in their pockets and the list of projects got done as the money came in. It didn’t take too long. Praise the LORD.
We need leaders with vision regarding what needs to be done in the local church for it to move forward and not give space to the enemy to discourage the people.
CHALLENGE: Unfinished projects discourage people!!!
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven. (56 “mourned” [‘abal] means to feel sadness and express it through vocalizations, tears, and ritual expressions of sadness and grief, to be languid, or observe mourning rites.)
DEVOTION: Once Nehemiah had the facts of what was happening in Jerusalem he sat down and wept and prayed. His first reaction was to pray. He included in his time of prayer a time of fasting. So here we find the two together again.
We have learned that when there is a time of special need there should be a time of fasting and prayer. Too often we forget this step in our hurry to get something accomplished. We think that we know what to do and forget to ask the LORD what HE wants done. Our ideas are not always God’s ideas and so we are not going to receive HIS blessing on our ideas.
Sometimes we don’t understand that it is a time of judgment for actions or the lack of action. We need to make sure that we know the reason for what is happening. The children of Israel didn’t completely understand what the LORD expected of them as HIS children. Do we understand what the LORD really expects of us as genuine followers of HIM. There are so many people willing to give answers without the time of prayer and fasting that might be needed before the LORD can restore us to use in HIS service.
Our special need is to first turn to the LORD for direction. Patience is not a virtue that most of us have without the help of the LORD. HE wants us to wait on HIM more often than we do. Nehemiah was willing to wait on HIM for an answer to the dilemma of the city of Jerusalem.
He didn’t just do this for a day or two. He did this for “many” days. We might have to do the same when we have some project that needs to be done.
CHALLENGE: When was the last time your local body had days of praying and fasting to see your area reached for the LORD??
: 5 And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keeps covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments. (3372 “terrible” [yare] means to fear, revere, be afraid, reverence, awe, respect, honor or to stand in awe of.)
DEVOTION: There are people who are genuine followers of the LORD who have a concern for the work of the LORD among HIS people.
Nehemiah was such a man. He was concerned for the people of God. He was concerned about what was happening in the city of Jerusalem, which was the city of God. He asked his brother for a report on the conditions in Jerusalem.
Nehemiah received a report from his brother regarding the conditions in Jerusalem. They were bad. The people were in great affliction and reproach because they were in a city without walls.
His first reaction was to fall to his knees and weep and fast and pray to the LORD God of heaven. He knew who was in control of all that was happening in his world. He knew that he wanted to do something for the children of Israel.
He asked the LORD to give him direction regarding what to do. He also remembered to confess his sin and the sins of the children of Israel. He knew that after confession is restoration and blessing.
Nehemiah knew that the personal, creator God of Israel was one to stand in awe of. He heard the bad news regarding Jerusalem and did what any spiritual follower of God would do. And that was to fast and pray. God listened to his prayer.
We sometimes try to figure out things ourselves and then turn to the LORD. Nehemiah did it right. He went to God first. The Bible tells us to “cast all our cares upon HIM.” He confessed his sin and the sins of Israel. He threw himself on the mercy of God. He claimed the promises of God to those who repented of their sins. He asked for direction.
Are we following Nehemiah’s example or something else? Our churches need to fast and pray to see the LORD work in our world. We serve an awesome God!!! HE can still do GREAT THINGS for HIS people!!!
Do we have a vision of what God can do in our world? Do we see the church in disarray? Do we see Christians not living for the LORD in a genuine way? Are we one of them?
CHALLENGE: The prayer of confession and turning to the LORD can change all that. Are we willing to do it for our home, church and nation?????? It will take FASTING and PRAYER!
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 10 Now these are your servants and your people; whom you have redeemed by your great power, and by your strong hand. (3581 “power” [koach] means might, force, ability, strength, or capacity.)
DEVOTION: Nehemiah is praying for the LORD to help the people in Jerusalem because they need the walls built for protection against their enemies. Walls are very important in this time period because there are raiding parties coming and going throughout this time period to cause those who have no walls a problem.
In his prayer he states that the LORD has redeemed the people in Jerusalem as they have returned from captivity again. They are HIS chosen people and they need HIS blessing. HE purchased them for service to HIM and Nehemiah thinks HE should provide his purchased people strength to fight off any enemy that was coming to hurt them.
We have been purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ and we need the LORD to provide protection from the enemies we face each day. Our three enemies are the world, the flesh and the devil. It is a constant daily battle we face because our enemies don’t want us to go to the LORD in prayer for help.
Nehemiah knows about the power of prayer and so he uses it to address the LORD for the people of Jerusalem. As we read more of the book of Nehemiah we will find that he is a man who totally depends on prayer to help him make wise decisions.
We need to learn from him as we face the trials that the LORD allows in our lives. Too often we let the enemy tell us that God really doesn’t care about us and therefore we are on our own. This is a lie and we need to stop listening when we hear this voice. Sometimes the enemy even uses loved ones to put these thoughts in our heads. Remember to trust in the LORD will all your heart and lean NOT unto your own understanding. Always turn to the LORD for a proper understanding of our relationship with HIM.
CHALLENGE: Proper prayer brings relief from the voice of the enemy.
: 11 O Lord, I beseech YOU, let now YOUR ear be attentive to the prayer of YOUR servant, who desire to fear YOUR name: and prosper, I pray YOU, YOUR servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king’s cupbearer. (6743 “prosper” [tsalach] means to succeed, be successful, to cause or help to attain success or reach a desired goal, or bring to successful issue.)
DEVOTION: As followers of the LORD one of our main goals is that we can bring glory to the LORD. The children of Israel have never been constant in this area. They would have times of faithfulness but most of the time they were not faithful to the LORD. They looked at what other nations were doing and wanted to copy them instead of being a distinct group of people that were different than any other nation. They were to be ones that obeyed the LORD who was the only one they should have been concerned about pleasing.
It is easy to drift from following the LORD and look at others and want to be like them. It is harder to follow the LORD and listen to HIM only for every decision we make. It takes a lot of prayer and sometimes fasting to genuinely understand what the LORD expects of us each year of our life. It would seem to be easy but there are different actions HE expects of us as we mature in the faith.
The children of Israel were at a point where they needed to change to follow the LORD as obedient servants. It always takes a man or even a few men to go to their knees and wait for the LORD to give direction in any generation.
We need to remember that success is different in different generations. The times determine what the LORD expects of HIS people. What does HE expect of us today living in a world that is going further and further from HIM.
We live in a time when our world doesn’t seem to want to follow the LORD but is angry when they are asked to change from being self-centered to be God-centered.
Are we willing to pay the price to put God and HIS directions first and foremost in every decision we make? There are many Christians who claim to want to give their all to the LORD but at the same time are only thinking of themselves.
CHALLENGE: We need to pray this prayer and look to the LORD to help us lead those who will follow in the right direction. We need Nehemiah’s in our day!
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Nehemiah fasted when he heard news of Jerusalemverse 4
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Nehemiah confessed his sinverse 6
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Prayer of Nehemiahverses 4–11
Beseeched LORD God of heaven
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Words of Nehemiahverse 1
Covenantverse 5
Commandmentsverses 5, 7, 9
Statutesverse 7
Judgmentsverse 7
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign)verses 4, 5
God of Heavenverse 4
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal)verse 5
LORD God of heavenverse 5
Great and Terrible Godverse 5
Keep covenant verse 5
Mercyverse 5
Wanted His ear to be attentiveverse 6
Eyes openverse 6
Hear Nehemiah’s prayerverse 6
Great powerverse 10
Strong handverse 10
Lord – Adonai (Master, Owner)verse 11
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Sinsverse 6
Corruptlyverse 7
Not kept commandments – statutes – judgmentsverse 7
Transgressverse 8
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Remnantverse 3
Afflictionverse 3
Reproachverse 3
Wept for people of Godverse 4
Mourned for people of Godverse 4
Fastedverse 4
Prayedverses 4, 6, 11
Beseechverses 5, 8, 11
Covenantverse 5
Mercyverses 5, 11
Love HIMverse 5
Observe HIS commandmentsverses 5, 9
Servantverses 6-8, 10, 11
Confession of sinsverse 6
Turn to the LORD [repent]verse 9
Promise to gatherverse 9
Chosen verse 9
Redeemedverse 10
Fear the LORDverse 11
Prosperverse 11
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Nehemiahverses 1-11
Servant in the palace
Asked what was going on in Jerusalem
Reaction to new: sat down and wept
mourned, fasted, PRAYED
Prayer: night and day
Servant of the LORD
Desire to fear God’s name
Desire to prosper
Wants to be granted mercy
King’s cupbearer
Hananiverse 2
Brought news of Jerusalem
Jewsverse 2
Remnant – great affliction and reproach
Jerusalemverse 2
Walls broken down
Gates burned with fire
Children of Israelverse 6
Mosesverse 7
Wants LORD to remember
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
1:10 This verse is almost a copy of Deut 9:29. Redemption involves the payment of a price to reclaim a person from slavery. Here reference is made to God’s act in delivering Israel from slavery in Egypt. The exodus theme is used many times in the New Testament to emphasize redemption from the power and judgment of sin and the resultant relationship between the Redeemer and the redeemed (1 Pet 1:18; Rev 5:9; 14:3–4). (Breneman, M. (1993). Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (electronic ed., Vol. 10, p. 173). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
8–10. He is empty-handed, but not uninvited. He knows the threats and promises of Scripture well enough to make a strong, not a tentative plea. He draws on several passages of Deuteronomy (cf. verse 8b with Deut. 28:64; verse 9 with Deut. 30:1–4 and Deut. 12:5). Most significantly in verse 10 he quotes the words in which Moses had pleaded for Israel on mount Sinai (Deut. 9:29), that God would stand by his own (thy servants and thy people) and by the work he had so strenuously begun. At that point Israel had been threatened with extinction; now, it seems, Nehemiah sees the situation as hardly less perilous. Like Moses, he must stand in the breach with his intercession. (Kidner, D. (1979). Ezra and Nehemiah: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 12, p. 86). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
The office of cupbearer sounds rather menial to us today, but this was not the situation. The office of cupbearer came about in ancient societies because of the danger that an emperor or king might be poisoned by some rival. The cupbearer was a trusted person appointed to care for and taste the wine to make sure it was safe before it was served to the king. Such a person was obviously highly esteemed and trusted to begin with. Because of his constant and regular access to the ruler, he naturally acquired influence far beyond all but a handful of other military leaders and nobles. (Boice, J. M. (2005). Nehemiah: an expositional commentary (p. 15). Grand Rapids, MI: BakerBooks.)
A true leader is one who is not self-sufficient, self-satisfied, or self-righteous. On the contrary, he knows his need and is ready to humble himself before the One who alone is sufficient for it.( Boice, J. M. (2005). Nehemiah: an expositional commentary (p. 18). Grand Rapids, MI: BakerBooks.)
This humble prayer closed with an expression of confidence (Neh. 1:10–11). To begin with, he had confidence in the power of God. When the Bible speaks of the eyes, ears, and hands of the Lord, it is using only human language to describe divine activity. God is spirit, and therefore does not have a body such as humans have; but He is able to see His people’s needs, hear their prayers, and work on their behalf with His mighty hand. Nehemiah knew that he was too weak to rebuild Jerusalem, but he had faith that God would work on his behalf. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Determined (p. 19). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
The basic meaning of koach is an ability to do something. Samson’s “strength” lay in his hair (Judg. 16:5), and we must keep in mind that his “strength” had been demonstrated against the Philistines. Nations and kings exert their “powers” (Josh. 17:17; Dan. 8:24). It is even possible to say that a field has koach, as it does or does not have vital “powers” to produce and harvest: “When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength [i.e., crops] …” (Gen. 4:12—the first occurrence). In the Old Testament it is recognized that by eating one gains “strength” (1 Sam. 28:22), whereas one loses one’s “abilities” in fasting (1 Sam. 28:20); “And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God” (1 Kings 19:8). (Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W., Jr. (1996). Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. Nashville, TN: T. Nelson.)
1:8–11. Nehemiah reminded God—to lead Him to act, not to recall for Him something forgotten—that He had told Moses that if the nation Israel was unfaithful He would disperse them from their homeland (Lev. 26:27–28, 33; Deut. 28:64), but that if they obeyed Him then those who were exiled would be regathered to Jerusalem (Deut. 30:1–5). On Jerusalem as a place where God would cause His name to dwell, see comments on Deuteronomy 12:5; 2 Chronicles 6:6. Since the Jews belonged to God (Your servants and Your people; cf. Deut. 9:29) and He had redeemed them, it was reasonable that God should respond to Nehemiah’s prayer on their behalf, keeping His “covenant of love” (Neh. 1:5). Speaking for fellow Jews who revered God’s name (i.e., honored His revealed character), Nehemiah asked that He hear their prayer (v. 11; cf. v. 6).
Humanly speaking only one person could make it possible for Nehemiah to help the Jews in Jerusalem—the king he served. Years earlier, Artaxerxes had issued a decree to stop the construction work in Jerusalem (Ezra 4:21; see comments on Neh. 1:1–3), and he was the only one who could reverse that order. That is why Nehemiah prayed specifically, Give Your servant (cf. v. 6) success today by granting him favor (lit., “compassion”) in the presence of this man. Nehemiah was referring of course to King Artaxerxes (cf. 2:1). A favorable relationship with the king could open the door for his petition. (Getz, G. A. (1985). Nehemiah. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 675). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
1:10 redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand. His allusion to the Exodus redemption recalled the faithful and strong hand of God which had brought Israel out of bondage once before and grounded his confidence in God’s power as the basis of his appeal for a second deliverance that will be as successful as the first. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Ne 1:10). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
Ver. 10. Now these are thy servants, and thy people, &c.] Meaning those that were in Jerusalem and Judah, gathered out of several countries, and returned to Jerusalem: whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand; touching and moving the heart of Cyrus to proclaim liberty to them.
Ver. 11. O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, &c.] To the prayer of Nehemiah, put up at this time: and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name; the prayer of the Jews in Judea, whose desire was to worship the Lord in his temple, according to his will: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day; meaning himself, who was to wait on the king of Persia that day, and, if he had opportunity, intended to lay the case of the Jews before him, and therefore entreats he might meet with success: and grant him mercy in the sight of this man; King Artaxerxes, who was but a man, and whose heart was in the hands of God, and he could easily move him to pity and compassion towards his poor people the Jews: for I was the king’s cupbearer; in the execution of which office he was often in the king’s presence, and hoped to have an opportunity of speaking to him in the behalf of the Jews; this with the Persians was reckoned a very honourable office. A son of Prexaspes, a very honourable man, was made cupbearer to Cambyses; and so it was with the Greeks and Romansh; and the poets not only make Ganymedes to be Jupiter’s cupbearer, but even Vulcan himself is put into this officek. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 3, p. 129). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
How truly lovely doth Nehemiah appear in the account here given of him. Not all the splendor of a court, nor the favor of a king, could make him forget the interests of his own country, or prevent tears from running down when he considered the affliction of Zion. Think of this, my soul, in the best moments of any outward providences, and take part in the concerns of the church of Jesus. Doth the church of Jesus lay waste? Are the dear members of his mystical body in affliction? Do they hunger while thou art full? Are they oppressed, and thou takest no part in their oppression? Oh! how canst thou be counted part of Jesus. Oh! gracious God and Saviour, grant to me such a sympathizing spirit in all that concerns thy cause and interest in the earth, that I may never, never lose sight of the wonderful price thy church cost thee, when for redemption thou didst shed thy precious blood. Animate, my soul, I beseech thee, thou Holy Spirit of grace, with the same fire from thine holy altar, as thou didst thy servant the prophet, that like him I may besiege the mercy-seat with clamorous and unceasing petitions, resolving, for Zion’s sake, never to hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake never to rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.
Behold, my soul also, in this sweet chapter, the mighty privilege of a throne of grace. Behold in this instance of Nehemiah, that no place, no clime, no country, no situation, is in itself able to keep the awakened soul from God. That throne which John saw surrounded with a rainbow is accessible on every side. Jesus, the Lamb, is in the midst of it. He still hears prayers; still feeds the church which he hath purchased with his blood; still acts as a priest upon his throne; wears thy nature and the priesthood still; and is infinitely more ready to take in petitions and bestow blessings than his people are to ask or receive. Oh! Lord Jesus! I would say, hear me then for myself, for my country, for thy church, for thy people! do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion; build up her walls and love her still. (Hawker, R. (2013). Poor Man’s Old Testament Commentary: 1 Kings–Esther (Vol. 3, pp. 633–634). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
On Being A PASTOR by Derek J. Prime & Alistair Begg
I recall a number of couples with whom I went through I Peter over several months. My choice of I Peter was influenced by the manner in which it deals with every aspect of Christian doctrine in brief compass. (p. 168)
Hospital visits are one of an undershepherd’s priorities. (p. 169)
It is useful to ask, “How would you like me to pray for you?” as it may make it easier for him to share his fears or anxieties, which otherwise he would not feel he could voice. (p. 170)
By recognizing that God may bring about our most casual meeting, telephone call, and letter, we begin to see that nothing should be thought of as an interruption but as an opportunity. (p.173)
Our first task must be to discover whether or not the person is a Christian, by looking for a sense of sin and an awareness of God’s love and of love for Him. If these are lacking, then we should deal with the person as someone who is unconverted. (p. 174)
The urgent character of some pastoral needs must not push out the apparently nonurgent. If we devote our energies to crises, we may miss out on regular and systematic involvement that goes a long way toward anticipating problems, so that many may be prevented altogether. Even as preventative medicine is better than surgery, so regular pastoral contact is preferable to crisis encounters. One of the problems of pastoral care and visitation is that there is never an end to it, and we never feel we have done enough. (p. 176)
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