Nehemiah
1:1-11a
Text
Notes, Applications,
and Questions
Main Idea
Nehemiah prayed after receiving bad news about Jerusalem and the Temple. What can we learn and apply to our lives from this example of effective prayer?
Prayer
(1:1-11a)
Nehemiah (1) – The name Nehemiah means, “the
Lord has comforted.” The same root occurs in the name of
Nahum the prophet and in the famous phrase from Isaiah 40:1,
“Comfort, comfort my people.” (CP, 136)
Twentieth year (1) – The custom of the time was to date
all events from the beginning of the rule of the present king; each
king’s rule would begin with the year one. Comparing this with
Ezra 7: 1,8, and assuming that the Artaxerxes is the same person in
each case, we can determine that the events of the book of Nehemiah
begin thirteen years after Ezra’s start for Jerusalem, or
twelve years after the conclusion of Ezra’s book, i.e., 445
B.C. (SBC)
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It seems
peculiar that the name of the king is not mentioned here. It may
have appeared in the sources the editor was using, but for the sake
of brevity and because this section follows immediately after that
in Ezra in which Artaxerxes had been identified as the ruler in his
seventh year (7:8), he chose not to name him here. Artaxerxes I was
clearly the king under whom Nehemiah served. His twentieth year was
445 B.C. (CP, 137)
Citadel of Susa (1) – Susa was the city in Elam, 200
miles east of Babylon, where the Persian kings maintained a
residence, and from which they ruled their kingdom for a part of each
year. (SBC)
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Nehemiah
apparently knew nothing about how things were back in Judah. Susa
was one of the most important capitals of the Persian Empire; it
lies to the west of Persia proper, and thus not so far from Babylon.
The obvious way to read this story is to assume that the king is
still Artaxerxes I, and that the year is the twentieth of his reign
(445). The date is thus a century after the time when Cyrus first
encouraged Judahites to move from Babylon to rebuild the temple, and
half-way through the life-time of the Persian Empire, which
Alexander brought to an end in the 330s. Thirteen years have passed
since Ezra’s mission, but it has been maintained that one or
both actually belong later, in the reign of Artaxerxes II. (OTE, 80)
Hanani (2) – [He] was probably Nehemiah’s own
brother: cf. 7:2. From the emphasis which is made in the
sentence, it would appear that the visitors from Judah had not
searched Nehemiah out with a grievance, but that Nehemiah had
initiated the inquiry concerning his fellow-Jews who had “escaped,”
i.e. returned to their homeland, and concerning affairs at Jerusalem.
(SBC)
I questioned them (2) – Something of Nehemiah’s
character already begins to appear here with his concern for the
condition of others of “the household of faith.” (CP,
138)
Remnant … survived (2) – Nehemiah’s choice
of words, echoed by his brother, may have been a conscious allusion
to the promise of a ‘remnant’ and ‘survivors’,
who would not merely escape destruction but ‘lean upon the Lord
… in truth’ (Isa. 10:20-22). (TOTC, 85)
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The
description of the community as “the group of survivors that
was left from the exile” could recognize that it included both
people who had returned from exile in Babylon but had survived the
exile in Judah itself and identified with the community headed up by
people who had moved from Babylon over the previous century. But the
expression indicates that the community was still in a weak and
reduced state. It is only a group of survivors. The point is
underscored by the further description of it as in great trouble and
disgrace. (OTE, 81)
Trouble and disgrace (3) – Their report in verse 3
indicates both physical and mental distress, arising out of the
condition of the city’s walls and gates. The breaking down of
the wall (chiefly of stone) and the burning of the gate (chiefly of
timbers) had been done by Nebuchadnezzar, 141 years earlier. Some
suppose that this is a reference to more recent events of which
Nehemiah would not have been aware before this, and that therefore,
the walls and gates had been partially restored after the Captivity.
The Bible makes no mention of previous reconstruction of the walls,
except in the false report of Israel’s enemies in Ezra 4:12.
If there had been any repairs, they surely could not have been very
extensive. (SBC)
Wall of Jerusalem (3) – Without walls the city would
have no defense against vandalism or military action, except what
they could supply with watchful human bodies. They would be
especially vulnerable to the Samaritans, their nearest, neighbors.
(SBC)
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The reply
would be badly misunderstood if we just took it to speak of the
ruins left by Nebuchadrezzar. That was ancient history (587 BC), but
this was news and a shattering blow. Its most likely background is
the sequence in Ezra 4:7-23, in which a bid to rebuild the walls had
been reported to king Artaxerxes and promptly crushed ‘by
force and power’. It was an ominous development, for the ring
of hostile neighbors round Jerusalem could now claim royal backing.
The patronage which Ezra had enjoyed (cf. Ezra 7:21-26) was suddenly
in ruins, as completely as the city walls and gates. Jerusalem was
not only disarmed but on its own. (TOTC, 85; cf. CP, 139)
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A city has
walls and gates for its protection; even Susa is a fortress city. In
the twenty-first century, Jerusalem’s impressive walls and
gates are simply an impressive tourist attraction, but in the fifth
century they would potentially be a matter of life and death. And
they are broken down and burned. While it is possible that Hanani is
simply reporting that the city is still in the state it has been
since its destruction by the Babylonians, the devastating effect of
the news on Nehemiah rather suggest that some other disaster has
happened more recently and that this is when news of it reached
Susa; Hanani is referring not merely to the long-lasting trouble and
disgrace. We have no other record of such an event, but it would fit
with the account of troubled relations in the region, and it
wouldn’t be surprising if the Judahites were better at
building a temple and sorting out inter-marriage problems than at
fighting off a siege. (OTE, 81)
Prayed (4) – This prayer by Nehemiah is as noble as that
of Ezra (9:6-15), though Ezra was a religious official and Nehemiah
was a secular ruler. This speaks well of Nehemiah’s habits of
spirituality and fellowship with God: his practice of the ceremonies
of religion. (SBC)
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He prays as
someone who is himself committed to what he prays about and he prays
urgently to get God to take action that only God can take; further
he recognizes the failure of the people on whose behalf he prays.
His reaction to the news from Jerusalem reminds us of Ezra’s
reaction to the news about the marriages, though it is expressed in
different terms. Nehemiah sits (in shock like Ezra?) and weeps
mourns like a person grieving over someone’s death. (OTE,
82-83)
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Nehemiah’s
response to the report reflects his spiritual sensitivity and
compassion. (CP, 139)
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One of the
most striking characteristics of Nehemiah was his recourse to prayer
(cf. 4:4,9; 5:19; 6:9,14; 13:14). Those who are the boldest for God
have the greatest need to be in prayer. (LCS, 72)
Lord, the God of heaven (5) – The prayer begins in
verse 5 with praise to God for His (1) greatness and (2)
character of loving kindness. So Jesus began His model prayer with
praise: a good model for us today. (SBC)
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Nehemiah’s
prayer begins with two forms of confession… First there is
confession of who God is; that is a common feature of prayer in the
Bible. It is the foundation for all that follows. We pray because
God is the God who has invited us to call him by name, the name
Yahweh, but the God who is not merely someone in a personal
relationship with us but is the all-powerful Lord (the God of the
heavens). To put the same two points the other way around, this God
is great and awe-inspiring, yet also one who keeps covenant and
commitment, one who can be relied on to be faithful to words and
undertakings. … Nehemiah knows he needs to recognize that you
can only appeal to these qualities if you are people who dedicate
themselves to God (the verb is the one conventionally translated
“love,” but it signifies a self-giving loyalty, not
merely an emotion) and who keeps God’s commands. … It
is possible that God may keep a covenant and commitment even though
the other party in the relationship does not do so. But we would be
unwise to presume this, like a husband who is unfaithful to his wife
who assumes that everything will be okay if he expresses regret.
(OTE, 83)
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The opening
verses of invocation are important for their emphasis upon the power
of God, especially as Nehemiah here uses the title “God of
heaven,” which became increasingly more common in postexilic
piety (e.g. Jonah 1:9; Dan. 2:37-44). A clue to the interpretation
of the entire prayer is also hinted at in the invocation. Whereas
the delegation from Jerusalem contented itself with the reporting of
the city’s reproach in the eyes of jealous neighbors, Nehemiah
discerns the true source of the problem: Israel’s failure with
regard to the covenant. His invocation of the God “who keeps
covenant and steadfast love” (1:5) displays a keen insight
into the reason for Jerusalem’s reproach as well as the
relationship of God to the sorry condition of the city. (IBCTP, 64)
Covenant of love (5) – The covenant does not set up a
business transaction between two parties. In its essence, the
covenant establishes a relationship. More importantly, the covenant
does not dispense with the need for mercy, indeed the covenant itself
grows out of God’s mercy, grace, and steadfast love. Covenant
and mercy go hand in hand, and our need of mercy is in no way
obviated by a contractual arrangement. Nehemiah’s confession is
an appeal to God’s mercy. (IBCTP, 65)
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The
relationship between God and His people, the Jews. The whole history
of Israel was the history of the covenant. It was not an
agreement between equals but the gracious gift of
a Sovereign to His subjects. Its main content was God’s
promises to multiply Israel, to give the people the land of Canaan,
to protect them, and to make them an example to the nations of God’s
goodness. In return, the Jews were to fear, love, serve, and obey
God alone. (LCS, 72)
Those who love him (5) – [Love] is the attitude expected
of covenanting parties toward one another. On God’s side, it
meant unfailing loyalty: constant provision of needs, protection from
danger, and restoration of the nation once the people had repented
from disobedience. It included forgiveness and mercy, for its essence
was God’s bending to love His creatures, even the unrepentant.
The people’s response was to be “covenant love”
toward God and each other. (LCS, 72-73)
Your ear… your eyes (6) – Nehemiah’s
request that God will heed his prayer reminds us of Solomon’s
petition (1 Kgs 8:52). God is not human with ears and eyes, but we
have no other means of addressing him but with human language. Prayer
can degenerate into vain repetitions, but Nehemiah’s consistent
and persistent prayers have poured forth from a burdened heart. In
the parable of the persistent widow, Jesus taught that persevering
prayer is effective (Matt. 18:1-8). (CP, 141)
Your servant (6) – The mention of “thy servant’’
and “thy servants” was the formula of polite address.
(SBC)
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Nehemiah goes
on to appeal to the fact that he is God’s servant. He has
applied the term “God’s servants” to his people,
the people who failed and did damage, but evidently that was a kind
of honorary description. They had not been behaving like servants.
But when he calls himself God’s servant, he means he really is
committed to his master. The point is made explicit by his going on
to refer to servants who revere God’s name – in other
words, people who know who God is and who behave accordingly.
Revering God implies doing what God says. … Nehemiah want God
to note the commitment of servants like himself and Hanani, and even
to take more account of the latter than the former. On their behalf
he is prepared to say, “I am willing to do whatever you ask to
make up for the offense we caused you – tell me what it is.”
He thereby puts himself in the position of being the unconditional
servant of the master. (OTE, 85)
I confess (6) – The remembrance of God’s covenant,
in verse 5, has raised the matter of the partner’s response (to
‘love him and keep his commandments’, 5c). This
inevitably leads to heart-searching and confession, in which
Nehemiah, faced with such a standard, owns to personal (6c) as well
as corporate guilt. He will have to come empty-handed with his
request. (TOTC, 85)
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This insight
[(Israel’s failure with the covenant)] moves Nehemiah to
confess the sin of his people. In the tradition of past mediators
(Moses, Exod. 34:9; Isaiah, Isa. 6:5; Ezra, Ezra 9; cf. Daniel, Dan.
9:3-19), Nehemiah confesses his own involvement in the sin of the
people, thus identifying with their condition and situation (1:6).
The exile proved to be an effective if harsh lesson for the people
of God. Jeremiah’s understanding of the captivity as a
manifestation of God’s chastisement was met with beatings and
imprisonment (Jeremiah 18-20), but now the exiles were fully
convinced of the truth of his warnings. (IBCTP, 64)
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Nehemiah …
simply acknowledges there guilt. This aspect of the confession is
quite different from Ezra’s earlier confession (Ezra 9:6-15).
There, though Ezra begins with an acknowledgement of the people’s
sin as the reason for the exile (v. 7), he quickly moves to the
confession of a specific sin that he did not share, that of
intermarriage. Nehemiah seems to be more concerned with the sinful
condition of his people that with the symptomatic outcroppings. This
sinful condition he confesses simply and succinctly as sins “against
you.” (IBCTP, 64-65)
Including myself (6) – As he knows he has to identify
with his people’s waywardness in order to make confession of
it, he know that the present generation of his people has to identify
with their forebears’ waywardness and make confession of it.
There is no pretending that the sins of one generation are not
visited on the next generation. (OTE, 84)
Acted very wickedly (7) – [In the commentary author’s
translation he uses “damage.”] This word [damage] is also
repeated [in the original language] to underscore the point –
more literally, “with damage we acted damagingly.” It is
the word used in Ezra to refer to damaging the temple. It is as if
people were seeking to damage God or damage God’s interests
when they failed to do what God said, as if they were seeking to
attack God. Yet Nehemiah also knows that the same Torah that warned
of the consequences of willful failure also promised that
chastisement need not be the end. (OTE, 84)
Remember the instruction … (8-10) – He is
empty-handed, but not uninvited. He knows the threats and promises of
Scripture well enough to make a strong, not tentative plea. …
Most significantly inverse 10 he quotes the words 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. (TOTC, 86)
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The heart of
the prayer is also its turning point (vv. 8-9). Nehemiah reminds God
that the lesson has been learned; the exiles have been scattered
among the peoples for their unfaithfulness. This is to be seen as a
testimony to God’s power and control of history. Israel is in
God’s hands, not subject to the capricious machinations of
human despots. Therefore, God’s judgment upon Israel’s
sin, related in the summary of Deuteronomy 30:1-5 in Nehemiah 1:8,
has been carried out. But as the positive confession of verse 10
intimates (“your servants”) and verse 11a declares
(“your servants who delight in revering your name”), the
signs of repentance are present as well, and so Nehemiah appeals
to God to remember the promise of return also contained in
Deuteronomy 30:1-5 (1:9). (IBCTP, 65)
If you are unfaithful … (8-9) – Nehemiah’s
prayer at this point is … a composite of several Scriptures:
1)
If you are unfaithful I will scatter you: Lev. 26:33.
2)
But if you return to me: Dt. 30:2f.
3)
I will gather them from there and will bring them: Dt. 30:4;
4)
to the place where I have chosen to cause my name to dwell: Dt. 12:5.
(SBC)
Dwelling for my Name (9) – This expression implies the
Divine Presence dwelling with the restored community. It is precisely
that, according to Nehemiah, which the currently prevailing
conditions show lie in the future. In Ezekiel’s vision, the
glory of the Lord departed from the Jerusalem temple (11:22-24) and
the Sovereign Lord promised, “Although I sent them far away
among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a
little while I have been a sanctuary for them in the countries where
they have gone” (11:16). This suggests that the divine glory is
present among the exiles in Babylon. The unanswered question is, “Did
the divine glory return to the rebuilt Jerusalem temple?” (CP,
142)
This man (11) – The expression this man does not
belittle the king. It does recognize that the monarch was a human
being with whom Nehemiah had to deal. Only God could establish the
environment in which Nehemiah could find favor before the king. (CP,
143)
Cupbearer (11) – The duty of a cupbearer went far beyond
that of serving the king’s drink or food. He would be the
taster who would assure that the food was safe and that no poison had
been added by his enemies; he risked his life on the king’s
popularity or unpopularity at every meal, to protect the royal
household. At the same time, he must be the most trusted person in
the whole empire. If he added poison when the food had been brought
to him, it would be beyond the last defense short of the king’s
palate. In addition, he had access to the entire palace, including
the king’s harem; no one else in the kingdom, outside the royal
family, would be trusted farther than this. His position was next to
that of the crown prince himself.
It is a credit to Nehemiah that, having attained this highest
position open to him in the most powerful kingdom of his day, he was
willing, like Moses, out of compassion for his brethren to make
himself one of them for a sufficient length of time to improve their
condition as far as he was able. (SBC)
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The cupbearer
(the same word as the ‘butler’ of the Joseph story, Gen.
402ff.) was a high official in the royal household, whose basic duty
of choosing and tasting the wine to demonstrate that it was not
poisoned, and of presenting it to the king, gave him frequent access
to the king’s presence and made him potentially a man of
influence. (TOTC, 86)
Prayer and Action –
Nehemiah 1 is a blend of prayer and action. All who lead must place a
high priority on prayer. Why is prayer so important? Here are the
four shortest reasons I know.
Prayer makes me wait. I
cannot pray and act at the same time. I have to wait to act until I
finish praying. Prayer forces me to leave the situation with God; it
makes me wait.
Prayer clears my vision. Southern California often has an
overhanging weather problem in the mornings because of its coastal
location until the sun “burns through” the morning fog.
Prayer does that. When you first face a situation, is it foggy?
Prayer will “burn through.” Your vision will clear so you
can see through God’s eyes.
Prayer quiets my heart. I cannot worry and pray at the same
time. I am doing one or the other. Prayer makes me quiet. It replaces
anxiety with a calm spirit. Knees don’t knock when we kneel on
them!
Prayer activates my faith. After praying I am more prone to
trust God. And how petty and negative and critical I am when I don’t
pray! Prayer sets faith on fire.
Don’t just fill the margins of your Bible with words and
thoughts about ways a leader prays. Do it! Don’t just stop with
just a sterile theology of prayer. Pray! Prayer was the first major
step Nehemiah took in his journey to effective leadership.
The Lord is the Specialist we need for those uncrossable and
impossible experiences. He delights in accomplishing what we cannot
pull off. But He awaits our cry. He listens for our request. Nehemiah
was quick to call for help. His favorite position when faced with
problems was the kneeling position. (LL, 64, quoting Charles Swindoll
from
Hand Me Another Brick)
Additional
Questions:
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What were the
conditions in Jerusalem at this time? How does this correspond to
what we learned in Ezra?
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In 1:4, what
can we learn about Nehemiah (his character, values, and so on) from
his reaction to this news?
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What elements
in Nehemiah’s prayer might you find useful as a model for your
own prayer life?
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Why do you
think Nehemiah made this confession of sin in verses 6 and 7?
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What does
Nehemiah’s prayer reveal to you about his faith?
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Why do you
think Nehemiah asked God to remember His promises (see 1:8-10)?
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Think about
the lessons from Nehemiah’s life that can be found in chapter
1. What kinds of insights and principles can you discover that apply
to believers today?
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Think of a
person whom you consider to be a prayer warrior. How has that
person’s life been an example to you?
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What was
Nehemiah’s response when faced with a seemingly hopeless
predicament?
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What does
Nehemiah’s prayer reveal about his view of himself and of God?
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How do you
think prayer prepared Nehemiah to lead his people?
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If God knows
all of our fears, desires, and needs, why does he want us to pray
about them?
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In what ways
can prayer change a person’s attitude towards life’s
difficulties?
