NEHEMIAH 1 - THE RESPONSIBILITY OF KNOWLEDGE
Nehemiah 1
3 And they said to me, “The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.”
Nehemiah was a Jewish captive living in a Persian King’s palace. He worked as a cupbearer, the one who would take the first sip of wine and the first bite of food to make sure it wasn’t poisoned. I have the same job when my kids eat dessert; only the threat for Nehemiah was real.
The history of the Jewish people is one that waffles between freedom and oppression. At this point in Israel’s history, a remnant had been allowed to go back home to Jerusalem. Only it was found destroyed, and every chance to rebuild was thwarted. The glory of Solomon’s Temple was just a memory and the safety and security of walls and gates was replaced with rubble and fire. The people lived in great distress and reproach.
When the report of this reached Nehemiah, he was moved to the core of his being. For years he may have assumed that his homeland, which was 800 miles away, was doing just fine and dandy. He was living an okay life; serving wine and living in Shushan. He was relatively taken care of, living with basic comforts; Nehemiah had nothing to complain about.
However, the knowledge of the condition of his homeland and his people laid Nehemiah out. His heart was transported to Jerusalem and his spirit matched the condition of the city – broken. So what did Nehemiah do first?
4 So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
Nehemiah was so moved in his spirit that he sought the One who could do something about this situation. Nehemiah understood that God’s heart for Jerusalem was bigger than his own. He prayed that he might know the heart of God for his people, and the land of his promise.
Nehemiah’s prayer:
He exalts God who is a covenant keeper (v. 5)
He humbles himself and his fellow man, who have sinned (v. 6)
He confesses his own corruption, and embodies the sins of his people by lamenting (v. 7)
He asks God to remember his promise of mercy (v. 8-9)
He presents himself as a leader, ready to do something about the condition of his people (v. 10-11)
Nehemiah shows us what it should looks like to respond to the tragic condition of our times. Nehemiah was moved for a people and a place. The knowledge of the condition of his people (sinful) and the condition of Jerusalem (unsecure), moved Nehemiah to action. His prayer of confession was the first step in dealing with sin, and his prayer of availability was his first step in dealing with Jerusalem. As we live in a time of uncertainty, division, fear, sickness, and systemic upheaval, how are the people of God going to respond? I believe we must exalt God, humble ourselves, confess our own sin, lament the sins of our people, call upon God’s promises, and present ourselves as ready for action.