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Bible Study Notes of Rev.Dr.I.J.W.Oakley (20-11-2001 Framsden Baptist Church)
The historical setting of the book of Nehemiah – in
586BC Jerusalem was conquered and many of the inhabitants were taken and
transported as prisoners to Babylon. This was known as the “Babylonian
exile”. In 536BC the Persians under King Cyrus defeated the Babylonians, and
the way was opened for the exiles to return to Jerusalem. Many did so, and
started to rebuild the Temple which was in ruins. But they gave up the job after
the foundations had been laid because of opposition from enemies. But people
rebuilt their houses and lived in them. So God raised up two prophets, Haggai
and Zechariah, to tell them to return to building the Temple. It was completed,
and began to be used in 516BC (This was the second Temple; there were three in
all in Jewish history).
Sixty years passed by, and further exiles returned under Ezra the Scribe in 458BC. He re-established and reformed the moral and spiritual life of the people, though he had to face much discouragement. The walls and the gates of Jerusalem were still not built. So in 445BC God raised up another man – Nehemiah – to do that, and to carry out further reforms to bring the people into line with His will. In this, Nehemiah was supported by Ezra the Scribe.
Nehemiah 1 is the story of
God’s call to Nehemiah and the way he prepared himself for the immense task
before him with all the dangers and difficulties. The scene opens in the royal
winter palace of the Persian king at Susa, in the month of Kislev in the 20th
year of Artaxerxes I, i.e. November/December 446BC. Nehemiah was still in exile,
a cupbearer to the king, a position of real influence. It was his job to taste
the wine and show it was not poisoned. He was constantly in the king’s
presence, ministering to him.
But all the time, Nehemiah’s
heart was elsewhere. He was a loyal Jew, concerned about his people and their
future, and Jerusalem. He met Hanani, one of his brothers who had come with
others from Judah. Hanani reported that the people who had returned from exile
were in great trouble and disgrace because the walls of the city were broken
down, and the gates had been burnt down with fire. The news was devastating to
Nehemiah. He sat down and wept, mourned, fasted and prayed. This was real
personal bereavement. Fasting implies he detached himself from other occupations
so that he could give priority and exclusive attention to prayer.
This is where any real and
permanent work for God begins. There are always needs in the world, more than we
can ever meet, and their presence does not necessarily mean we receive a call.
The call of God comes on the occasion of a particular need. Therefore it is
important to be informed of situations around, to see where God is leading us.
Just as Nehemiah was burdened for the plight of the Jews and the devastation of
Jerusalem, God gives us a burden when there is a work He wants us to do. When we
feel the pressure of that burden, it is important not to ignore it. We cannot
slip in and out of God’s work as if it is a hobby. We must feel burdened.
When we see the needs of people, how they are sheep without a shepherd, suffering the consequences of their sins, the plight and weakness of the church in places, or the state of devotional life and spiritual life, and when these things truly move us and grieve us, then we are ready to start a work. Recall how Jesus wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41).
The first practical step
Nehemiah takes is to pray, and his prayer recorded here is one of the great
Bible prayers. We can learn much from it. First it is helpful to note that
Nehemiah did not impulsively rush into action – prayer came first. And his
prayer did not begin with the need that was pressing on him. His prayer started
with God. He worshipped God, O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome
God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his
commands (Nehemiah 1:5). He got his priorities right – begin with God.
That puts everything else in its right place – opponents, difficulties,
situations, and ourselves.
Then Nehemiah sees the need to
be right with God, so he confesses the sins of God’s people including his own,
I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father's house,
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 (1:6,7).
He is detailed and precise about how they have sinned. Are we so precise?
Indeed, do we confess our sins at all? How often prayer is hindered because of
unconfessed and unforsaken sin in our lives. He who conceals his sins does
not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy (Proverbs
28:13). Life must be right with God if prayers are to be heard and if His
purposes are to be achieved through us.
After that, Nehemiah reminds God
of His promises. 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 (Nehemiah 1:8,9). There are
several echoes here of Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 28:64; 30:1-4; 12:5; 9:29).
Nehemiah was encouraged to pray, remembering what God had done for them in the
past. When we feel helpless in prayer, we can find great help in knowing the
Bible – what it teaches about the conditions of answered prayer, the petitions
of God’s servants, making the prayers of men like Nehemiah and Paul our own,
using a Psalm in worship or praise. This is another reason to feed the soul on
the Bible.
Finally Nehemiah asks God for
help. His request is detailed and practical. Give your servant success today
by granting him favour in the presence of this man (Nehemiah 1:11). The
chances of him being released to do something to help the people of Judah were
remote. He was a key person in the court. He was not entitled to vacation. The
king depended on him. But asking God to help would make all the difference.
Nehemiah felt it was God’s will for him to go, as did his praying friends. On
his own, he was up against a brick wall – a helpless situation. But placed in
God’s hands, it was entirely possible. The impossible and the difficult can be
changed when God is involved.
Note the reason Nehemiah asked
for God’s help: let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your
servant and to the prayer of your servants. He belonged to the Lord. He had
given his will to the Lord. He wanted to please the Lord. He was surrendered to
God. He and his friends delighted in revering God’s name, and he wanted this
whole episode to bring glory to God. How this searches out our attitude to
prayer. Why do we want God to answer our prayers? Why do we want this person to
be converted, that person to be healed, this church to grow, that work to be
blessed? To make us feel happy, to get a name for ourselves, so that the church
will be talked about, to make us feel good? How self-centred and selfish our
motives can be. There should only be one reason for asking God to answer our
prayers – for His sake, not ours.
So here are some basic factors in real prayer. How much do they feature in our prayer lives? The emphasis is not what I want, a shopping list that God must respond to, but a concern for God, His glory, His will being done. The quality of your prayer life is a reflection of the quality of your relationship with God.
How often did Nehemiah pray his prayer? When we look into
chapter 2, we discover it was the month of Nisan before Nehemiah actually had
the opportunity to speak to the king about his request. That was more than three
months after the news had been brought by Hanani. So during those months,
Nehemiah and his friends had waited on the Lord, praying that He would act,
expecting Him to act, but waiting for God’s time. Nothing happened for three
months – but still they kept praying. God was testing their faith. They passed
the test, and the answer finally came.
Even when we pray right prayers about the concerns God has laid on our hearts, and when we are right with Him and in His will, God may still keep us waiting. The time for the answer may not have come yet. The trouble so often is that we are in a hurry, and God is not. Hence this prayer of Nehemiah teaches us persistence in prayer. Persistence demonstrates our seriousness of purpose, earnestness and sincerity. Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.' "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' " (Luke 18:1-5). Jesus gave the same message in the Sermon on the Mount: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you… how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:7,11).
