In today's section, we read about:
Nehemiah hears about the derelict state of Jerusalem and prays and fasts
The king grants Nehemiah's request to rebuild the walls, and equips and protects him for the journey
Nearly all the people muck in to help out
The walls are rebuilt in spite of opposition from enemies without and people extracting interest and enslaving their fellow Jews
The walls are dedicated, and the people commit themselves to following God's law
While Nehemiah is reporting back in Babylon, there are some relapses which he swiftly remedies on his return
Some points which struck me:
Nehemiah is distraught when hearing the news, so he mourns, prays and fasts. His prayer in 1:4-11 shows how he gets himself ready to approach God - confessing his and the people's sins, then going back to what has been agreed and promised in the covenant. Only after that does he move on to a request.
2:2 - Nehemiah was terrified because the custom of the court was such that it was not allowed for people to appear miserable before the king, and he had a very privileged position.
Ch 3 is a fascinating record. I don't imagine that the leaders of the people of Tekoa (3:5) imagined they would go down in history for refusing to help! Compare this to the lasting impression we get from Shallum and his daughters (3:12). We also see lots of references to priests and leaders in this chapter, and the high priest is the first mentioned.
Ch 4 shows Nehemiah encouraging the people in the face of opposition, and by his own example of prayer, urges them to keep focused on God, who has been gracious to them so far and has called them to complete this task.
Nehemiah shows his great concern for the justice for the poor that God wants to be the hallmark of his people. The rebuke in 5:8 is very stinging, so it is no real surprise that in v12, the people comply. Key to the effectiveness of this exhortation is his own personal integrity (cf 5:15 with 5:16-18). At various stages, we get a prayer from Nehemiah to sign the event off before God (4:4; 5:19; 6:14; 13:14, 22, 29, 31)
Not only is Nehemiah not discouraged by the opposition's antics, but he also has true discernment of God's will, as we see in 6:10-13, when Tobiah and Sanballat bribed a prophet to lure him into sin, à la Balaam.
7:2 - it was Nehemiah's brother who brought the news of the state of Jerusalem at the beginning of the book is the one who is made governor of the city.
8:10 - "Don't be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength". The people's response in 8:12 is great "... celebrate with great joy because they had heard God's word and understood them".
The whole of chapter 8 conveys two main pictures - the love of the word of God, and the joy of the people. Coincidence - I think not!
The prayer of confession in ch9 is a full and thorough history of the people of Israel set against the backdrop of the immutable truth of God's love, mercy and purpose. In the light of this, it is not surprising that we read in 9:38 "in view of all this, we are making a solemn promise and putting it in writing." Chapter 10 details how they were going to fulfil this promise.
13:10 is a reminder of how soon people will slip back into their bad old ways.
3 comments:
I love reading Nehemiah. After struggling through the last week of readings and the way the various kings followed such evil ways, it is so refreshing to read of such a spiritually alive man. Nehemiah's response to the news shows he was in touch with God's heart (1:4) and his prayer (1:5-10) shows a clear example for us to follow; a prayer of humility, giving such honour to God. I love the way he starts by declaring the truth of who God is.
An incredibly spiritual man, led by prayer and God's timing each step (I read somewhere that it was actually four months after he prayed that he finally went before the king, 2:1). He doesn't rush, he rests at the right time (2:11) but also sets out at the right time (2:12). He assesses the situation for himself and then makes clear and strategic plans. How often we split the spiritual and the practical and yet through Nehemiah we see how we need to be far more holistic. Nehemiah is also secure in his faith and what he is to do; not intimated in the face of opposition (2:19-20).
And so it goes on.........frequently giving glory to God, praying each step of the way and then making wise decisions and working extremely hard........................I can't make as long detailed notes as Adam I am afraid, (I do need some sleep tonight!) but after being a bit quiet on the blog lately I wanted to comment on one of my favourite part of the Bible.
The thing I like most about Nehemiah is that he is the second smallest person in the Bible.
The shortest person, of course, being Bildad the Shoehite.
I think you all ought to know that! ;-p
Actually, Kevin, you are wrong - Nehemiah is the 3rd shortest man, slightly taller than Bildad the Shoe-Height (whom we meet soon in Job), but they are both taller than Peter. Why, I hear you ask? Because he slept on his watch!! Boom, boom
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