Nehemiah: The Rebuilder
There are some people who are privileged to know the vision God has for their lives, from an early age. Then there are those who go through life unknowingly living out their vision. For such, an event or circumstance may trigger them. The trigger suddenly opens their eyes to this vision. They begin to see how they have unconsciously being living their lives aligned to this vision. Their past starts to make sense to them. And the burden of the future becomes alive to them. Nehemiah, the rebuilder, is one of these types of people.
I. The Trigger
Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.
They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”
When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.
Nehemiah 1:2-4
There are two lessons we learn about the trigger:
1. The trigger lies in your area of interest.
Nehemiah was interested in the people and the place of Jerusalem. He did not have to ask about their welfare, but the mere fact that he did, shows that this was of interest to him.
2. You cannot shake off your trigger
Many, including those in Jerusalem, knew about its state. But, for some reason, the information Nehemiah received bothered him. He could not get over it. As a result he MOURNED, FASTED and SOUGHT GOD about it.
The information he received so troubled him, that he could not move on from it, he could not shake it off.
So he decided to do something about it. He sought the face of God.
II. The Prayer
let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s house, have committed against you […] Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, […] 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[…] Give your servant success today by granting him favour in the presence of this man.”[…]
Nehemiah 1:5-11
There are certain things we learn about God given visions from this prayer:
1. Vision looks outwards not inwards.
Nehemiah’s prayer was anything but selfish. It reveals a love for the people of Israel. A love that led him to repent on their behalf. A love that stood in the gap between them and God. A love that moved Nehemiah into action on their behalf.
A God given vision is never selfish.
2. Vision is aligned to the Word of God
Nehemiah’s request was aligned with the Word. So much so that he reminded God of the promises He made to Moses concerning the nation of Israel.
A God given vision will never contradict the Word.
3. Vision is God dependent
Nehemiah recognized that the vision was too big for him to accomplish by himself. He asked for God’s help and intervention.
A God given vision can only be achieved with God.
III. Right Position, Right Time
[…] I was cupbearer to the king[…] I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before; so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.”[…] The king said to me, “What is it you want?”[…]
Nehemiah 1:11- 2:4
Nehemiah received news of the state of Jerusalem in the month of Kislev (Nehemiah 1:1). The above interraction with the king occurred in the month of Nisan (Nehemiah 2:1). Thus, almost 4 months had passed between the time Nehemiah received the trigger and the time the above interraction happened with King Artaxerxes.
What does this tell us?
There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
Ecclesiastes 3:1
Because Nehemiah sought God, he moved on God’s timetable. And when the time was right, God gave him the opportunity to address the king regarding this matter.
It is also important to note that Nehemiah had been given the senior position of being the king’s cupbearer. This allowed him audience with the right authority that would enable him to carry out his vision.
Nehemiah was strategically positioned by God for such a time as this.
We shall continue from here tomorrow 😊