Nehemiah- Rebuilding and RenewalSample

The opening words of the book of Nehemiah sets the scene. Who was this man? Not much is known of Nehemiah, ‘son of Hacaliah’, but in the final words of this chapter we discover that he ‘was cupbearer to the king’ (Nehemiah 1:11).

The time is the month of Kislev (roughly equivalent to December in the Western calendar). It is ‘the twentieth year’ of King Artaxerxes’ reign, as Nehemiah - one of the Jewish exiles to Babylon serves in Susa (one of the major cities of the Persian empire).

Nehemiah receives a report, and then receives a burden.

The report comes from a group of men who have just returned from Judah, informing Nehemiah of the residents’ ‘trouble and disgrace’ (v3). Furthermore, ‘the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire’.

When Nehemiah heard this report, he was immediately grieved. “I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven” (v4).

This is the moment Nehemiah became a leader to his people. Leadership didn’t begin when he organised rebuilding the wall; nor when he inspired the people’s hopes for a better future. Leadership does not begin with strategy, communication or recruitment. Leadership begins with a burden.

Nehemiah stands in the gap for his people. Burden leads to prayer. The call of God is birthed in the secret place of one’s heart and one’s turning to the God of heaven. When a need marks a man or woman of God, and it is such that they cannot ignore it, a leader is in the making.

Nehemiah heard news of things that should not be, and his heart was stirred to do something. The first thing he did was to cry out to God. His prayer contains words of praise and adoration recounting the character of God (v5). He confesses sin on behalf of the nation (vs6-7), and reminds God of His covenantal promises (vs8-10), concluding with a request to be attentive in answering his prayer and granting favour through the king (v11).

Reflect:

Consider the areas of ‘trouble and disgrace’ in the lives of those around you. Is there a burden God has placed on your heart to serve a need, right a wrong or commit faithfully to in prayer?

What is one thing you will do about this?