NEHEMIAH: 1
Nehemiah's Prayer when he hears of Jerusalem’s crisis condition.
FIRST….SOME HISTORICAL AND TIMELINE BACKGROUND TO HELP US BETTER UNDERSTAND NEHEMIAH & THE BIBLICAL TIMES HE LIVED IN.
NEHEMIAH LIVED some 1,000 years AFTER the time of Moses and some 400 years BEFORE the birth of Jesus, & the nation of Israel and the Jewish people were in a desperate state.
WHY?
Their nations were destroyed, First the northern Jewish kingdom of Israel and then the southern Jewish kingdom of Judah. The city of Jerusalem was COMPLETELY conquered by the Babylonians and the once-glorious temple of Solomon was DESTROYED.
ALSO…when the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem, they DEPORTED almost everyone from the city and the region - for some 70 years, Jerusalem was a GHOST TOWN, with the potential to end up like many ancient cities - completely forgotten except to history.
When the Jews were deported to Babylon, they began to make homes for themselves there. They settled down, and many still followed the God of their Fathers, but they did it from Babylon, with NO DESIRE to return to the land God had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Some of these faithful Jews were raised up to places of prominence in the governments they were deported to. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego became leaders in Babylon; Esther was made queen in the courts of a Persian king.
BUT…AFTER 70 YEARS of captivity in Babylon, they were given the opportunity to return to their homeland, the Promised Land. Out of the some two or three MILLION Jews deported from the land, only 50,000 decided to RETURN to the Promised Land. That's only something like 2%! But they did return, and in the days of Ezra, they rebuilt the temple and laid a spiritual foundation for Israel once again.
NOW HERE COMES NEHEMIAH….The Book of Nehemiah begins 15 years AFTER the Book of Ezra ends; almost 100 years after the first captives came back to the Promised Land; and some 150 years after the city of Jerusalem was destroyed. After this long time, the walls of the city of Jerusalem were STILL in rubble.
Before this, citizens of Jerusalem had TRIED to rebuild the walls but had failed. In Ezra 4:6-23, we see that some 75 years before they tried to rebuild the walls, but were stopped by their enemies. No one thought this obstacle could be overcome, so the walls lay in ruin and the people stayed in trouble.
VERSES 1-3 tells us Nehemiah hears of Jerusalem's condition.
“The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. It came to pass in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the citadel, that Hanani one of my brethren came with men from Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who had survived the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. 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."
In Shushan the citadel: Nehemiah lived in Shushan, the capital city of the Persians, and he lived in the citadel - that is, the fortified palace of the Persians. Right away, THIS TELLS US THAT Nehemiah is someone important, living in the palace of the king of Persia.
NEHEMIAH ASKED AFTER THEM…RIGHT HERE WE SEE THE HEART OF NEHEMIAH….HE MIGHT LIVE IN PERSIA…BUT his heart and his interest were in Jerusalem - 800 miles away. He wanted to know from those returning how the people and the city were doing.
We might think that an important man like Nehemiah had more important things to think about than a distant city he had never been to, and a people he had mostly never met. Yet, because his heart was for the THINGS OF GOD, his heart was NOT on himself, but FOCUSED ON others.
Nehemiah had the heart of Psalm 137:5-6, which says, “If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill! If I do not remember you, let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth; if I do not exalt Jerusalem above my chief joy.” If Jerusalem was special to God, then it was also special to Nehemiah.
The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire: The news he received was not encouraging. The people were called survivors; this was not a hopeful title. They were in great distress and reproach, and the walls of the city itself were broken down and the city gates are burned with fire.
The bad state of the people and the bad state of the city walls were intimately connected. In the ancient world, a city without walls was a city completely open and vulnerable to its enemies. They had NO defense, NO protection at all.
AND an unwalled city was always a backwater town, with nothing valuable in it. If there were anything of value in an unwalled city, it could be stolen away easily because there was NO defense to stop it.
AND…those living in an unwalled city lived in constant stress and tension; they NEVER knew when they might be attacked and brutalized. Every man lived in constant fear for his wife and children. The temple could be rebuilt, but never made beautiful, because anything valuable would be taken easily.
No wonder the people lived in constant distress, in constant disgrace (reproach), living only as survivors. God has MORE for us than to be MERE SURVIVORS. God not only WANTS us to be conquerors, but more than conquerors through Him who loved us (Romans 8:37), AMEN?
Verse 4 tells us Nehemiah's reaction to the news about Jerusalem and its people.
“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's immediate reaction was extreme. He didn't just feel bad for Jerusalem and its people; right away, there was no strength in his legs (I sat down), and he began to weep and to mourn.
Mourned for many days: God was going to use Nehemiah to do something about this situation. But first, God did something in Nehemiah. Any great work of God begins with God doing a great work in somebody FIRST…BEFORE HE SENDS THEM TO DO SOMETHING GREAT FOR OTHERS.
AND WE NEED TO SEE AND REMEMBER AND UNDERSTAND, GOD WAS NOT WRINGING HIS HANDS IN HEAVEN…YOU NOTICE, JUST AS WITH JOSEPH, God prepared FOR THIS DAY AND TIME AND NEED LONGGGGGG ago.
HOW DO WE KNOW THIS?
Nehemiah's IMPORTANT & TRUSTED position in Persia, with a heart curious about the welfare of Jerusalem and its people. Now we see that he had a heart that broke over their needy state.
God saw the need in heaven, but little would be done until HIS CHOSEN RIGHT MAN BEGAN TO FEEEEEEEL THE NEED ALSO. God would do something great to meet that need through Nehemiah.
AND WE NOW SEE THAT THERE WAS NOOOOOO WAY Nehemiah could do this alone. He had to be a leader - one who influences other people - to get this job done.
Nehemiah is a book ALL about leadership - something we obviously need today. Since leadership is influence, leadership applies to everyone. Everyone has an area of leadership. In some way, each one is a leader; the question THEN BECOMES ARE WE a good leader or a bad leader, AMEN?
Leaders MUST prepare themselves for difficult work because it won't be easy.
REDPATH SAYS OF THIS PASSAGE…"There is no winning without warfare; there is no opportunity without opposition; there is no victory without vigilance. For when ever the people of God say, 'Let us arise and build,' Satan says, 'Let me arise and oppose.'"
Leaders MUST have a big vision, and Nehemiah had one. "Through me, God is going to correct a problem that's been around a hundred and fifty years. Through me, God is going to do something that completely failed down before." We must have a vision, a goal, that is big enough.
I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven...Nehemiah's reaction went beyond an immediate emotion. Many times a concern will come over us in a flush, and then quickly pass. But if it is from the Lord it will ABIDE AND GROW and the burden will remain until the problem that prompted the burden is solved.
We NEED TO SEE AND UNDERSTAND WHAT NEHEMIAH DID NOTTTTTTTT DO….he did not complain, whine, or "see who could fix this problem." He immediately did what he knew he could do - pray, and intensely seek God in this situation.
The God of heaven: Nehemiah also had a clear understanding of Whom he fasted and prayed to. There are many "gods" people trust in but ONLY the God of heaven can really meet our needs.
Nehemiah's prayer SHOWS US THAT PRAYER IS ESSENTIAL IN OUR DAILY LIVES AND ESPECIALLY SO IN LEADERSHIP, AMEN?
If our vision is so big that only God can accomplish it, then you obviously must pray. If prayer isn't absolutely necessary to accomplish your vision, your goal isn't big enough.
It appears that Nehemiah prayed for four months before he did anything. Later, when the work of rebuilding the walls actually begins, it only takes 52 days to finish the job. But that 52-day project had a four-month foundation of prayer.
Nehemiah took his pain and stress TO GOD in prayer - and seemingly, was able to leave it there. Prayer WILL relieve your stress. You may be trying to relieve stress through entertainment, but all that does is divert your attention. Entertainment doesn't give any solutions to stress. Prayer WILL give you strength; when you wait on the Lord in prayer, He will renew your strength (Isaiah 40:31).
Verses 5-7 tells us Nehemiah comes to God in humility.
“And I said: "I pray, LORD God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments, please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father's house and I have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses."
Humility BEGINS by simply understanding there is a God enthroned in the heavens, and I am not Him! Nehemiah recognizes exactly who God is: LORD God of heaven … great and awesome God … who keep Your covenant … and mercy … with those You love.
Humility also understands our COMPLETE dependence on God. When Nehemiah desperately asked God to hear the prayer of Your servant (let Your ear be attentive … Your eyes open), it reflected his complete dependence on the LORD. Only God could help, and if God would only hear, Nehemiah knew He would help.
NEHEMIAH KNEW…God will allow you to be fruitless to expose your need for total dependence ON HIM, JUST HIM AMEN?
Humility will also CONFESS OUR SIN OPENLY TO JESUS. Nehemiah plainly and simply confessed sin, without any attempt at excusing the sin.
NEHEMIAH SHOWS US WE MUST ALWAYS AVOID EXCUSING ourselves in the confession of our sin. May we never say, "Lord, if I sinned" or "Lord, I'm sorry, but You know how hard it was" or other such nonsense. We can find great freedom in open, honest confession, without any attempt at excuse or wondering "if" I sinned or not.
Humility identifies with the needy. Obviously, Nehemiah was a godly man; but he openly and passionately put himself with his father's house, and prayed by using "we" instead of "they."
"You never lighten the load unless first you have felt the pressure in your own soul. You are never used of God to bring blessing until God has opened your eyes and made you see things as they are." (Redpath).
Verses 8-10 tells us Nehemiah comes to God looking to God's promises.
"Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations; but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.' Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand."
REMEMBERRRRRRRR….This is a powerful way to come to God, asking Him to remember HIS promises. Nehemiah said, "LORD, You made a promise to Moses and this nation, I ask you now to make good on it." Nehemiah quoted from both Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 30.
This, no doubt, is the THE SECRET TO GREAT POWER IN PRAYER: to plead the promises of God.
As a parent and now a grandparent…as human, flawed, & limited as I was & am, I strived to keep my promises to them. And truth be told, I even got a bit frustrated and annoyed when my children said REMEMBER YOU PROMISED ME!
BUT WE ALL NEED TO UNDERSTAND, JESUS CHRIST LOVES IT WHEN WE REPEAT HIS PROMISES TO HIM… WHEN WE SAY JESUS YOU PROMISE ME IN YOUR WORD…" BUT JESUS IS DIFFERENT…HE LOVESSSSSS IT WHEN WE REMIND HIM OF HIS PROMISES & OFTEN DEMANDS THAT WE SEEK HIS WORD AND HIS PROMISES AND SPEAK THEM OUT IN PRAYER BEFORE OUR PRAYERS BECOME EFFECTIVE.
HERE IS A CONFIRMING WORD OF JUST THAT IN Psalm 81:10, WHICH SAYS, “God says to His people, Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.” God will not open His storehouse until we open our mouths in asking Him to perform His promises.
IFFFFFFFFF you RETURN to Me, and IFFFFFF you KEEP My commandments and do them: Nehemiah quoted JESUS CONDITIONAL promise. The condition was returning to God, and keeping His commandments. He really couldn't know if the nation was keeping the commandments, but he knew that he was keeping them, and because he had identified himself with the nation in their sin the nation could also identify itself with Nehemiah in his godly fulfillment of these conditions.
Verse 11 tells us Nehemiah prays with a heart READY to do something.
"O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man." For I was the king's cupbearer.”
GRANT ME MERCY WITH THE KING…Nehemiah concluded by asking God to bless him when he would soon speak to the king of Persia about the matter. Nehemiah was going to do something about the sorry state of Jerusalem's walls and people, and he knows without God's intervention, he can do NOTHING, AMEN?!
LET YOUR SERVANT PROSPER…This is a prayer of a man of action, not a sideline critic. Nehemiah does not pray "God, make it all better" or "God, get someone else moving on this problem." Instead, his prayer is "God, HERE I AM, USE MEEEEEEE, to make it better."
CHARLES SPURGEON SAYS IT BEST… “Laying the matter to heart, he did not begin to speak with other people about what they would do, nor did he draw up a wonderful scheme about what might be done if so many thousand people joined in the enterprise; but it occurred to him that he would do something himself."
NEHEMIAH 2
OPENS WITH Nehemiah's Commission as THE KING’S CUPBEARER
Verses 1-2 tells us Nehemiah stands before the king.
“And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, that I took the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had never been sad in his presence before. Therefore the king said to me, "Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing but sorrow of heart." So I became dreadfully afraid,
The last verse of Nehemiah 1 told us that Nehemiah was the king's cupbearer - a significant position in any ancient royal court.
WHY?
The cupbearer was a personal TRUSTED BODYGUARD to the king, being the one who TASTED THE WINE AND FOOD BEFORE the king did - making certain NO ONE could poison the king.
KIDNER, A GREAT CHRISTIAN HISTORIAN tells us, The cupbearer was a HIGH official in the royal household, whose basic duty of choosing and tasting the wine & food FIRST to demonstrate that it was not poisoned, and of presenting it to the king, gave him frequent access to the king's presence and made him potentially a man of influence.
The king, therefore, had to have TREMENDOUS FAITH AND TRUST in his cupbearer, who had to be a man of faithful and impressive character. If the cupbearer could be turned against the king, assassination would be EASY.
The cupbearer ALSO was a servant to the king; he was responsible for CHOOSING most of the foods and wines the king and the court would enjoy.
The cupbearer was also a TRUSTED ADVISOR to the king; since he was constantly in the king's presence, and greatly trusted, and a man of character, it was natural the cupbearer would often be asked his opinion on different matters coming before the king.
In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes: As Nehemiah gave wine to the king, GOD TOOK GREAT CARE TO GIVE NOTE OF THE SPECIFIC DAY the events in Nehemiah 2 began.
WHY?
First, to show that Nehemiah PRAYED & WAITED 4 MONTHS with the kind of heart described previously in Nehemiah 1. During those four month, Nehemiah's prayer was likely "LORD, either take this burden from my heart or show me how to be the man to answer this burden."
The date is ALSO important, because it establishes the date given TO RESTORE Jerusalem and its walls.
WHY?
BECAUSE Daniel 9:25 says that EXACTLY 173,880 days from this day - which was March 14, 445 B.C. - Messiah the prince would be presented to Israel. Sir Robert Anderson, the eminent British astronomer and mathematician, makes a strong case that Jesus fulfilled this prophecy EXACTLY, TO THE DAY, entering Jerusalem on April 6, 32 A.D., precisely 173,880 days from Nehemiah 2:1.
OUR TRIUNE GOD IS PRECISE AND EXACT AND PINPOINT ACCURATE…WE CAN TRUST HIS WORD…ALWAYSSSSSSS!
On that particular day, Nehemiah NOTED that he had NEVER been sad or depressed in the presence of the king, and on this day when the king took notice, Nehemiah became dreadfully afraid.
WHY WAS NEHEMIAH AFRAID?
As was true in the courts of many ancient kings, it was FORBIDDEN to be sad in the presence of the king. The idea was that the king was such a WONDERFUL PERSON that merely being in his presence was supposed to make you HAPPY & FORGET ALL OF YOUR PROBLEMS. When Nehemiah looked sad, it could have been taken as a terrible insult to the king.
AND…When the king said "This is nothing but sorrow of heart," Nehemiah knew the king had NOTICED his sadness, and that the king took it SERIOUSLY. Nehemiah must have wondered if the next words from the king would be, "Off with his head!"
Nehemiah was also afraid because he knew that he was going to the king for something VERY important. There was a lot riding on what was going to happen in response to this question.
Nehemiah understood it was NOT his place to change the king's heart. He prayed and left it up to the LORD, instead of dropping hints and trying to MANIPULATE THE KING & THE SITUATION, AMEN?
Then one day, four months later, the king's heart WAS different. Are we making the mistake of trying to change someone else's heart, instead of leaving it up to the LORD to do it? REMEMBER NEHEMIAH WHEN WE ARE DISCOURAGED…GIVE IT TO JESUS AND IN HIS PERFECT TIMING EVERYTHING WILLLLLLLLL CHANGE AND/OR BE ANSWERED!
Verse 3 tells us Nehemiah's response.
“And I said to the king, "May the king live forever! Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' tombs, lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire?"
May the king live forever! Nehemiah had probably said this many times before. This was probably almost a MOTTO among professional cupbearers; since they tasted the wine and food before the king did, they naturally wished the king a good long life…because to WISH OTHERWISE, MEANT THE CUPBEARER DIED FIRST, AMEN?
The city, the place of my fathers' tombs, lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire: With this, Nehemiah explained why he was sad. Jerusalem was a destroyed, disgraced city.
No one had to tell the king this was a disgraceful state of affairs; he would immediate sympathize with Nehemiah's concern for the dignity, safety, and well-being of his people.
We see also Nehemiah's great tact and wisdom, because he tells of his concern without specifically mentioning the name of the city. The king would naturally have a bad association with the name "Jerusalem," knowing from history it was a city rebellious against the Persians and resistant to their rule. Nehemiah gets the sympathy of the king on his side BEFORE he reveals the city!
Nehemiah's answer was not only wise, it was HONEST. Often, when are we visibly depressed or troubled, and when someone asks us about it, we simply reply "Nothing's wrong!" or "Oh, I'm O.K." At those times, we aren't honest.
Many people are troubled by this dilemma. No one wants to be a whiner, boring others with our problems when the other person may only be asking out of common courtesy. On the other hand, we know the tremendous value there can be in sharing our concerns with someone else who CAN AND WILL PRAY WITH AND FOR US and perhaps share some wisdom from the Bible.
One way to live in this kind of honesty is to seek out others whom WE KNOW AND TRUST, and sharing with them our struggles and needs. But if we don't know a person well enough to feel confident sharing our personal life, we can still ask them to pray for us in general. They DO NOT NEED TO KNOW ALL THE DETAILS to pray.
WHY?
BECAUSE GOD KNOWSSSSSSSSS ALL THE DETAILS AND HE IS THE ONLYYYYYY ONE THAT NEEDSSSSSS TO KNOW ALL THE DETAILS, AMEN?
Also, when someone asks if we are troubled, we can be open to the idea that this person is special gift to us at this time.
However, we must AVOID two traps.
First, we must avoid "shopping" for advice - asking many people, telling all of them our problems until we find the advice/answer WE WANT!
Second, we must be especially careful of talking to others in a way that PUTS THE WORRY, CARE, OR PROBLEM ON OTHER PEOPLES SHOULDERS.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
Nehemiah didn't say to the king, "I'm sad because those incompetents in Jerusalem have had 100 years to build the walls and they haven't done anything. They are a bunch of hardened, uncaring, worthless people." He described the problem WITHOUT CASTING OR PUTTING BLAME ON ANYONE. When we fail to do this, there's a word for it: GOSSIP.
When we are the person whom others ask for prayer or whom others come to for help, it is helpful to guard against the temptation to know every detail of the problem. Of course it is interesting to hear the details of others problems, but we do not need to know all the fine points.
WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND OUR PRAYER FOR OTHERS IS STILL PRECIOUS AND VALUABLE IN JESUS EYES EVEN THOUGH WE DO NOT KNOW THE DETAILS, AMEN?
JESUS CHRIST LIVED, WALKED, TALKED, TEACHED, AND SHOWED HIMSELF TO BE SELFLESS…BUT ALWAYSSSSS OTHERS CENTERED.
IT BLESSES JESUS WHEN WE ARE OTHERS FOCUSED AS WELL, AMEN?
We are not less able to lead them to Jesus for His loving care. Some things need to be talked out more than others, but sometimes we want the other person to talk it out more for us than for them.
Verses 4-8 tells us Nehemiah's request.
“Then the king said to me, "What do you request?" So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' tombs, that I may rebuild it." Then the king said to me (the queen also sitting beside him), "How long will your journey be? And when will you return?" So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time. Furthermore I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, let letters be given to me for the governors of the region beyond the River, that they must permit me to pass through till I come to Judah, and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he must give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel which pertains to the temple, for the city wall, and for the house that I will occupy." And the king granted them to me according to the good hand of my God upon me.”
What do you request?…Right away, Nehemiah KNEW God gave him favor with the king. His response wasn't "Off with his head!" but "What can I do to help?" Nehemiah knew that four months of prayer were answered.
So I prayed to the God of heaven….Knowing his prayer had been answered, Nehemiah prayed again. This was not a long, extended prayer (he could have said, "Well king, let me pray about it for a few days and then I'll get back to you"). Instead, this was an immediate, silent, "Help me LORD!" prayer. Nehemiah knew this was an incredible opportunity, and he did NOT want to miss the chance.
It is wonderful to labor long in prayer; but prayer does not have to be long to be effective. This is especially true when the situation will not allow a long prayer. SOMETIMES, THE MOST HONEST, POWERFUL, AND EARNEST PRAYER WE CANNNNN PRAY IS LORD JESUS HELPPPPPPPPPP ME!!!
I ask that you send me to Judah: Nehemiah again showed great wisdom as he respectfully ASKED for a leave of absence and to be sent (you send me) by the king. He asked the king to share his concern for Jerusalem and to BECOME A PARTNER in getting the city and its people back where they should be.
Nehemiah's VISION & MISSION IS REVEALED. That I may rebuild it. That was a huge job and a big goal. Nehemiah isn't going on a mere fact-finding expedition, or to tell the leaders of Jerusalem what a bad job they were doing. He goes to get the work done, trusting in God all the way!
Again, Nehemiah shows wisdom by referring to Jerusalem without specifically mentioning the city (send me to Judah, to the city of my father's tombs). Although, we can also say that Nehemiah is not being deceptive. Though Jerusalem might have historically been a rebellious city to Persia, it isn't any longer - and will not be.
It pleased the king to send me: Nehemiah's sympathetic heart, his months of prayer, his moment of prayer, his great faith, his big vision, and his wise responses were all answered positively. The king was enthusiastic about supporting Nehemiah in this venture.
I set him a time: As a capable leader, Nehemiah clearly had a plan. The four months in prayer were not only spent in talking to God, but also in listening to Him and in working out a Spirit-led plan for what to do when God did open the door, AMEN?
Nehemiah knew how long he would need to be gone (I set him a time). He knew he would need letters of safe passage from the king (let letters be given to me). He knew what kind of materials would be needed (timber). He knew what work needed to be done (the gates of the citadel … the city wall … the house I will occupy). Nehemiah knew all of this without ever having seen for himself the condition of Jerusalem before! Nehemiah knew the needs by carefully and patiently seeking God FIRST.
Nehemiah had a plan, and God always works through a plan. The LORD our God is a planning God: The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations. (Psalm 33:11). From the beginning of the plan of salvation in eternity past, God has a plan and is working it out.
Sometimes it may seem that God blesses a lack of planning, and sometimes it seems God does a blessed work completely different from what we have planned. But in every case, God works through planning - if not our planning, then His planning. But as a general principle, God wants to train us up into the work of being planners, just as He is a planner.
The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty. (Proverbs 21:5) Faith is no substitute for planning. We aren't more spiritual for failing to plan and for shooting from the hip. There may be sometimes when we simply can't plan, but we should never reject planning.
He must give me timber: Nehemiah was also a bold man, not afraid to ask others to help when he knew they had the resources to help. Once the king was willing to be a part of Nehemiah's goal (it pleased the king to send me), he went right on to ask for an official seal of approval on the project (letters … for the governors) and for the king to finance the project (that he must give me timber).
Nehemiah didn't ask because he wanted to take advantage of the king. Instead, he showed honor and respect to the king by inviting him to participate in a worthy work. He knew the king was able to provide these things; he sensed the king's heart was willing, and so he shows the king how he can do what his willing heart wants to do!
And the king granted them to me according to the good hand of my God upon me: Though this was a pagan king, Nehemiah still understood that God could work through him in a mighty way. God can provide for our needs in totally unexpected or unlikely ways.
SO FAR NEHEMIAH SHOWS US AND TEACHES US FIRST AND FOREMOST TO PRAY ALL THINGS, GREAT AND SMALL, UP AND PUT THEM INTO JESUS’ WILLING AND CAPABLE HANDS.
IT TEACHES US TO BE FOCUSED…AND TO KEEP ON PRAYING, ASKING, KNOCKING, AND SEEKING HIS WILL IN ALL THINGS.
AND WE SHOULD ALWAYS ASK JESUS TO GIVE US HIS PLAN…NOT OUR PLANS…BUT HIS PLANS FOR ACCOMPLISHING WHAT HE HAS PUT ON OUR HEARTS AND MINDS TO DO.
AND NEHEMIAH TEACHES US TO REMINDDDDDDDDD JESUS OF HIS WORD…REMINDDDDDD JESUS OF HIS PROMISES PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT HIS WORD….AND IT REMINDS US, WE NEED TO SEEK OUT, TO STUDY, TO BURY HIS PROMISES AND HIS WORD IN OUR HEART SO THAT WE WILL LEARN AND REMEMBER HIS PROMISES AND BE ABLE TO CRY OUT USING THEM WHEN WE PRAY, WHEN WE FACE OBSTACLES, NEEDS, CARES, WORRIES, OR CONCERNS.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, JESUS IS DELIGHTED IN US WHEN WE REMIND HIM OF HIS PROMISES…WHY? BECAUSE THAT MEANS WE HAVE RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS… WE KNOW HIM AND WE TRUST HIM TO DO WHAT NO ONE ELSE CAN KNOW, SEE, OR DO WHEN WE COME TO JESUS WITH A HUMBLE, EARNEST, REPENTANT HEART…WE OPEN THE WINDOWS OF HEAVENS ANSWERS AND BLESSINGS IN OUR LIVES…
CALL UPON THE NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES…OUR JESUS CHRIST.
TRUST OUR JESUS CHRIST…HE WILL NEVERRRRR FAIL US.