Tuesday: Nehemiah Speaks Out
Nehemiah 1:11 says that Nehemiah is the king’s cupbearer. To us this may seem like an unimportant job, but cupbearers could be men of powerful influence, since they had constant and close access to the king. Cupbearers tasted beverages for the king in order to prevent illness or death of the king. Herodotus points out that the Persians held cupbearers in high honor, as they were regarded as high officials. For instance, the cupbearer of the Assyrian king Esarhaddon was also the chief minister of the kingdom. Thus, Nehemiah holds a high position in the kingdom, and because of his access to the king, he pleads with God to use him in speaking to the king about the situation in Judah.
Read Nehemiah 2:1-8. What happened as a result of Nehemiah’s prayers and fasting?
Nehemiah’s Prayer Answered
The prayer is answered in the month of Nisan, which is roughly the month of April of 444 B.C. Four months have passed since Hanani and the Jews brought the disturbing news about Jerusalem to Nehemiah. For four months, Nehemiah prayed and fasted, and every day it might have seemed to him as if God was not answering. But God’s timing is always perfect. God prepared the king to hear Nehemiah and to respond favorably.
It was not an everyday occurrence to have the cupbearer relieved of his duties for a time to be a governor in a different land. God spoke through Nehemiah and impressed the Persian King Artaxerxes I to make Nehemiah a governor over the territory of Judah. The mention of the queen suggests that this was possibly a private occasion, as it was not customary for the queen always to be present for formal banquets. Nehemiah does not immediately mention Jerusalem, in order to keep the king from having preconceived ideas, but rather he makes an emotional appeal to the king about something personal to him. By the time the specific place is mentioned, the king has been won.
| In what ways can we see a parallel between Nehemiah’s position in this court and Daniel’s in Babylon? What does it say about Nehemiah’s character that the king seems so positively disposed toward him? |
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I hate telephones. Carmel cannot understand why I would rather drive 10km to talk to someone rather than just ring them up on the phone. The problem is that the phone is a machine. It has no smile, no raised eyebrows, no nuanced eye contact; just a metallic representation of a person’s voice. And if the conversation is important, In a face to face interaction, you can judge when it is the right moment to introduce the topic. On a telephone you just have to blurt it out and hope for the best.
I’m pretty sure that Nehemiah would not have used a telephone, even if one was available to talk to the king. He needed to judge the right moment. And with the guidance of the Holy Spirit he introduced the topic that was troubling him.
It may not be our role to speak in the courts to the kings and captains of this world, but knowing the right moment and choosing the right way of saying something to someone in our lives may be just as important to them, and us.
Cannot the Holy Spirit also give you the right thing to say over the telephone?
Of course the Holy Spirit can. But some of us are shy one the phone and God still uses us in the way which we perform best.
Nehemiah 1:1 In the month of Kisleva in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes
Nehemiah 2:1 In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes
Historical scholars are stating Nehemiah had been praying for four months.
Four months Nehemiah had wrestled with God.
Even though he had a huge burden in his heart, he did not reveal that to the king because being in the presence of king Nehemiah was not permitted to be sad.
The king differentiated between mental illness versus physical illness.
The relationship the king had with Nehemiah allowed him to distinguish from mental and physical illness.
When the king asked the question, why does your face look so sad.
I would not have let the king finish his sentence.
I would have rattled off as a speeding bullet and would have made my case for all my troubles instead Nehemiah prays for wisdom before answering the question of the king.
How often the words I speak gets me in trouble.
Because he was slow to speak, he was able to gather his thought and ask all the necessary from the king.
We pray and wait for the revelation and manifestations of the Holy Spirit. He will come to our aid and grant us His will.
God shall never be slow nor slack as "the unfaithful" call him so in their distress. The reason being we put God in our programs and demand to accomplish our prepositioned ambitions.
A concrete and a broken heart God shall not despise.
Like the widow who persistently knocked at the door of Jesus our duty is to pray and seek for Him and patiently wait upon the Lord for His salvation is come.
Ever heard the term "patience is a virtue?" It means "the ability to wait for something without getting angry or upset is a valuable quality in a person."
Victory takes time sometimes, and patience is required. Nehemiah spent four months praying and fasting before speaking out to make his request known to the king.
One of my favorite authors wrote; "men of prayer should be men of action. Those who are ready and willing, will find ways and means of working. Nehemiah did not depend upon uncertainties. The means which he lacked he solicited from those who were able to bestow"(Christian Service, p. 171).
What a wonderful promise that the LORD gives to His disciples and us like he gave to Nehemiah, Jeremiah, Daniel and even Moses & Aaron, He will give you the right words to speak to be His witnesses.
Is there a condition to this promise? I believe there is a condition. I believe these promises were given to people who had open hearts to the LORD and spent regular extensive time in communication with the LORD in prayer and study of His Word, so that in time of need He brought back to their remembrance His Words.
Mat 10:16-20 Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves. 17 But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to the sanhedrins, and they will scourge you in their synagogues. 18 And you shall be brought before governors and kings for My sake, for a testimony against them and the nations. 19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what you shall speak; for it shall be given you in that same hour what you shall speak. 20 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
Luk 21:14-15 Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand what you shall answer. 15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.
Very good point Shirley. I wrote it down in my other points to ponder journal.
Wow it is interesting that the book of Nehemiah teaches us proactive listen skills and wise communication with people of great positions, also it teaches us to consult with God every moment of our conversation for well ironed speech that can move the hearts of kings is God inspired.
DYING WITH OUR PROBLEMS
Putting a plastic face to show we are ok while the reality is that we are sick others are dying some have been deserted while others have lost their loved ones and some are innocent but accused of wrong doing is lying to ourselves. We should speak up like Nehemiah.
Some choristers press us with hard questions during congregation singing.
- why are you not singing?
- why are you sad?
- Are you hungry? Didn't you have breakfast?
- If you are happy,can you raise up your hand?
I think it's high time we speak up like Nehemiah and answer these choristers questions.
We are told if a couple is fighting and a visitor comes in , the couple should put on a plastic face and act as if nothing was happening only to pick from where they left when the visitor is gone but this lying and I would suggest to use Nehemiah's method. Speak up and your problem will be solved.
I think we should be having a counselling department in our churches with professional counsellors being involved.
Our people are suffering. You may think that some people have it all, but if you turn the pages of their lives you will see the sorrow and burdens they bear.
We need the Holy Ghost daily in our lives.
The Bible didn’t miss anything but gave us perfect ways how to live this Christian life while on earth, until we die or he comes again.
There is a song sang by Tasha Cobbs- For your glory. It says, Lord if I find favor in your sight. Lord please hear my heart cry.........I can tweet some of the rest of the song to Neh 2:5. This brother was crying in his heart for four months now it was showing on his face. Prayer and fasting is faith, faith without works is dead. Works must be accompanied with faith. Now it was the right time for work.
As he served the king, the king saw a change in his demeanor. The king said to him. V2 you’re not sick, then this is sorry of heart.
Neh answer was, if it please the king and if I find favor in your sight. Those are powerful words to say to our employers. Can we say those words to our non Christians employers when difficulties arrive? Are we going to work and always happy at work as Nehemiah? Neh 1. States, Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence. How can someone always be happy in the presence of a non Christians employer? The secret is- having the Holy Spirit with us every where we go. Take Jesus with us.
The king asked him, how long will the journey be and when will you return? This Nehemiah was so trust worthy it amazes me. He was truthful in his dealings with his employer. Are we truthful with ours. Some people miss work but make up things to say.
My people, let us take the example of Nehemiah how to deal with our non Christians boss, do what we can to live at peace.
Very good,I'm learning English with the Sabbath School lesson,i need to learn more God bless you 🙏
Hi Everyone!
Question: How many of you, after receiving bad news from home, would wait for four long months (120+ days, almost half a year) to ask your manager or employer for time off to go back home? You also would have to ask the same employer for an advance to rebuild what is broken back in your home town?
My answer to that question would be: if I received bad news from my home town, like they needed leaders to rebuild my home town after a major storm, then I would ask my employer the Next Day for time off, and for an advance in pay and/or a love offering from my friends and co-workers.
But that is not God's way. God's way is Perfect, perfectly plan and executed; what is why we had to re-learned last week, Isaiah 55:8, 9(KJV)-"8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." Nehemiah was indeed very worried, but God wasn't; God already had a plan to help Nehemiah.
No matter what we are going through in our personal lives, be it health (illness), work, or family and friends problems, everything that we are wrestling with, God already has a plan to help us.
Jeremiah 29:11(NIV) says-"'For I know the plans I have for you', declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"
Same verse(KJV)-"'For I know the thoughts that I think toward you', saith the Lord, 'thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end'."
Also, We must always remember that God is in control; He knows the beginning and the end in all of our lives. Even when things "seems" to not work out the way we planned, or as we would like them to work out, it is still within God's plan. IT IS US that need to work with God's plan, to develop the PATIENCE to work with God and NOT AHEAD of God's plan. If Nehemiah had rushed and ask the king immediately, instead of waiting those four months, the outcome would have been a lot different because he moved ahead of God's plan. That's why we are taught, in the Lord's Prayer, to pray "Thy will be done..."
This kind of PATIENCE takes time to develop, but this is a part of God's plan for us as well. Revelation 3:18 says: "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich..." [Rich in all things]. This kind of Patience allows God's plan to be accomplished, and allows God to mold our characters as well; to process our characters as a refiner would process raw gems until they are turned into PURE GOLD.
God bless!