On hearing bad news from Jerusalem, Nehemiah immediately “sat
down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God
of heaven.” He knew where to start – with God. Aren’t we taught that that is
how we must always start? He recognised that the Jewish people suffered
because they have sinned against God. The people had been told, “If ye
transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations.” This is a
reference to Lev. 26, where God tells the people what will happen to them of
they are not obedient. It culminates in verse 33, “And I will scatter you
among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be
desolate, and your cities waste.
But Nehemiah knows his scriptures. He quotes from Deuteronomy
(4:29-31) where God promises He will not forsake the people if they turn back
to Him.
For now, he prays that the King (Persian) will allow him to go
and do something about the problem: rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. It
seems he is a favourite of the king and has influence with him. He is not,
like Ezra, a priestly type; rather he is a man of action. It is a case of
the right man for the job.
Joyce Voysey
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