Nehemiah 1
In Nehemiah chapter 1, Nehemiah, who was living in the Persian king’s palace while in Babylonian exile, hears the heartbreaking news from Jerusalem and is portrayed as earnestly praying to God. The overall flow can be summarized as follows:
- Opening (verses 1–2): It explains how Nehemiah came to hear the news.
- The condition of Jerusalem (verse 3): The difficulties faced by the returned Jewish exiles and the reality of a ruined Jerusalem are described in detail.
- Nehemiah’s response and prayer (verses 4–11): Faced with reality, Nehemiah grieves and fasts before God, making intercessory prayer. Nehemiah’s prayer recalls repentance and God’s promises, leading to an appeal for the restoration of Jerusalem.
1verseThe words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Susa the palace,
2verseHanani, one of my brothers, came, he and certain men out of Judah; and I asked them about the Jews who had escaped, who were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.
3verseThey said to me, “The remnant who are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.”
4verseWhen I heard these words, I sat down and wept, and mourned several days; and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven,
5verseand said, “I beg you, LORD, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and loving kindness with those who love him and keep his commandments,
6verselet your ear now be attentive and your eyes open, that you may listen to the prayer of your servant which I pray before you at this time, day and night, for the children of Israel your servants, while I confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against you. Yes, I and my father’s house have sinned.
7verseWe have dealt very corruptly against you, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances, which you commanded your servant Moses.
8verse“Remember, I beg you, the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you trespass, I will scatter you among the peoples;
9versebut if you return to me, and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts were in the uttermost part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and will bring them to the place that I have chosen, to cause my name to dwell there.’
10verse“Now these are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand.
11verseLord, I beg you, let your ear be attentive now to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name; and please prosper your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” Now I was cup bearer to the king.
Overall Meaning and Characteristics
In Nehemiah chapter 1, we see a person taking the pain of the national community as his own pain and approaching God. Nehemiah’s prayer is not merely a personal desire; it contains Israel’s past sins, God’s covenant, and the hope of rising again. Through this, Nehemiah emphasizes an exemplary attitude of a leader who clings to God’s promises and seeks to change reality.
Points for Meditation
- Reflect on how you recognize the pain of the community you belong to.
- Instead of giving up or becoming discouraged in the face of problems, meditate on Nehemiah’s attitude of approaching God honestly and beginning with prayer.
- Think about what strength holding onto God’s covenant and faithfulness can give you amid crisis.
Apply It to Yourself
- Today, when I hear the heartbreaking news from the world, I check whether I am responding with grief in my heart and with prayer like Nehemiah.
- Consider what the prayer of personal or communal repentance and commitment means in my life, and make a small decision I can carry out.
