Nehemiah 2:1-9
Please read your Bible text: Neh. 2:1-9
The man, Nehemiah born and raised in captivity, from the obscurity of a Jewish exile — a nobody — was handpicked by divine choice to stand before kings. God always has a man ready for His task. In answer to his prayer for God’s favor – God granted him success before a foreign king. The king simply asked him four direct questions: 1) why does your face look so sad 2) what is it that you want 3) How long will your journey take and 4) when will you get back? And at the end of it all – the king gave Nehemiah a pleasant bonus. The man found favor with the king! It’s amazing how God works. But God can only work through a man who had turned from human helplessness to divine resourcefulness.
Look at how Nehemiah totally abandoned himself into God’s hands. As soon as he got bad news from his Jewish brethren about the broken ruin of his homeland and the glory of God shattered among the rubbles, he went into a protracted season of prayer and fasting. He is one man who had learned to unload the burden of his heart to God. For 3 months, he did nothing but just seeking the LORD God. Only after a season of prayer, did he begin to seek the king’s favor. Not until he had soaked himself in God’s presence long enough would he take any actions. Prayer to him was his first response but to most of us, prayer is the last resort!
Why does your Face look so sad? – vv.1-3
Now Nehemiah had never looked so sad before the king (v.1). In ancient times, butlers or cupbearers were known to be beheaded for showing a sulking face before kings. Had it not been for his times spent in the presence of the LORD, ‘his head would have rolled’. I can see God’s favor upon Nehemiah when the king would ask about the troubles of his heart instead. Nehemiah was badly frightened when the king asked about his sad long ‘pout-pout’ face. But because of his constant time with the LORD – His countenance quickly reflected the wisdom from above in the way he confidently took on the king’s questions. With tactfulness, he related to the king the deplorable state of the city where his ancestors were buried. Here is wisdom—he wanted the king to know that it was a personal matter about his ancestors rather than a political matter that had weighed down his heart. Also, we can see that Nehemiah was a man who carried such a passion for the glory of God and for His people – that the ruin of the city wall and plight of his people had so translated to his sorrowful countenance.
What is it that you want? – v.4
This was the 2nd question from the king. Sensing a window of opportunity, Nehemiah did not quickly blurt out his requests. Instead, he whispered a prayer to the God of heaven (this is equated to the awesome God). I called this “an arrow prayer” shot directly to God instantaneously. Nehemiah never acts without praying first. And he had got no time to retreat into his closet to make a long petition to God. On the spot, he uttered a quick prayer to the God of heaven and he knew God would come to his aid.
Nehemiah knew God as the God of heaven, the awesome God. But Jesus had come to reveal this awesome God as our Father, our Abba, or our Daddy. And if Nehemiah could shoot an arrow prayer to this awesome God of heaven and expect Him to hear him; how much more we today, knowing God as our daddy can expect His quick response to our on-the-spot prayer—nay, even our faintest cry! Sometimes caught in a situation or faced with insurmountable challenges, a whisper to God suffices.
How long and When will you return? – vv.6-8
Nehemiah had found favor with the king. Not only his request to return to Jerusalem but the request for two important travel documents was also granted by the king. One was like a passport to cross the borders and the other was to the king’s minister of Primary Industry for supplies of timbers and essentials for rebuilding the city wall and gates. All expenses paid for from the Royal Treasury and to top it all—a bonus—the king ordered a contingent of military escort for Nehemiah. This is amazing, how God answers prayers beyond our expectation. Nehemiah was quick to recognize that the gracious hand of God was upon him.
Nehemiah exercised wisdom in his approach to the king. He did not straightaway pour out all his requests at one go but rather one by one while gauging the king’s responses. While the favor of the LORD was upon him, we cannot deny that the wisdom of the LORD was also upon him. To the king’s question about how long it is going to take, Nehemiah merely set a time (I like to believe it was the time to leave the comfort of the palace). But to the king’s question as to when he was going to return, Nehemiah remained quiet about it. That’s wisdom. Perhaps he knew it was going to be a one-way ticket back to his homeland and never to return to the king’s palace.
Think: When God’s favor is upon you—there is no telling what favor of man you enjoy!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, as you do what you see the Father do—let me like Nehemiah, never take on a mission or an assignment without first looking up to you for your grace and wisdom. Amen.
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