Nehemiah 1

This is the cup of My salvation. We are cleansed in the blood of Jesus Christ and In Him alone we have salvation. Without Him we can do nothing! God in His mercy gave us grace. If we confess our sins and desire to live in His ways He will place us in the right place at the right time to do His will for our life. May everything I do reflect His compassion, His mercy, His grace and His agape love for all those who call upon His name. Come Lord Jesus come and fill Your church with God's grace.

Nehemiah Prays for His People

1 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, 2 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. 3 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."

4 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.

5 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, 6 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. 7 We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses. 8 Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations; 9 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.' 10 Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand. 11 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.

The NKJV Study Bible says this: Nehemiah, whose name means "The Lord Comforts," was a highly placed statesman associated with Ezra in the work of reestablishing the people of Judah in the Promised Land. The month of Chislev corresponds to our November–December. Shushan the citadel was about 150 miles north of the Persian Gulf, in present-day Iran. Shushan is also notable in biblical history as the place where Daniel received his vision of the rams and goats and as the home of Mordecai and Esther. Nehemiah was concerned about the Jewish people and Jerusalem. Life was difficult for the people in Jerusalem. This difficulty was due in large part to the condition of Jerusalem's wall. In the ancient Middle East, a city wall provided protection for the inhabitants. The condition of a city wall was also seen as an indication of the strength of the people's gods. The ruined condition of the wall of Jerusalem reflected badly on God's name. Nehemiah acknowledged God's government of the world, including His sovereignty over the pagan king who was over Nehemiah, the Jewish people, and the city of Jerusalem. The Lord had staked His character on His loyalty to His covenant with His people. According to the terms of the Mosaic covenant, God made His covenant blessings available to those who kept His commandments. Nehemiah asked God to look at him and listen to him as he prayed. These words were designed to encourage the one praying, for God does not turn His ears from or close His eyes to His people. Nehemiah then confessed the sins of his father's house as well as his own. His confession was national, communal, and personal. His own sin was part of the whole. Israel had sinned against the Lord and against His commandments. The Lord had promised that if the nation of Israel would return to Him in obedience, He would regather them to their land. Nehemiah addressed the Lord as a covenant-keeping God. The ultimate intent of God's covenant was not just to return the people, but to return them to the place where God had established His name. For that to be accomplished, much needed to be done. So while it was true that some people had returned to the land and that the temple had been rebuilt, the fact remained that Jerusalem's wall was in ruins and the people were under reproach. In that sense, Jerusalem had not yet been restored. Nehemiah was suggesting to the Lord that the time was right, the people were right, and the task was right to restore Jerusalem. Nehemiah requested permission to return to Jerusalem, rebuild the wall, and restore the community. He enjoyed the comfort and convenience of a royal palace and a position of honor and responsibility. There were many compelling reasons for him to stay where he was, but he asked for permission to do God's work.