expository meditations on the book of nehemiah

WE left Nehemiah in our last study poised for action, after specific prayer to God that God would favour him before King Artaxerxes. Nehemiah had felt the guidance of God after much prayer over a period of time. He had brought this action to the Lord and asked that the Lord might prosper it. Now Nehemiah had to act.

The experience of Nehemiah here is so true to experience. Up to this point the servant of God has been communing with God. Everything has been private between the servant and the Lord. Up to this point there is safety because no action has been required. Now things have changed for Nehemiah in his service for God. Action is required, and this changes things significantly.

The account of Nehemiah�s action and what happened is instructive for us, and will help us also to go forward with courage and confidence when required to act in the service of God.

PREPARATION

Sometimes we hear of people going forward in God�s service without preparation, and saying they are depending on the Lord for everything as it unfolds. There may be times when, because action is called for very quickly, or because there seems to be nothing that can be done in preparation, we go into action unprepared and depending on God alone. Jesus told his disciples that they need not fear in such circumstances because the Lord would give them what to say and what to do.

Although we must never cease to be dependent on the Lord, and be ready to conform our plans and preparations to his will as this unfolds, where there is time for preparation of some sort then we must be prepared.

In Nehemiah�s case preparation could not be made in all things. He could not tell how his contact with Artaxerxes would proceed. In spite of this there was some preparation that could be made.

Firstly, he must have considered how he could gain the attention of King Artaxerxes so that his project for God could be addressed. Here he seems to have thought of the ploy of being sad in the presence of his master, which was something servants knew they must never be. This would certainly gain Artaxerxes attention, but Nehemiah could not predict Artaxerxes response, and so here he had to depend on God at the time. What Nehemiah could do was in faith make sure he had at his finger tips all the points that he needed to address if Artaxerxes responded favourably to his concern for the state of Jerusalem. Being so prepared Nehemiah was able to ask for all the help he needed to equip him for his task of the restoration of Jerusalem as soon as he saw Artaxerxes was willing to let him go. We see also he had worked out how long he would need for his task, and so when asked how long he would need to be away from the court, he had the information ready.

What this teaches us is the importance of being prepared in every way we can, and anticipating contingencies as far as we are able and as far as it is possible. We still depend entirely on the Lord, and we certainly don�t put our trust in the excellence of our planning. What we do is to trust God and look to God in our planning.

FEAR

Nehemiah carries out his plan. He comes into the presence of Artaxerxes and does not endeavour to hide his sadness at the state of his home country in spite of the danger involved. This did not mean he was not afraid. Nehemiah tells us how he felt. When Artaxerxes noticed his sadness and questioned him for the reason for it, Nehemiah tells us that he was very much afraid. No doubt he had been worrying over the whole matter from the time he had determined what God would have him do, and that fear had increased as he came nearer to the time of action.

This fear did not mean he was not trusting in God, but his faith did not remove his natural human reaction to the danger involved. Fear is not a sin, and is quite normal. True courage is never without fear. It requires no courage to do something we have no fear of doing.

Further I believe that fear in God�s service is allowed by God and part of his dealing with us. If we had such confidence that we had no fear, it would soon turn into self confidence, and we would be going forth in our own strength, and become proud in our self sufficiency.

However natural, fear should never paralyse us so that we do not act for our God. We must screw up our courage, praying for strength and grace all the time.

Let us learn from this experience of Nehemiah that the service of God calls for courage, and will not be easy, but having said this God�s service is the best in the world, the most worthwhile, and the most rewarding.

FAITH

Some people may feel and even suggest that if a Christian is fearful, and engages in God�s work with fear a trepidation, then they are lacking in faith. Although it may be a sign of lack of faith if we are always fearing and afraid, fear in God�s work, or in the business of life, does not of itself indicate lack of faith. It certainly does not here with Nehemiah.

If Nehemiah had been lacking in faith he would have never begun to pray, not would he have been willing to hear God in guidance, nor would he have taken this positive step of seeking to gain the attention of Artaxerxes. His faith is seen in his courage to go forward in spite of being afraid.

Nehemiah�s faith is particularly seen in what we read of him in verse 4. Artaxerxes asked Nehemiah what he wanted, and at this point Nehemiah tells us what his immediate reaction and action was. He tells us "Then I prayed to the God of heaven". Nehemiah had no trust in himself. All his trust was in God. At each step of the way he placed himself in the hands of God. At every stage he lifted up his heart and mind to God for guidance and strength and blessing. It was only in the arms of prayer that he ventured to answer the query of Artaxerxes.

The faith we see in Nehemiah is the faith that is trusting all the time in the Lord, and seeking God�s involvement and intervention in everything. It is a faith that expect God to make his will both known and secure. It is a faith that trusts God that at every step of the way, words and actions are controlled by the Lord so that his will is not violated. It is a trust that expects God to so order everything that his will may prosper and the blessing of God may be realised and experienced.

In this faith, shown in constant communication with the Lord, is the chief desire of the saint, the servant of God, that God may be glorified in the perfection of his sovereign will and work in the world.

In our fear, faith holds on to God. In our fear, faith expects God to be our continual and almighty Saviour.

BLESSING

The blessing of the Lord which Nehemiah experienced is in his testimony in verse 8b. Nehemiah speaks of the gracious hand of his God upon him.

It was blessing that Artaxerxes was ready to listen sympathetically to Nehemiah�s grief over Jerusalem. It was greater and continued blessing that Artaxerxes was ready to listen to what Nehemiah wanted and hoped to do. It was abundant blessing from God that God moved the heart of Artaxerxes to help Nehemiah in the project of restoring Jerusalem with everything he needed - protection on the journey, authority to carry out the project, the provision of timber for the building.

This blessing was because of the greatest blessing of all - the blessing of the gracious hand of God upon Nehemiah. The great blessing of the Christian is the hand of grace upon us. We stand in a new relationship with God. It is not a relationship of law and merit, but a relationship of grace. Under law we are required to earn our blessing, and of course this is impossible to us, because the best efforts on our part fall short of what is required. However God deals with his believing people in grace, that is in continual favour which is unmerited and requires no cost on our part.

This is the place of blessing which has been won for us by the gracious, almighty and perfect work of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. It is what Paul speaks of in Romans 5:2 which is the subject for the New Testament sermon for this month. Paul, speaking of the blessing of faith in Christ declares "through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we stand.

The blessing we enjoy is that of being in a permanent relationship with God where God has promised to be our God and Father for Christ�s sake, and love us and bless us and keep us safe in his will, until he brings us to glory.

This blessing means that God is active in our lives all the time, and in prayer we can claim this blessing as Nehemiah did, so that as we live in his will, his guidance and power brings us into continuous opening up and experience of his purpose of good for us in the world.

CONCLUSION

Here we have the Christian life of faith illustrated and revealed. We have a purpose for our lives ordained by God. This life is never said to be easy, and we will have fears, because we are engaged in battle with the world, the flesh and the devil. However we are in continual contact with our Father God, and we may lift our hearts up to him in prayer at every stage of the journey. Then in spite of the difficulties and opposition, God�s purpose will unfold and his blessing poured out.

Let us note in closing the last verse of the section of Nehemiah before us in this study. The forces of the world heard what God was doing in and through Nehemiah and they were troubled. As we shall see, as the history unfolds, this brought opposition.

Engaging in the work of God, and living the pilgrim way of faith, means we are immediately confronted with the spiritual warfare between God and the devil, whom the bible describes as the god of this world. The god of this world is the one to whom the world without God ultimately belongs. Paul speaks of the Christian wrestling, not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12). The devil is always on the look out for when his authority is challenged and his power assaulted, and he mobilises his subjects into opposition to the work of God. Nehemiah experienced this, and we must not be surprised when we do to. When God�s blessing is poured out, the devil mobilises his malice against that blessing.