Nehemiah 1: Who is Nehemiah?
Introduction
The book of Nehemiah is introduced as the words of Nehemiah; this is the closest thing we have to an announcement of authorship. From there, we jump right in to the role of Nehemiah and who he was.Top
Who is Nehemiah?
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Nehemiah's Task
While in Persia, Nehemiah receives news about Jerusalem and it's inhabitants. The wall and gates of the city were damaged, leaving the people vulnerable to attack. Without a fortified capital to lead Judah, Judah could never be an independent nation; a fortified capital required walls and gates. Upon hearing this news, Nehemiah is grieved and prays to God. He reasons with God that the people are repentant and eager to seek Him. As such, God's covenant stipulated that God would look out for them. Nehemiah is aware that Jerusalem had fallen and they were scattered do to their sins, but is ready to invoke the promise of God to return them once they have repented. Nehemiah prays for strength and courage to approach the king with the request to rebuild the wall. The reason Nehemiah felt it his duty to do such a thing is because he was the cupbearer for the king (Artaxerxes I).Top
Position and Power
Nehemiah understood that it was his responsibility to move the reconstruction of Jerusalem forward because of his position. As the cupbearer, Nehemiah had access to the king, which meant he was the only person who could bring up the topic to the person on earth who had the power to get the ball rolling. Nehemiah prays for strength in carrying out this task because he knows it is up to him. Often, we are God's only representative in an area and it is our duty to stand for God. This can be a daunting task—I definitely remember times that perhaps I should have been speaking up for God but instead chose to remain silent. It takes maturity in our relationship with God to flourish in these situations. Like Nehemiah, we should be praying for courage and strength to carry out God's will when called upon.Top
References
- Mike Campbell. "Nehemiah". Behind the Name; visited April 2017
Published on Saturday, April 8, 2017
Bible Study, Chapter Study, In God I Trust, Modern Day Comparison, Nehemiah, Persia
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Bible Study, Chapter Study, In God I Trust, Modern Day Comparison, Nehemiah, Persia
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