The Character of Nehemiah - Part 1
/When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven . Nehemiah 1:4)
The 400s B.C. was a time of political and social power struggle throughout the eastern Mediterranean. The Assyrians and Babylonians rose to power, and the exiled nation of the Israelites was scattered. Kings warred against other kings to expand control over people and lands. There were renegade efforts to undermine kings that led to assassination plots in their own homes. As you might imagine, it was difficult for a king to trust those around him. Often, perpetrators poisoned kings through food or drink. (Although about a century later, Alexander the Great was a good example. He was stricken by a sickness that would lead to a slow death within two weeks. He was just 32 and already world-renowned. Most experts agree that a deliberately poisoned cup of wine caused his sickness that eventually led to his death.) Because of this ever-looming threat, the cupbearer to the king was one of the most critical and trusted positions. The cupbearer was responsible for delivering a cup of non-tainted wine to the king. In many cases, he drank from it first to protect the king. It is within this context that we learn Nehemiah lived and worked as a high-ranking employee to his king.
The rise of the Persian Empire following the Assyrians and Babylonians was a blessing of sorts to the Israelites. While the Assyrians and Babylonians uprooted the Israelites from their lands and destroyed their towns and way of life, the Persians were more about keeping harmony in politics, social networks, and religion. At one point, Cyrus king of Persia (Ezra 1) let the Israelites return to Jerusalem to rebuild the city and the previously destroyed temple. Imagine the excitement in the Israelite community to hear such good news after six decades of captivity! Forty-two thousand people returned to Jerusalem, and Cyrus continued to help the effort by returning articles from the temple that the Babylonians had stolen years before. But given the cultural diversity of the time and the transient nature of exile, not everyone was helpful in the return and rebuilding of Jerusalem. Hostile factions of opposition formed against the Israelites returning to Jerusalem.
Nehemiah's path to a high role in government is not known, yet we see much about his leadership and faith in the book that bears his name. He was the cupbearer to Artaxerxes, the Persian king. He was an Israelite who surely rejoiced at the initial news of the return to Jerusalem. However, the announcement of the destruction of the protecting wall and its gates was too much for Nehemiah. This news led to his troubled heart shown at the beginning of this blog. This wasn't just bad news; it was devastating. When we hear of bad news or news that may cause emotion, we may be sad. It is only the exceedingly dreadful news that makes us sit down and weep as Nehemiah did. In his sorrow, how did he respond? Did he get mad and lash out? Curse God? Not at all.
He is an example for us on several fronts, over the next four weeks, we will learn from Nehemiah's leadership and character qualities. There is a broad platform of applications and settings where taking on his character will help you. They will help you at work, at home, or in school. They will help you regardless of any current or future role. His exceptional leadership characteristics transcend, and we are so excited to share these with you.
