The Character of Nehemiah - Part 2

“Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.” Nehemiah 1:11

The character of Nehemiah is admirable. As we look into his life and his skillsets that made him the notable Israelite in the Old Testament, we encourage you to open your heart. See where you can grow.

You have probably heard devastating news before. For Nehemiah, hearing about the decimation of the wall in Jerusalem was deflating. Since we know that he had a strong faith in God, we can assume he knew some of the faithful histories of the Israelites as God's chosen people. He knew stories of Abraham, Joseph, and so many devout Israelites of long ago, but times were different now. Many Israelites gave up their deep faith in God, and the community was separated. Perhaps the wall and the hope for the safety of Jerusalem was the last hope to which Nehemiah clung. Upon hearing of the wall's obliteration, his hope for the Israelites was destroyed as well.

Nehemiah turned to his foundation in God: he mourned and prayed and fasted for "some days." (Neh 1:4) While it is not clear how long "some days" were, what is clear is that he turned to God for help with his sadness.

At this moment, we begin to see two characteristics that help us understand his relationship with both King Artaxerxes and his God.

Nehemiah's cause of greatness starts with having a spiritual and emotional foundation set in his God, thus the reason he turned to Him. There is no magic here. The relationship with the Creator works the same as a relationship with anything or anyone. The more you desire to be close to someone, the more time you will want to spend with them, and you will inherently desire to take similar interests. It takes more than weekly check-in time. When a "relationship with God" seems like a fuzzy phrase that lacks clarity, or when one defaults to an understanding of something other than taking real time and effort to spend time with God, they simply are not seeking that time with Him.

Secondly, as a part of this foundation, Nehemiah had a deep-rooted understanding of God's authority, even calling him “the great and awesome God” (Neh 1:5). Nehemiah knew that he needed to lean on his God, and he didn't offer a knee-jerk reaction towards the bad guys or lash out in anger. While he doesn't seem to think about rebuilding the wall immediately, Nehemiah quickly concluded that God, as the authority, was the only answer to this newly discovered devastation. This thought process is a simple concept, and Nehemiah understood it.  While his "some days" of prayer and fasting included many thoughts and requests to his God, at least a portion of those led to a request from the King.

He had to be an honorable soul to be the cupbearer and protect the King in such a sure way. The King counted on him for his very life. And thus, we know Nehemiah was trustworthy, an extension of honesty and quality follow-through. Full of integrity, he was a person who did what he said he was going to do and finished it with excellence. But Nehemiah did not view this as a peer relationship. He admired the King and did not believe he was owed anything from him, reflecting his view of God. Despite this reverence, a very close relationship also developed.

After his "some days" of prayer, the King noticed the sadness in Nehemiah's spirit. It showed in his face. In Nehemiah 2, the two have a heart-to-heart talk in which Nehemiah fearfully asks the King for a sabbatical from his job to go away and rebuild the wall. Perhaps moved as a result of Nehemiah’s prayers, the King, instead of responding negatively—striking him down, or closing the door to his request in some way—supported Nehemiah's leave of absence. Amazingly, the King did not even question whether Nehemiah would return to Babylon upon the wall's completion.

In a somewhat hidden corner of this story is one more astounding fact. Because of Nehemiah's admirable character grounded in faith, both his ongoing success in the King's inner circle and conversely, the King's support for Nehemiah's cause came despite the two having significantly different religious beliefs. The granted support speaks volumes of Nehemiah and challenges us to the core in our daily activities.

Although he would not win King Artaxerxes to his God, he earned his favor. To put in a modern setting, Nehemiah's Christianity was something that did not waiver in an unfavorable culture. Instead, it drove his actions and was a daily example for those around him and us today. He lived in the light and was a light to the household, the workplace, or the classroom.

So much more to come.