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2025 Nehemiah Lecture 1

NEHEMIAH’S PRAYER

Nehemiah 1:1-11

Key Verse 1:4

1. What can you share about the historical background of the Book of Nehemiah (1)? Who was Nehemiah (11b)?
2. Why do you think Nehemiah inquired about the Jewish remnant and Jerusalem (2)? What might the response he received indicate about their situation (3)? How did Nehemiah react to the news (4)?
3. How would you describe the God Nehemiah earnestly sought in prayer (5-6a)? What do you think was significant about how Nehemiah began his prayer (6b)? What kind of sins had the people of Israel committed against God (7)?
4. What promise of God did Nehemiah recall during his prayer (8-9)? What was Nehemiah’s prayer request to God (10)
5. What lessons do you learn from Nehemiah’s prayer?

2025 Nehemiah Jan 12, 2025

NEHEMIAH MOURNED, FASTED, AND PRAYED

Nehemiah 1:1-11

Key Verse 1:4

When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.

As we have seen through the news, the residents of Los Angeles are currently suffering greatly due to the wildfires. Over 10,000 homes were destroyed, leaving many families in despair and sorrow after losing everything they had worked for their entire lives. People from the neighborhood where I lived in LA also had to evacuate due to mandatory orders. The Altadena area, which is right next to my old neighborhood, has been heavily affected, and I was shocked to see the houses and streets reduced to ashes on the news. Watching an Altadena resident break down in tears during an interview, saying they had lost their home, community, and everything, was heartbreaking. Thankfully, I heard that our UBF family members in LA were not affected by the fire. I hope we can pray for and support the suffering people in LA.

Today, we are starting our study of the book of Nehemiah. The book of Nehemiah focuses on the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem about 70 years after the temple of Jerusalem was rebuilt. We need to understand the historical context of Nehemiah’s time. Learning about the Persian kings mentioned in the Bible can help us better understand this period. While there were many Persian kings, only four are mentioned in the Bible. First, Cyrus the Great (559–530 BC) was the king who allowed the Israelites to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. Zerubbabel and the high priest Joshua, who led the first return of the Jews, were from the time of Cyrus the Great. Darius I (522–486 BC) was the king who issued a decree to resume the rebuilding of the temple, which had been stopped. The prophets Haggai and Zechariah were active during his time. The son of Darius I, who succeeded him, was Xerxes I (486–465 BC). He is the king who chose Esther as his queen. The king mentioned in the book of Nehemiah is Artaxerxes I (465–424 BC). He was the son of Xerxes I and the king who allowed Ezra to lead the second return to Jerusalem and Nehemiah to lead the third return to Jerusalem.

Ezra, as a scribe and priest, returned to Jerusalem to restore God’s law, bringing about spiritual reform and rebuilding the spiritual foundation of the Jewish community. Nehemiah, a layman and political leader, strengthened the stability and recovery of the Jewish community by rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. The book of Nehemiah tells the beautiful story of the partnership between Ezra, the priest, and Nehemiah, the layman, as they worked together to rebuild God’s community both spiritually and physically. Scholars suggest that Ezra and Nehemiah were originally single books, and they believe Ezra was the author of both. However, in the book of Nehemiah, the first-person singular “I” frequently appears. Because of this, it is understood that Nehemiah recorded the content of his book, and Ezra later edited it.

Who was Nehemiah? Nehemiah 1:11 says, “Nehemiah was cupbearer to the king.” A cupbearer was responsible for managing and tasting the king’s drinks. Some might think this position was similar to today’s bartender and assume Nehemiah was a low-ranking official. However, at that time, a cupbearer prevented assassination attempts on the king, meaning only someone who had the king’s complete trust could be appointed to this role. In Nehemiah 2, we see Nehemiah speaking directly with King Artaxerxes. This shows that Nehemiah was a high-ranking official in the Persian Empire and one of the king’s closest confidants.

Nehemiah was a Jew born in Persia. Since about 140 years had passed after the Jews were taken into Babylonian captivity, Nehemiah was probably the third or fourth generation of Jews. Generally, by the third generation, they tend to lose their original culture and language. Nehemiah may have been more familiar with the Persian language and culture than with Hebrew and Jewish traditions. Moreover, he was a successful Jew living in Persia—a Jewish Persian who had achieved power in the Persian Empire. He probably earned a good income, lived in a nice house, and enjoyed recognition and respect from others. He could have comfortably and happily lived his life enjoying the luxuries of Persia.

But something happened to him that completely changed his life. Look at verse 2: “Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.” Hanani was one of Nehemiah’s biological brothers. After visiting Judah with some other men, he came to see Nehemiah. At that time, Nehemiah questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. Why did Nehemiah ask about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile and about Jerusalem? Was it just out of simple curiosity? No, it wasn’t. Nehemiah had a deep concern for Jerusalem and the Jews living there. He had a love for God and a shepherd’s heart for his people. That’s why he asked about them.

We ask serious questions about what we care about and tend to focus on what we’re interested in. What are you interested in? Many of us are interested in our jobs and careers. We invest in self-improvement, earn degrees or licenses, and seek promotions or better job opportunities. When I was in Venezuela, I ran a high-voltage power cable business. So, my primary focus was on high-voltage power cables. Even when I was on vacation, all I could see were transmission towers and high-voltage power lines. Some people are interested in managing and growing their finances, studying stocks or cryptocurrency, and making actual investments. They pay close attention to economic news in the U.S. and around the world. Others are deeply focused on health. They are eager to learn how to take care of their health. Some even end up knowing more about health than their doctors. Some people are passionate about sports, travel, or other leisure activities. Others have a strong interest in politics and social issues. They watch the news, read newspapers, and have an extensive understanding of what’s happening in our society. Having these interests is necessary for our daily lives. However, through Nehemiah, we see the attitude of a spiritual leader who is deeply concerned with God and His work. Nehemiah may have had many other interests, but his primary focus was on God, His people, and His kingdom.

What news did Nehemiah hear about Jerusalem and the Jews living there? “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” The news Nehemiah received was that the Jews living in Jerusalem were suffering in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem was broken down, and its gates had been burned with fire. In ancient cities, walls provided protection, and gates controlled access. The people living inside the walls were protected from external invasions and could live with a sense of security. But imagine if the walls were broken down and the gates burned with fire—could anyone live safely in that city? For example, if the walls around your house were destroyed and the doors burned, could you sleep peacefully there? That’s why invaders, when conquering a city, would destroy its walls, making it uninhabitable for the people. When Babylon captured Jerusalem in 586 BC, they destroyed its walls and burned its gates. Many Jews were deported to Babylon. Later, Zerubbabel attempted to rebuild the walls, but his efforts failed due to interference from surrounding enemies. It wasn’t until 444 BC, under Nehemiah’s leadership, that the walls were finally rebuilt. For 142 years, the walls remained broken and unrepaired. During that time, the Jews living in Jerusalem were defenseless against foreign invasions and lived in constant fear, not knowing when their enemies might attack.

How did Nehemiah respond when he heard this news? Let’s read verse 4 together: “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 sat down and wept. He was so heartbroken that he couldn’t help but cry. His sorrow was so deep that for some days, he mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. Why was Nehemiah so sorrowful about the situation in Jerusalem? Nehemiah could have ignored what was happening in Jerusalem as if it didn’t concern him. He was in the citadel of Susa in Persia, more than 930 miles away from Jerusalem. At that time, traveling to Jerusalem from Susa would have taken more than a month. Nehemiah probably had never even been to Jerusalem. He could have simply said, “That’s unfortunate,” sent $1,000 in relief donations, and moved on with his life. But Nehemiah’s heart for Jerusalem and the people living there was genuine. He mourned and fasted for some days because the news deeply grieved him. He couldn’t stand the thought of God’s city, Jerusalem, being without walls and mocked by foreigners. The idea of God’s people, the Jews, being trampled by enemies and suffering greatly, broke his heart. Nehemiah’s sorrow came from his love for God. He truly loved God. And because of that, he genuinely loved God’s kingdom, God’s city, and God’s people. That’s why he mourned, fasted, and prayed to God for some days. Do we have this kind of passionate love for God, His people, and His kingdom?

I recently had a conversation with Missionary Josue Maiker from Panama, and he shared with me about the situation in Venezuela. He told me that protests have been ongoing since President Maduro secured a third term through a fraudulent election. Since then, I’ve been following the news about Venezuela with interest. On January 10, last Friday, Maduro was sworn in for his third term as president. Hearing about Venezuela’s dark reality has deeply burdened my heart. I felt a heavy concern for the young people in Venezuela who see no hope for the future and only dream of leaving the country. I am earnestly praying for God’s hope to shine upon the people of Venezuela.

Many of us might be keeping up with the news and taking an interest in the political situation in South Korea. I sometimes worry deeply, wondering if Korea is heading toward ruin or if war might break out. We need to pray earnestly for Korea. We need to pray fervently that the people of Korea will turn back to God.

We need to pray with a broken shepherd’s heart for this land, America, where we live. America was founded on faith in God, but many Americans have lost their faith in Him. Instead, they have fallen into materialism, hedonism, relativism, and selfishness, turning away from serving God. The murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson by Luigi Mangione on December 4 last year shocked American society. The fact that Luigi Mangione was a young, Ivy League-educated intellectual and his three words, “deny,” “delay,” and “depose,” resonated with many who are dissatisfied with the U.S. healthcare system. Hearing about incidents on the New York subway, where a woman was set on fire and a man was pushed onto the tracks, makes us wonder, “How can such things happen?” The news of people looting wildfire-stricken areas in chaotic Los Angeles brings yet another shock. These events leave us sighing as we face the reality of the society we are living in.

Nehemiah carried the suffering of his people and came before God in prayer. When we carefully examine Nehemiah’s prayer, we see that there is so much we can learn from it.

First, Nehemiah trusted God completely. He addressed God as “Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments.” He didn’t utter a single word of complaint, like “Why have you abandoned your people?” Instead, he praised God, declaring that He is great, awesome, and faithful.

Second, Nehemiah began by repenting of his own sins. He prayed, “I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you.” Many leaders find it difficult to admit their own mistakes. They often blame others for the struggles their people face. But Nehemiah took responsibility and admitted his sins. In fact, Nehemiah could have easily blamed his ancestors. He wasn’t even born when the Israelites were taken into captivity in Babylon. Yet, he confessed as if the suffering of his people was due to his own sins. Accepting the sins of the people as his own is the true attitude of a leader.

Third, Nehemiah remembered God’s promises. He believed that God was faithful in keeping His promises, and he asked God to fulfill them.

Fourth, Nehemiah resolved to take concrete action and asked for God’s help. He prayed, “Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.” From this prayer, we can see that Nehemiah decided to personally take the initiative in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. He resolved to use his position as a cupbearer to approach the king of Persia and request permission to rebuild the walls. He asked God to help him and make his plan successful. This was not an easy task, but Nehemiah carried a holy burden for the rebuilding of the walls. He embraced this burden as a mission given to him by God.

When we desire to serve God and pray, we often carry a sense of burden for God’s mission. Some people have a holy burden to help young children grow up as God-loving people. Others feel a holy burden to spiritually guide wandering teenagers. Some have a passionate and holy burden for the campus mission. Others feel a holy burden to study and teach the Bible deeply. Some have a holy burden to praise God through the church’s music ministry. Others feel a holy burden to maintain the church building spiritually and keep it clean. There are many other holy burdens that God places on us for His mission. What kind of holy burden is God placing on your heart? When God gives us such a holy burden, we must not ignore it. Instead, we should pray and seek to understand God’s will, and we must obey Him. When we do, God will provide the strength we need to carry it out.

God, in His perfect plan, had already placed Nehemiah as the cupbearer to the Persian king. At the right time, God called him for His holy mission. God had already been preparing Nehemiah as a spiritual leader. If we are currently in a certain job or place here in New York, it is a part of God’s plan. Through our present circumstances, God desires to use us. We pray that we may become servants of God who love Him, His kingdom, and His people, just like Nehemiah. May we pray like Nehemiah, discover God’s will, obey Him, and serve His holy mission. Amen.