The commitment of Nehemiah

Nehemiah said : "I asked them about the Jews, the survivors who had remained of the captivity, and about Jerusalem ; and they said to me, The remnant ... are in great misery and shame, and the wall of Jerusalem is in ruins, and its gates are burned with fire. And when I heard these words, I sat down and wept ; and I mourned many days, and fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven." Nehemiah 1. 2-4

Nehemiah is in exile at Susa, residence of the kings of Persia where he occupies a prestigious function : he is butler of King Artaxerxes. This charge required the most perfect integrity, for the Eastern monarchs feared to be poisoned. As the cupbearer had to taste the drinks before the king, he put his own life in danger, so that the monarch owed him his !

One day from November-December 446 BC J.-C., Nehemiah, on the basis of received news, suddenly becomes aware of the state of Jerusalem.

Nehemiah probably never saw Jerusalem because he was born in the kingdom of Babylon. Yet he is very attached to the city of his fathers, the Holy City where the temple of the Lord has just been rebuilt.

Nehemiah is often presented as a model leader. However, what stands out especially from the beginning of his book, are his pious man qualities :

- Nehemiah is a man of prayer. He has a true relationship with the Lord (Ne. 1. 5-11, 2. 5).

- He knows the scriptures. He refers to it in his prayer. That is to say, far from his country, he endeavored to follow the commandments of the Lord which are contained in the Scriptures at his disposal.

- He loves his people, the people of God. When his brother Hanani returns from Jerusalem, he hastens to ask him for news. The description he hears makes him cry, fast, pray, for several days.

- He does not seek his own interest or comfort. He is willing to give up the luxury of the palace to be available to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem.

- He is courageous, because to ask the king to send him for this mission means his long absence in his function, vital for the king

May God raise up today men and women who are attached to him in prayer, as in his Word and his interests !

Source (Pleasing the Lord)