How Do We Prosper When Dealing With A Problem?

Nehemiah 2:1-20

Nehemiah was the cupbearer to the king of Persia, Artaxerxes. He was a man of God and was a trusted advisor to the king. Many decades prior, Zerubbabel was able to get the Jerusalem Temple rebuilt. Some years later, Ezra had returned to Jerusalem to help with the spiritual needs of the people. Now it was time for Nehemiah to help. The walls of Jerusalem were still in disrepair. In chapter 1, Nehemiah had heard about the condition of Jerusalem and prays for the Jewish people.

In verses 1-4:

So now Nehemiah prepares to stand in the PRESENCE of the earthly king. He tells how he had never shown his emotions before. As a courtier, it was not allowed to show one’s inner personal feelings in front of the king. No one wearing clothes of mourning could enter the royal palace (Esther 4:2). What a joy and relief to know that at any time we can go before God’s throne of grace with our PETITIONS?

The king realizes that something is wrong with Nehemiah. He comments that he could see that Nehemiah was not sick. Nehemiah was somewhat scared because he knew it was dangerous showing his sadness in front of the king. However, he knew that God had called him to do something.

We do not need to let our fears control us. By doing so we make our fears come in front of God. We need to recognize that God is stronger than our fears and when He has called us to do something, He will help us in doing that task.

Nehemiah tells the king why he has been so sad. The king tells Nehemiah to make his request known to him. The first thing Nehemiah does is PRAY to God, silently of course, in front of the king. There are other times within the book of Nehemiah where he prays to God spontaneously (Nehemiah 4:4-5, 9; 5:19; 6:14; 13:14, 22, 29). He knew that God is always available, and that God is always in control. he knew he could talk to God at anytime because he had established a close relationship with God.

• Nehemiah 1:4-7, And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven, And said, I beseech thee, O Lord God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments: Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of they servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father’s house have sinned. We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statues, nor the judgments, which commandedst thy servant Moses.

We Christians should have a similar type of relationship with God in our lives today as Nehemiah did then.

In verses 5-8:

Now Nehemiah gets to the POINT. He requests PERMISSION from the king. He asks to leave his current POSITION and asks for PROVISIONS to go to Jerusalem. After Nehemiah got a POSITIVE answer from the king, he asks for extra help.

There are and will be times when we will have a task. That task may be a bit more than we think we can handle. We need not be afraid in requesting help from God. He will PROVIDE it in one form or fashion. He always has, He always will.

In verses 9-11:

The king gives Nehemiah some letters to PRESENT to governors and he gives him soldiers as a military escort for PROTECTION. We may not need a military or police escort, but it is good to know that God can supply that as well for us. Upon arriving, Sanballat and Tobiah seem a bit apprehensive on hearing about Nehemiah’s arrival.

For many years prior, there had always been some type of opposition to rebuilding Jerusalem, and that is what the devil does to those who are out doing God’s work. Satan tries to hinder God’s chosen people in every way from completing the tasks that are set before them. Sometimes the devil may even try to use our own family and friends to keep us or hinder us from doing what God has called us to do. We must remember that God always PROVIDES a way.

It is unclear as to why Sanballat and Tobiah were against the rebuilding. Maybe it was due to bad relations with the Samaritans from years prior during the time of Zerubbabel (Ezra 1:2). It could be that because Nehemiah was the king’s cupbearer and advisor, and that rebuilding Jerusalem could threaten the Samaritan official’s authority there. Or it could be that Sanballat and Tobiah did not want more Jewish people moving into the land and potentially taking over. But whatever the reason, we know that it did not affect Nehemiah’s PERSISTENCE.