The Burden of Prayer (Neh 1:1-11)

I. The Character of Nehemiah (v.1)

  • A. Nehemiah had three positions.
  1. Cupbearer
  2. Builder
  3. Governor
  • B. The name “Nehemiah” means “the comfort of Yahweh” or        “Yahweh has comforted.”
  1. Nehemiah was a man of responsibility. That he served as the king’s cupbearer (1:11-2:1) can only mean that he had proven himself trustworthy over a long period.
  2. Nehemiah was a man of vision. The walls of Jerusalem had been in ruins for 141 years when Nehemiah learned of an abortive attempt to rebuild them (Ezra 4:23). He had a great vision of who God was and what he could do through his servants.
  3. Nehemiah was a man of prayer. His first resort was to prayer (Neh 1:5-11). He prayed spontaneously even in the presence of the king (2:4-5).
  4. Nehemiah was a man of action and of cooperation. He would explain what needed to be done (2:16-17) and inspire others to join him (2:18). He knew how to organize the rebuilding work (ch. 3). In spite of opposition the people responded so enthusiastically that they mended the wall in less than two months (6:15). He inspired the people with his own example (5:14-18). Nehemiah, a layman, was able to cooperate with his contemporary Ezra, the scribe and priest, in spite of the fact that these two leaders were of entirely different temperaments. In reaction to the problem of mixed marriages, Ezra plucked out his own hair (Ezra 9:3), whereas Nehemiah plucked out the hair of the offenders (Neh 13:25)!
  5. Nehemiah was a man of compassion. He renounced his own privileges (Neh 5:18) and denounced the wealthy who had exploited their poorer brothers (5:8). He did this because of his reverence for God (5:9, 15).
  6. Nehemiah was a man who triumphed over opposition. His opponents used every ruse to intimidate him. They started with ridicule (2:19; 4:2-3). They attempted slander (6:5-7). Hired prophets gave him misleading advice (6:10-14). Nehemiah responded with prayer (4:4), with redoubled efforts (v.6), with vigilance (v.9), and with trust in God (v.14).
  7. Nehemiah was a man with right motivation. Although he justified his ministry, his primary motive was not to be judged aright by others or to be remembered by posterity. The last words of Nehemiah—“Remember me with favor, O my God” (13:31)—recapitulate a frequently repeated theme (5:19; 13:14, 22, 29). His motive throughout his ministry was to please and serve his divine Sovereign. His only reward would be God’s approbation.
  8. Nehemiah brought comfort to his people.
  • C. Nehemiah was from a prominent family
  1. “Hacaliah” is contracted from “wait for Yahweh” (cf. Zeph 3:8).
  2. The reference to his paternal sepulchers in Jerusalem (2:3, 5) may mean that Nehemiah came from a prominent family.

II. The Concern of Nehemiah (v. 1-3)

  • A. The Time
  1. Kislev: Nov-Dec
  2. the twentieth year: of Artaxerxes I (464-424 BC): 445 BC
  • B. The Place
  1. The city: Susa
  2. The building: the palace, residence of the king

“Susa” was the major city of Elam, the area of southwestern Iran. Susa was located in a fertile alluvial plain 150 miles north of the Persian Gulf. In the Achaemenid period it served as a winter palace for the kings (Kislev = Nov.-Dec.), but the area became intolerably hot during the summer months. It was the site of the story of Esther. Ezra 4:9-10 refers to the men of Susa who were deported to Samaria. At Susa, Artaxerxes I received the embassy of Callias (449 B.C.) that ended Greek-Persian hostilitie.

  • C. The Report
  1. Hanani was a close relative, perhaps a brother of Nehemiah.
  2. Brings a report with other men from Judah about the Jewish remnant.
  • a. Descendants of those who survived the Babylonian exile
  • b. They returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple.

.     3. The people are vulnerable to attack and subject to ridicule.
.     4. The walls and gates of Jerusalem are broken and burned.
The lack of a city wall meant that the people were defenseless against their enemies. Kenyon (Digging Up , p. 170) notes: “The effect on Jerusalem was much more disastrous and far-reaching than merely to render the city defenseless…. The whole system of terraces down the (eastern) slope, dependent on retaining walls buttressed in turn by the fill of the next lower terrace, was ultimately dependent on the town wall at the base, forming the lowest and most substantial of the retaining walls.”

Most scholars, however, do not believe that Nehemiah’s distress was caused by the condition of walls torn down 140 years before his time but rather by the episode of Ezra 4:7-23. According to this passage Jews had attempted to rebuild the walls earlier, in the reign of Artaxerxes I. But after the protest of Rehum and Shimshai, the king ordered the Jews to desist. There was considerable suspicion of such attempts because of the revolt of Megabyzus.

III. The Cry of Nehemiah (vv. 4-11)

  • A. Nehemiah’s Response (v.4).
  1. His physical response
  • a. He sat down
  • b. He wept: external expression of grief
  • c. He mourned: internal expression of grief

. 2. His spiritual response

  • a. He fasted: external

. i. Denotes urgency.
. ii. Denotes desperation.

  • b. He prayed: external and internal:

. i. Denotes dependence
. ii. Denotes a personal relationship with God.
. iii. Denotes his submission to God
. 3. Implications

  • a. He clearly recognized the needs
  • b. He was personally concerned for the need.
  • c. He had compassion.
  • B. Nehemiah’s Prayer (vv. 5-11)
  1. He went to God with the problem (vv. 4-5).
  2. He praised God: Adoration (vv. 5-6a)
  • a. For God’s Sovereignty
  • b. For His Greatness
  • c. For His Transcendence and Holiness
  • d. For His Loyal Love

. i. His faithfulness to His covenant
. ii. Toward those who love an obey Him

  • e. For His Attentiveness

. i. Nehemiah trusts that God listens.
. ii. Nehemiah trusts that God sees his predicament.
. iii. Nehemiah humbles himself before God.
. iv. Nehemiah submits to God.
. v. Nehemiah is persistent before God.
. vi. Nehemiah puts other before himself.
. 3. He confessed his part in the problem: Confession (vv. 6b-7).

  • a. God was faithful
  • b. His people had been unfaithful.
  • c. He confesses the sins of the nation beginning with himself and his family.

. i. They had been wicked.
. ii. They have been disobedient.
. iii. They had broken the covenant that God had given Moses for Israel.
. 4. He claimed the promise, the basis of his petition (vv. 8-9).

  • a. He asks God to remember His covenant.
  • b. Discipline and exile for disobedience.
  • c. Reconciliation and return for repentance.

. i. He retrieves them from the farthest corner of the heavens.
. ii. God’s hand of judgment is never longer than his hand of mercy.
. iii. Jerusalem is the place where God’s name and glory dwell.

  • d. God’s people are still His greatest investment (v. 10)

. i. His servants
. ii. His people
. iii. His redemption
. iv. His power
. v. Hi actions
. 5. He bought his petition before God: Petition (v.11)

  • a. He requests again that God listen to him.
  • b. He is in a concert of prayer with others.
  • c. They all delight to fear and worship God.

. 6. He was available to meet the need himself (v.11).

  • a. He asks for success now and in the future.
  • b. He asks for compassion in the presence of the king.
  • c. He was the king’s cupbearer.

. i. He would have been well-trained in court etiquette (cf. Dan 1:4-5).
. ii. He was probably a handsome individual (cf. Dan 1:4, 13, 15; Jos. Antiq. XVI, 230 [viii.1]).
. iii. He would certainly know how to select the wines to set before the king.

A proverb in the Babylonian Talmud (Baba Qamma  92b) states: “The wine belongs to the master but credit for it is due to his cupbearer.”
. iv. He would have to be a convivial companion, willing to lend an ear at all times.
. v. He would have great influence as one with the closest access to the king, able to determine who was able see his master.
. vi. Above all Nehemiah had to be one who enjoyed the unreserved confidence of the king.

The great need for trustworthy court attendants is underscored by the intrigues endemic to the Achaemenid court. Xerxes, father of Artaxerxes I, was killed in his own bedchamber by Artabanus, a courtier.
IV. Applications

  • A. Prayer makes me wait.
  • B. Prayer clears my vision.
  • C. Prayer quiets my heart.
  • D. Prayer activates my faith.

All Things Great and Small (Mark 12:28-44)

I. The Great Commandment (12:28-34)

  • A. The Question of the Greatest Commandment (28).
  1. The Scribe’s Observation (28a)
  2. The Scribes’ Admiration (28b)
  3. The Scribes’ Interrogation (28c)

“The Scribes had declared that there were six hundred and thirteen commandments: two hundred forty-eight affirmative precepts-as many as the members of the human body-and three hundred sixty-five negative, as many as the days of the year (Vincent). There was a great discussion between the opposing theological schools of Shamai and Hillel as to which were the “light” and which were the “heavy” commandments. They discussed the distinction between the ritual and the ethical, or the positive and the moral, the prevalent tendency being to attach more importance and g reater weight to the positive commandments relating to circumcision, Sabbath-keeping, and other ritual requirements (Lightfoot). The result was the “exaltation of the ceremonial element, the curse of later Judaism.” The words of the Rabbis were to be prized above the words of the Law. It was commonly agreed that the positive commandments about the minutest details of the ceremonial law were as binding as the fundamental moral code. The heavy commandments were the ones to which the death penalty was attached, such as the Sabbath-keeping laws, sacrifices, and purifications. If the Pharisees could get Jesus entangled in the web of current theological, hair-splitting controversy, they would bring the unlettered Nazarene Rabbi into disrepute. They hoped He would take the fatal step of asserting again His divine supremacy. This would precipitate a reaction of violence against Him such as had almost swept Him away on various previous occasions.”

  • B. Jesus’ Answer of Two-faceted Love (29-31; Deut 6:4-5; Lev 19:18).
  1. God is One (29a)
  2. Love for God must be encompassing and supreme (29b)
  • a. Heart: We must love God emotionally and passionately.
  • b. Soul: We must love God consciously and volitionally.
  • c. We must love God mentally and intelligently.
  • d. We must love God physically and tangibly.

. 3. We must love other people with active compassion and justice.

  • C. The Scribe’s Approval (32-33)
  1. He agrees with Jesus on all three counts (32-33a).
  2. He submits that love is greater than sacrifice and offerings (33b; 1 Sam 15:22; Isa 1:10-17; Jer 7:22-23; Hos 6:6).
  • a. We cannot worship God without loving and obeying Him.
  • b. We cannot worship God without loving and forgiving people.
  • D. Jesus’ Commendation (34)
  1. Jesus observed the scribe’s thoughtful response (34a).
  2. Jesus remarks that the scribe is near but not yet in the kingdom (34b).
  • a. The scribe admires Jesus.
  • b. The scribe has not yet trusted in Jesus as the Messiah.

The lawyer could not help himself. What Jesus replied could not have been said better. While this scribe agreed with our Lord’s statement, I cannot help but get the impression that this religious authority is giving his approval as a superior to an inferior, such as a professor would respond to one of his students. He virtually repeats Jesus’ words with a few additional comments. While he has accepted the truth of His teaching, he has not yet acknowledged His sovereign authority, otherwise he should have fallen at the feet of Jesus.

The answer of the Savior must have been shocking. If the scribe had commended Jesus with an evaluation roughly equivalent to ‘not bad, not bad at all,’ Jesus appraises this man’s position as ‘not far from the Kingdom’ (Mark 12:34). That is tantamount to saying to a man like Billy Graham, “That was a fairly good sermon,” or to John Calvin, “Your theology is coming right along, so stay with it.” If the best word Jesus can give to this somewhat receptive scribe is ‘not far,’ what can His evaluation of the rest be?

. 3. The Jewish leaders risk no more questions (34c).
II. The Great Messiah (12:35-37)

  • A. The expert’s confession is that the Messiah is the Son of David (35).
  • B. David under the inspiration of the Spirit sees the Messiah as his Lord (36; Ps 110:1).
  • C. Jesus’ paradox of the Messiah being David’s son and lord (37a).
  1. David depicts the Messiah as greater than he is.
  2. Messiah is more Lord than he is Son.
  3. Jesus implies that He as the Messiah is greater than the scribes think.
  • B. The crowd delights and approves of Jesus teaching (37b).

III. The Great Rebuke (12:38-40)

  • A. The Scribes’ Public Arrogance (38).
  1. Popularity
  2. Prestige
  3. Power
  • B. The Scribes’ Social Arrogance (39).
  • C. The Scribes’ Economic Arrogance (40a)
  • D. The Scribes’ Religious Arrogance (40b)
  • E. The Scribes’ Severe Punishment (40c)
  1. The scribes are judged because their piety is without love.
  2. They do not love either people or God.

IV. The Great Offering (12:41-44)

  • A. Jesus observes the giving of the rich (41).
  • B. Jesus observes the giving of the poor widow (42).
  • C. Jesus compares the giving of the rich and poor (43-44).
  1. He uses this situation as a teaching moment for His disciples (43a).
  2. He calls the poor widow the greatest of givers (43b-44).
  • a. The widow’s offering was the greatest (43b).
  • b. The rich give out of their wealth and excess: their leftovers (44a)
  • c. The widow gives everything she has: her life (44b).
  • d. The widow gives out of love for God..
  • e. Ironically, the widow gives to the very system that oppresses her.

. i. She still sees the temple as God’s house.
. ii. She believes that God will one day redeem it and her.