Nehemiah Introduction
The book of Nehemiah is the sequel to the book of Ezra. Originally one long book, the two were eventually divided and named for the main character in each book. Nehemiah picks up right where the story of Ezra leaves off, spanning the period between 445-431 BC. When we meet Nehemiah in chapter 1, he’s serving as the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes. Being a cupbearer meant more than just serving wine; Nehemiah was a trusted advisor and right-hand man to the king. As the book unfolds, Nehemiah assumes two other roles: wall-builder and, eventually, the governor of Judah.
This book will take us on a journey. Along the way, we’ll be encouraged and spurred on by Nehemiah’s faithfulness. He lives and acts in a prayerful, faithful way throughout the story. We’ll see moments of revival where it seems like everything clicks for God’s people and they repent and turn from their sins. But we’ll also see the dangers of what happens when we simply go through the motions without having truly transformed hearts. Nehemiah ends on a somber note as Nehemiah feels discouraged by the actions of the people he thought were authentically pursuing God.
This story doesn’t have a fairytale ending, but that’s what makes it feel real. We have likely all felt the same discouragement as Nehemiah. We have also likely been the stubborn ones who wandered from God and returned to our old habits and patterns. We can likely resonate with all the characters in this book to some degree. As we read, grab a journal and take good notes. Figure out what you can take from each chapter of this story and apply to your life today. There are so many things we can learn about God and ourselves through the lens of this book. As we read Nehemiah, start each day with prayer, asking God to open your heart to what you need to learn today. Thanks for reading along with us!
Read Nehemiah 1
Nehemiah’s Prayer
The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah:
In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, 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.
3 They said to me, “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.”
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. 5 Then I said:
“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, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. 7 We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.
8 “Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, 9 but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’
10 “They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. 11 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.”
I was cupbearer to the king.
Go Deeper
As the book of Nehemiah begins, we’re immediately introduced to the title character. As you likely noticed, Nehemiah is speaking in the first person, which gives us a glimpse into who he is and how he was feeling. Unlike Ezra, who was a priest, Nehemiah is an Israelite serving in the Persian government. At the end of this chapter, he tells us that he is the king’s cupbearer, which indicates to us that he’s highly thought of by King Artaxerxes. The cupbearer was so much more than someone to serve wine; they had to be trustworthy and functioned as a confidant and an advisor.
Nehemiah is an excellent case study in leadership. While he may not have been the king, he still had a great deal of influence to steward well. When he heard of the trouble in Jerusalem and the state of the broken down walls, he wept and mourned at the news. While that’s a fairly normal response to troubling news, notice what Nehemiah did next. He devoted himself to prayer. Before anything else happened–before he hatched a plan or sprung into action–Nehemiah immediately took the situation before God.
Nehemiah’s prayer ends with him asking for favor in the eyes of the king as he prepares to ask King Artaxerxes for permission to go rebuild the walls. Notice how he refers to the king as “this man” in his prayer. Even though the king was extremely powerful (in human terms), Nehemiah knew that God was the one who held all of the power. As we read the book of Nehemiah, we’ll see that prayer is extremely normal for him. In fact, Nehemiah’s prayers make up 11% of this entire book. How different would our lives look if 11% of our recorded words were prayers asking God to intervene? As we go about our day today, let’s be people who bring every request in front of God. Instead of automatically trying to formulate a course of action or trying to fix it ourselves, let’s devote ourselves to prayer in the same way that Nehemiah did.
Questions
- Why was Nehemiah so burdened by what was going on in Jerusalem?
- Nehemiah was in a position of influence. Where are your spheres of influence today?
- How often do you take situations/requests/problems in your life directly to God in prayer? Do you find yourself routinely trying to fix the issues on your own? Why?
Did You Know?
Nehemiah is the last of the historical books in the Old Testament. While Esther follows Nehemiah in the canon, the events of Esther actually take place in the time period between Ezra 6 and 7.
Leave a Comment Below
Join the Team
Interested in writing for the Bible Reading Plan? Email [email protected].
8 responses to “Nehemiah 1 + Introduction”
I’m encouraged by the deep humility of Nehemiah as he postures himself in prayer on behalf of his people. God uses him to open a gateway to redeem the fractured Israelite condition. WHO is waiting on the other side of our obedience? Be amazed that we get to partner with God to “see his kingdom come, his will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Let’s be people who pray without ceasing.
Yes, so much to learn from the life of Nehemiah!
Love this!
Are we in a similar position as Nehemiah in verse 3 They said to me, “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.”
Are we in great trouble, disgrace with our walls broken down and gates burned. Nehemiah’s response is weeping and mourning for days. He also added in fasting and praying.
We leave ourselves in this spiritual state. I/we live in a state of anxiety and fear. BUT GOD has the answer to all the questions. As we see in Nehemiah how he seeks God and changes his and others minds to God and His covenant.
v 5“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, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. 7 We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.
God thank You for Your desire of children. Thank You that I can seek You and find You. God help me to love You with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. God help me to be attentive with listening ears to hear and obey. Help my eyes of understanding to be enlightened to all You desire for me to do. I confess that I do not do what I need or want to do, forgive me. God I am so grateful that You are a forgiving God. Thank You for Your Son’s sacrifice that made it possible for me to commune with You through Holy Spirit and that Jesus sits on Your right hand mediating for me. God You are so amazing, great and awesome who keeps His covenant of love with those who love You and keep Your commandments. God thank You for these minutes of this day that all I say and do are glorifying and honoring to You in Jesus name amen.
WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
11 “Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer . . .”
Asking God to “be attentive” to our prayers is a common theme in the Bible (eg Psalm 5 and 130). It’s probably not necessary, but I completely understand the sentiment! God, I really need your focus on this right now!
This passage struck a particular chord in me the moment Erik highlighted verse 11: “Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant.”
Immediately my own “ears attended” to a sacred choral memory: these strikingly similar words set to music in John Rutter’s “Requiem – Out of the Deep”:
“O let thine ears consider well the voice of my complaint” (Psalm 130:2).
A prayer that sings on in my memory almost 40 years after I first performed this piece, when, as a very young woman, I was crying out my own songs of lament.
Needless to say, I was deeply intrigued by such unexpected repetition. After researching further, here’s what I discovered:
Psalm 130 (the verses I recalled) is what’s known as a De Profundis psalm — a cry “out of the deep.” It has long been associated with exile, repentance, burial, and the waiting of a broken people for redemption.
The fact that we read these words repeated by Nehemiah is no coincidence. Such phrasing belongs to a formal covenant plea — language Israel used when standing in national crisis and appealing to God as covenant-keeping King.
It is temple language.
Courtroom language.
Exilic lament language.
And language voiced by Nehemiah as he stands squarely inside this moment of Israel’s story.
He expresses himself in words that had been prayed, sung and trusted by countless generations before him. At such a crucial time, Nehemiah’s prayers are not invented— but INHERITED.
Such sacred words voice both personal lament — and a nation’s sacred legacy.
What assurance this gives me! Even now, as we ask God at such crucial times to “be attentive to our prayers,” we do so standing firm in the words of our ancestral faith.
You can listen “Out of the Deep” here:
https://youtu.be/JoOPG4eloPs?si=PQJi_2AyBs_dBBYa
As I read Nehemiah and his compassionate prayer for the people, I ask to have the same focus of prayer for the people/circumstances in my life. So often I try to take matters into my own hands when I know our Sovereign God is whom I should lean in to.