Daily Thought for: 12th July
NEHEMIAH—HIS TEARS
Nehemiah 1
In looking at Nehemiah, we see a different character from that of Ezra.
It could have been as much as 14 years after Ezra’s movements that Nehemiah
led a company of exiles back to Jerusalem. As with Ezra, Nehemiah was God’s
man at the right time. Great things were achieved through a man who courageously
carried out God’s will. History owes much to such men. ‘The words of Nehemiah’;
notice how much of this book is written in the first person. The man is
describing his own concern and actions. This gives it poignancy and power.
Today we seem to see right into Nehemiah’s heart. As Hananiah and his friends
come from Jerusalem, he asks concerning the well-being of those who had
escaped exile and returned. In verse 3 we read the sorry story; they were
in great affliction and reproach, and the walls of the city were broken
down, and the gates destroyed by fire. In a sense this one verse sets the
stage for the events that follow. It presents a picture of desolation and
despair.
The effect on Nehemiah was devastating; ‘I sat down and wept and mourned
certain days, and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven’. Let us consider
this man’s deep concern. Tears express deep feelings, often too deep for
words. Think of Jeremiah, Paul the apostle, and even our Lord Jesus. Are
we concerned enough to ask about our brothers and sisters, and then to
weep when we hear of desperate needs in their lives?
Out of his concern he called upon God. His sense of helplessness is apparent.
Jerusalem was a long way off, and he was just a hearer of the needs. But,
to a man of prayer, God is always near. This is one lesson that we shall
be reminded of many times. Note his plea; ‘Let thine ears be attentive
and thine eyes be open . . .’, v. 6.
It is here, also, that we notice that Nehemiah claimed God’s covenant promises
to His people, v. 5. The plight of the people was because of their sin,
but they were still His people. We shall notice more of this prayer relationship
as we go on. Today, let us ask the Lord to make us aware of the needs of
those who have lost their way in their Christian lives.
