Nehemiah is sent to Jerusalem
In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before; 2 so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.”
I was very much afraid, 3 but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”
4 The king said to me, “What is it you want?”
Three months passed between the time when Nehemiah had heard of the plight of Jerusalem and when he asked the king for help. We do not know if fear held Nehemiah back or if he simply didn’t have a good opportunity to make his plea. Nehemiah finally presented his case when the king inquired about his sad appearance. Nehemiah’s fear may have been due to the fact that sadness was considered inappropriate in the presence of the great king. Furthermore, if his request were rejected, he could lose his status, his job, or perhaps even his life.
In that moment while his heart was pounding with fear, Nehemiah directed a brief, silent prayer to the Lord. This was very typical of Nehemiah, who is shown as a man of prayer throughout this book. Nehemiah’s prayer demonstrates the meaning of the scriptural admonition “Pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Nehemiah had no time for lengthy or formal prayer, but he showed that continual prayer is basically an attitude of the heart. It is trusting in God at all times and facing each new situation with an awareness of our dependence on God’s help. Nehemiah faced his crisis with an unspoken plea for help. Emboldened by his confidence that the Lord would answer his prayer, Nehemiah pursued his case.
Nehemiah’s request indicated that he already had a wellformed plan in mind. He knew which officials he needed to contact for lumber from the royal forests and which he needed to contact to receive adequate protection for his activities. Unlike Ezra, Nehemiah was not hesitant to make use of whatever military escort the king might provide. It seems that Nehemiah realized he would not be able to cope with officials who opposed his plans unless he himself received the status of a self-sufficient governor. Nehemiah’s plans were well laid, but when he succeeded, he attributed his success to the hand of God, which was upon him.
As for King Artaxerxes, his readiness to grant Nehemiah’s request was based on more than just being bighearted. The rich province of Egypt was restless. It was in Persia’s best interest to have the Palestinian province in friendly, loyal hands. Assisting the Jews in rebuilding their ruined capital would help ensure that.