Lessons from Nehemiah

Nehemiah was born and brought up in Babylon. He was the cupbearer to Artaxerxes Longimanus, the king of Persia. A Jew, Nehemiah was concerned about the fate and state of Jerusalem, and he asked about it. When he heard that Jerusalem had been totally destroyed and its walls broken down, Nehemiah (to cut a long story short), asked the king to grant him permission to return to Jerusalem and rebuild its walls. He was granted permission to return and he did and rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem. That was around 444 BC.

We cannot deal with everything within Nehemiah today, but let us look at four things we can learn from Nehemiah:

Firstly, Nehemia put great emphasis on asking the LORD for forgiveness. When he heard of the destruction of Jerusalem, Nehemiah did not pray for punishment for those destroying it. Instead, he asked the LORD for forgiveness for the sins of the people of Israel. We also know that he did not pray only once. He approached the king after many months of praying.

Imperfect beings we are, we must always prioritize asking for forgiveness and confession when we pray. Additionally, we must also pray fervently, like Nehemiah.

Secondly, we must remain steadfast in our resolve and purpose. Nehemiah and his fellow workers were resolute in their purpose and belief. They had to bear arms and work at the same time. They didn’t even change dresses! (Neh. 4:16-23). While doing all these, their hope remains in the LORD, saying, “Our God will fight for us” (Neh. 4:20).

Look at the Church today. We falter, we squirm, we are afraid even when we do not face oppositions. The God who fought for Nehemiah is still the same today.

Thirdly, it is important to put one’s self aside and step out. Nehemiah was an important official. But he stepped out and moved forward and led the people. We have seen the increasingly widening gap between leaders and the people today. It should not be this way. Let us emulate Nehemiah as he led the people to rebuild the city.

Fourthly, the most important aspect of the book of Nehemiah is the emphasis put on reformation. As the wall had been built, the people were asked to change, to reform their lives in accordance with the laws of the LORD.

Today, we do need anything else besides the words of God to revive and reform us (cf Heb. 4:12). We do not really need money and influence. Let us therefore return to the LORD and trust in Him. Let us also cleanse ourselves from all the filth that we have picked up trying different get-rich-quick policies.