The Sunday School Lesson
Following a Visionary Leader

NEH. 2:1 And it came to pass in the month Ni'san, in the twentieth year of Ar-tax-erx'es the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence.

2 Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid,

3 And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?

4 Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.

5 And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Ju'dah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it.

6 And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.

7 Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Ju'dah;

8 And a letter unto A'saph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.

11 So I came to Je-ru'sa-lem, and was there three days.

17 Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jeru'sa-lem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Je-ru'sa-lem, that we be no more a reproach.

18 Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.

HEART OF THE LESSON

The people of Judah had been in exile in Babylon. After the Persians conquered the Babylonians, the new ruler allowed the Jews to return to their homeland, though not as a free people. Judah was now a province of the Persian Empire.

When they returned, the Jews found Jerusalem in ruins. Under the urging of the Prophets Haggai and Zechariah, they eventually rebuilt the temple, but there was much more to be done.

The city walls were still mere rubble, offering no protection to the people dwelling there. Without walls, structures for the common good such as schools and shops could not exist in safety.

According to Ezra 4:1-24, over the next ninety years or so, the Jews made several attempts to rebuild the city walls. But neighboring peoples who did not want to see the Jews prosper sent letters to the Persian kings making all sorts of spurious accusations. After the last such letter, the then-current ruler, King Artaxerxes, issued a decree that halted work on the walls (vs. 21).

It was under those circumstances that Nehemiah, a Jew born in the Persian Empire, entered the picture.

1. A request of royalty (Neh. 2:1-8). Nehemiah had personally done well under the Persians; he had an important and respected job as cupbearer to King Artaxerxes. That frequently put him in close proximity to the king. Only someone who had the king's deep trust would be allowed to occupy that position.

Even though Nehemiah had never been to Jerusalem, he had strong feelings for that city, the geographic center for his faith. Thus, when the news of the latest problems in Judah came to Nehemiah, he felt great grief and wanted to help.

First, Nehemiah prayed. Next, he used his access to the king to enlist his aid, but this step required courage. Raising the issue of Jerusalem could put Artaxerxes on the spot, since it was his own decree that had stopped the most recent attempts to rebuild Jerusalem's walls. For all Nehemiah knew, Artaxerxes might order his arrest or even his execution.

Nevertheless, Nehemiah went to the king and performed his cupbearer duties. Nehemiah was courageous, but he was also wise. Instead of telling the king his desire, he simply allowed his sadness to show. Seeing it, the king asked its cause. It was one thing to raise a touchy matter uninvited with the king and another thing altogether to simply answer the king's direct question.

Thankfully, when Nehemiah explained his sadness, the king asked what troubled him. Nehemiah asked to be sent to rebuild the walls and to be given royal letters granting authority and the right to requisition building supplies.

Artaxerxes agreed.

2. A rally of God's people (Neh. 2-11, 17-18). Armed with the king's letters, Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem. He told the people of his plans and the support he had from the king. He also told them of God's hand upon him. Responding to Nehemiah's zeal, the people enthusiastically agreed to tackle the job, the "good work."

Without question, Nehemiah was a visionary leader, and he had unprecedented help from the Persian king. But Nehemiah knew the ultimate source of the help was God's gracious hand upon him.

Our ultimate help too, in every situation of our lives, comes from the gracious hand of God.

QUESTIONS

1. What prevented Nehemiah's fear from overwhelming him in talking to the king?

2. What did nehemiah ask for, and how did the king respond?

3. What added things did Nehemiah ask for above his initial request, and why were these important?

(Reprinted by permission of The Incorporated Trustees of the Gospel Worker Society and Union Gospel Press, P.O. Box 6059, Cleveland, Ohio, 44101)