7/25/2011 8:06:54 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus: He cared enough to ask
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Nehemiah 1:1-3
Message of the verses: “1 ¶ The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it happened in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, while I was in Susa the capitol, 2 that Hanani, one of my brothers, and some men from Judah came; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped and had survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem. 3 They said to me, "The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire.’”
Today’s SD begins the study of the book of Nehemiah. In my life as a new believer the 2nd chapter of Nehemiah was one of the first passages of Scripture that I had heard of so it is with a glade heart that I begin this study of Nehemiah. I can also remember while attending the church that I attended for 32 years that the first pastor that I sat under preached all the way through the book of Nehemiah and this is more found memories from this book. Just recently I read a book by Charles Swindoll on the book of Nehemiah, and the theme of his writing on Nehemiah was “Leadership” for all one has to do is read through Nehemiah and they will be able to see his ability to lead. I have read that when God wants to make something happen that He will call a great leader as can be seen throughout the Scriptures. People like Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David and a host of many others were great leaders that we called by the Lord for things that He wanted accomplished, and so it is with Nehemiah.
I want to give a few facts about the book of Nehemiah before going into commentary on the first three verses. The author of the book of Nehemiah was Ezra, for in the LXX and Vulgate the book of Nehemiah is called “Second Ezra.” There are other reasons, but I will leave it with that one. The book was written using Nehemiah’s personal diary as much can be seen written in the first person.
Nehemiah was a cupbearer for the king of Persia and this job was a very important job, for it kept the king alive from someone trying to poison him, so Nehemiah had to be a man of great character and trust in order to have such a job. It is certain that God had given him this job for a greater purpose.
The book begins in the 20th year of King Artaxerxes Longimanus, which is late in the year 446 BC as the month of Chislev is November/December of our calendar.
Ester was the step-mother of King Artaxerxes Longimanus (see verse note from MacArthur study Bible on Ester 1:9). Knowing this fact one can better understand some of the things that the king did as he would have gotten influence from his godly step-mother. He would have also known the events that took place in the book of Ester as of the plight of the Jewish people.
Nehemiah was the governor of Jerusalem for two terms and the first term takes place during the first twelve chapters of Nehemiah. There is a gap of twenty years before the second term which probably ended in 410 BC, which is according to a record found in an ancient Egyptian document, “The Elephantine Papyri.” In this book it shows that a new governor came to power in 410 BC named Bigvai. This book is dated late 5th century.
The commentary for Nehemiah by Warren Wiersbe comes from the same “Be” book which he entitles “Be Heroic” and this covers Ezra, Nehemiah, and Ester. The title of the first chapter is “Does Anybody Really Care.” As I think about that title it seems that a musical group called “Chicago” in the 70’s had a song entitled by that name.
Dr. Wiersbe begins his commentary on Nehemiah with a quote by George Bernard Shaw’s play entitled “The Devil’s Disciple.” “The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them: that’s the essence of inhumanity.” When one reads the parable of the “Good Samaritan” in Luke’s Gospel that was spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ they can assume that Jesus believed this statement too.
In these first three verses of Nehemiah chapter one we learn that Nehemiah cared enough to ask his brother how things were going with the remnant that were at Jerusalem. Dr. Wiersbe writes “Like large doors, great life-changing events can swing on very small hinges.” That was the case with Nehemiah, and it was because that he cared about those exiles he asked the question and it was because of the answer that was given to him that his life was changed.
So begins the book of Nehemiah with a question and as I begin this study I hope to find out not only the answer to that question as Nehemiah experiences it first hand, but also how the events that happened almost 2500 years ago will affect my life in 21st century America.
Dr. Wiersbe concludes his commentary on this first main point with these words: “Are we like Nehemiah, anxious to know the truth even about the worst situations? Is our interest born of concern or idle curiosity? When we read missionary prayer letters, the news in religious periodicals, or even in our church’s ministry reports, do we want the facts, and do the facts burden us? Are we the kind of people who care enough to ask?”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: As I ponder all of the questions that Dr. Wiersbe writes in his last statement on the commentary of the first three verses of Nehemiah chapter one I would have to answer yes and no. Yes I care about certain things, and no I don’t seem to care about all of the important things that he mentions. I thought that I would stop getting my toes stepped on after finishing the last two chapters of Ezra, but not the case.
My Steps of Faith for Today:
1. I wish to pray that the Lord would begin to change my heart so that it would be more like the “Good Samaritan.”
2. Continue to learn contentment.
7/25/2011 9:46:30 AM
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