THE GRACIOUS HAND OF GOD

Nehemiah 2:1-10 / Keywords 2:8b

And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests.

 

Artaxerxes Sends Nehemiah to Jerusalem

2:1 In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and 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 ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”

4 The king said to me, “What is it you want?”

Then I prayed to the God of heaven, 5 and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.”

6 Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?” It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time.

7 I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? 8 And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?” And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests. 9 So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.

10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.

1. Nehemiah was afraid for his life because the king recognized the sadness in his face. Such a display was not allowed in the king’s presence. When the king inquired about what was wrong, Nehemiah responded respectfully with courage and boldness. After proclaiming “May the king live forever!”, he went on to describe the shameful state of Jerusalem. This took courage because Artaxerxes himself had ordered the work on the walls of Jerusalem to be stopped. So where did Nehemiah’s courage and boldness come from? It came from months of fasting and prayer. After prayer, Nehemiah was willing to lay down his life for God’s people. His mind and his will became powerfully focused. When the king asked Nehemiah what he wanted, he continued to pray! He then made his request, and the king was pleased to grant it.

 

2. Clearly, Nehemiah depended upon the Lord in prayer. However, that did not stop him from making careful plans. Nehemiah was ready to act when God opened the door. Nehemiah requested two letters from the king: one for safe passage and another for supplies. The king granted these and provided army officers and cavalry for protection. Nehemiah was quick to offer God the glory in all of this. He realized that the gracious hand of God was on him and that God had answered his prayers.

 

Prayer Father, teach us to depend on you.

One Word The gracious hand of God is on us