Hitting the Big Time

At some point, we all dream of hitting the big time. You know what I’m talking about. We’ve finally reached that place in life when money really is no object. We can finally order the food we want without worrying about price listed on the menu. We can wear the threads we want and not care whether it’s on the sale rack. We can take that dream vacation and stay in the suite on the club floor and not the Days Inn just off the interstate. I mean if you’ve got the money, who could blame you? But just because you can, doesn’t necessarily mean you should. That’s something Nehemiah not only knows but puts into practice (Neh 5:14-19). As the governor, he’s got every right to live as the governor. Instead he leverages his position and power not to take but to give. Not to rule but to serve. Not to be selfish but to share. The rightful thing to do may not always be the wise thing to do. 

Who could blame Nehemiah for looking out for number one? I mean King Artaxerxes made him the governor of Judah with the assignment to turn around the local economy and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (Neh 2:5-8). The city and surrounding areas are in an economic, security, and spiritual crisis (Neh 1:3). Because the walls are in rubble, the citizens are unable to protect themselves from the constant threat of terrorist attack, a threat that is VERY real (Neh 4:7, 10). A famine rages in the region and has quickly drained most of the food resources (Neh 5:3). And there’s a brutal mortgage crisis as the rich use this as a time to make a fast buck off those who are struggling (Neh 5:1-3). The majority of the poor and working class are losing their homes, their property, and their farms (Neh 5:4, 11). The situation is so desperate that they are selling their children as slaves just to survive (Eh 5:5, 8). Who could blame Nehemiah for using his position as governor to insulate himself from the dumpster fire outside his office window? 

As we dive into verses 14-19, Nehemiah reveals his specific title the king gave him for this mission. “I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years” (v14). Governor? In his humility, he’s neglected to mention this rather prestigious title until now. I don’t know about you, but I would have flashed this to anyone and everyone from the moment I received the title. Apparently the king appointed his wine steward as the Judean governor back when his royal highness put his stamp of approval on the mission at the Persian palace in Susa (Neh 2:7-8). That all went down “in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes” (Neh 2:1). Nehemiah holds the title for a dozen years (v14; Neh 13:6). 

But instead of using the governor’s office to insulate himself from economic crisis in Jerusalem, Nehemiah leverages it for the good of his fellow Jews who are struggling just to survive. After putting a stop to the rampant greed of this ancient mortgage crisis (Neh 5:6-13), he puts his money where his mouth is. Actually instead of putting his food where his mouth is, he puts his food where the people’s mouths are. As governor, he has a significant food budget. But you don’t see Nehemiah and his posse living high on the hog (to be honest, you probably won’t find hog on the kosher menu). “Neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor” (v14). His administration is very different from his predecessors. “The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their daily ration forty shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people” (v15). Previous administrations had not been part of the solution but a HUGE part of the problem! 

Godly leadership is not about getting to the top and doing everything you can to stay there. Godly leadership is servant leadership. This is exactly the sort of greedy leading that Jesus fought against during His earthly ministry. He accused the religious leaders like scribes and Pharisees of being religious bullies. “They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but are not willing to move them with their finger” (Mt 23:4). Jesus turns the org chart on its head. “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave” (Mt 20:25-27). If you want to make it to the top, head for the bottom. If you want to be first, make sure you’re last. The world says this is absolutely crazy talk. But Christ makes it clear that’s how greatness rolls in God’s kingdom. The radical Rabbi/Carpenter didn’t just talk the talk, He walks the walk. “Even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mt 20:28). Service is leadership. Leadership is service.

Meanwhile back in Jerusalem, Nehemiah gives us a glimpse of what Jesus is talking about. He leverages his leadership to serve. He does so “because of the fear of God” (v15). The governor doesn’t believe that the LORD is standing on the edge of a heavenly cloud getting ready to zap him with a lightning bolt when he gets out of line. That’s not what he means by “the fear of God.” He’s talking about his ultimate love and respect for the most powerful Being in the universe. Nehemiah does things very differently than his predecessors as an act of worship to God. Just because he has the legal right to the governor’s menu doesn’t mean he should. Just because he has the right to do so doesn’t mean it’s the wise thing to do. That’s because Nehemiah lives his life in awe of the one who has orchestrated this entire project (Neh 2:8, 18). The governor remembers the words of King Solomon to his son. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov 1:7). When we want to make the wise choice, we start by worshiping God. Once we realize He’s God and we’re not, we make much better decisions.

So what does Nehemiah do? How does he express his love and worship for the LORD? You’re not going to believe this. First of all, he continues to roll up his sleeves and goes to work. “I also persevered in the work on this wall” (v16). No kicking back in the corner office for this guy. The governor also doesn’t use his political power to snag cheap real estate during the mortgage crisis. “We acquired no land” (v16). His entire leadership team is on the job site swinging hammers every day. “All my servants were gathered there for the work” (v16). Unlike previous Judean governors, Nehemiah made sure to lead by example. He doesn’t ask anyone to do anything that he’s not willing to do himself.

But Nehemiah doesn’t stop there. He takes things up a notch. The governor begins the incredibly generous practice of inviting 150 people to swing by his place for dinner every night (v17). Think about that. He hosts a banquet. For 150 people. Every. Single. Night. For 12 stinking years. He’s not swinging by Bojangles on his way home from working at the wall either. He’s serving “one ox and six choice sheep and birds, and every ten days all kinds of win in abundance” (v18). And get this, the cost of these nightly shindigs come out of Nehemiah’s own pocket, NOT his budget as governor (v18). Just in case we missed it the first time, he lets us know, “Yet for all this I did not demand the food allowance of the governor” (v18). Are you getting the idea that the gov’s food budget is significant? The reason he doesn’t is “because the service was too heavy on this people” (v18). Like Jesus, Nehemiah has rolled into town to serve, not be served. 

Don’t miss the prayer the governor offers God at the end of the chapter. “Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people” (v19). He’s not thumping his gubernatorial chest and wanting the LORD to give him full credit for these incredible dinner parties. As he prays, Nehemiah remembers the proper order of servant leadership. God first. Others second. Me third. Over and over again, we find this wine-steward-turned-governor on his knees (Neh 1:4-11; 2:4; 4:9). This is the first of four prayers by Nehemiah asking God to remember his leadership (Neh 13:14, 22, 31). Twice he prays that the LORD won’t forget who’s opposing the wall project (Neh 6:14; 13:29). Servant leaders serve through prayer. 

As I mentioned before, Nehemiah gives us a picture of Jesus. While there are great lessons of leadership we can glean from the Judean governor, the real Hero of the entire Bible is Jesus. And we catch a glimpse of Him here as Nehemiah serves the people and worships God. The Son of God is inviting every last one of His followers to the greatest dinner party the universe has ever seen. It’s actually the wedding reception for His marriage to His bride, the church (Rev 19:6-9). This is no pot luck, BYOB deal. It’s THE social event of eternity! We’re talking all the best food. This is such a celebration that Jesus tells His boys at the Last Supper that He’s not going to drink anymore Merlot or Chardonnay until that day. While Nehemiah gives us a preview of Jesus, his nightly dinner parties pull back the curtain on Christ’s kingdom shebang.

Governor Nehemiah leads by serving. And he serves by leading. He leverages his position and power not for himself but for everyone else. It’s not about the corner office. It’s not about the getting out of work but getting to work. How can we use our influence to make life better for those around us? How can we leverage our position to serve others? How can we utilize our resources to be a blessing? Nehemiah gives us a sneak preview of the Servant of Servants who’s on the way. He realizes that he’s blessed to be a blessing. Now it’s our turn to let Jesus use you and me to serve others as a way of pointing to One who served us. That’s hitting the big time in God’s eyes.