God's Good Grip

A good grip can make all the difference. The grip on a golf club. On a tennis racket. On a baseball. The placement of your hands has everything to do with your performance. Nehemiah would agree. You wouldn’t think that grip would have much to do with being the royal cupbearer. Well, I guess you don’t want to drop the Cabernet in the king’s lap. On the other hand, we see the importance of a great grip on what goes down. A great grip puts Nehemiah in the presence of the most powerful man on the planet. A great grip opens the door for Nehemiah to make a ridiculous request. A great grip shoves a pagan king to sign off on rebuilding the Jewish capital. But let’s be sure of one thing. This has nothing to do with Nehemiah’s hand placement. This is because God has a firm grip on Nehemiah. The placement of His hands has everything to do with Nehemiah’s performance. God’s good grip makes all the difference.

It’s been four months since Nehemiah’s brother Hanani stopped by to break the bad news about the ongoing crisis in Jerusalem (Neh 1:1-3). That was back in Kislev during the winter, about the same time of the year as November and December on our calendar. It’s now Nisan (v1), roughly March or April. The breaking news about the city’s broken walls breaks Nehemiah’s heart. He spends day after day pleading with God to do something about it (Neh 1:5-11). He confesses not just his own sin but the repeated rebellion of the Israelites throughout the centuries. He calls upon God to act now on the covenant promises return His people to the Promised Land and restore His glory in Jerusalem. 

We read that it’s still during “the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes” (v1). He’s the ruler of the Persian superpower, the most dominant nation in the world at the time. In contrast, Nehemiah is a humble Hebrew slave in captivity. But the LORD has placed this lowly Israelite in a position that allows him access to the powerful person on the planet. He’s the “cupbearer to the king” (Neh 1:11). He’s not only the royal wine steward but he’s responsible for checking for poison. The good news is you get to drink the best wine. The bad news is the next sip could kill you. Yahweh’s hand is firmly on Nehemiah and His fingerprints are all over this situation. God’s good grip makes all the difference.

Despite receiving the heartbreaking news from his brother, Nehemiah makes a point of never wearing his emotions on his sleeve in front of the king. That could be dangerous. VERY dangerous. You see, kings like to know that you love living in their kingdom. A frown could get you killed. But one day, the burden of the Jerusalem crisis was just too much for the cupbearer and king noticed (v2). When Artaxerxes asks his royal sommelier what was going on, Nehemiah freaked out. He takes a deep breath and says, “Let the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” (v3). Well, it’s out there. The LORD presents Nehemiah with the opportunity and he leverages it for the glory of God’s kingdom.

You can feel the tension in the room. What will the king say? How will he respond? Will he “downsize” his cupbearer for having the gall and stupidity to say something like this? Is this his last day working in the palace? Is this is last day alive?!? But something crazy happens. “Then the king said to me, ‘What are you requesting?’” (v4). WHAT?!? Artaxerxes asks his cupbearer for how he can help! No pink slip. No head without a body. Instead, the most powerful person in the world wants to know what he can do to help a palace slave. This only happens when God has His hand on the situation. God’s good grip makes all the difference.

If we were standing in the room during this amazing conversation, we probably would notice a moment of silence. A pregnant pause. In my mind, I would be screaming, “Dude! Say something! The king wants to help! Jump on it!!” But there’s a reason for the quiet. That’s because Nehemiah is firing off a quick prayer to the LORD. “So I prayed to the God of heaven” (v4). Before he says anything else to Artaxerxes, he seeks God’s blessing on what’s about to happen. The future of Jerusalem hangs in the balance. We see hear that we don’t always have to drop to our knees and close our eyes for significant times of prayer. Sure, it’s important that both are part of the rhythm of our relationship with Jesus. Nehemiah gives us both here in the very first chapter. He prays for days (Neh 1:4). He prays in the blink of an eye (v4). It’s what the Apostle Paul describes as “pray without ceasing” (1Th 5:17). When you’re in a state of constant prayer and dependance on God, quick requests are easy. We can be in an ongoing attitude of prayer because Jesus is with His Dad right now pleading on our behalf (Rom 8:34). Nehemiah pauses. Nehemiah prays.

With the door flung open, our man walks boldly through. He asks that the king sign off on a massive rebuilding project for the city of Jerusalem. Nehemiah asks his royal highness for the permission to return to the Hebrew capital “that I may rebuild it” (v5). The walls are a pile of bricks. The gates are charred. But chances are, he’s not just talking about reconstructing the walls and gates. The city wall is simply a symbol and symptom of a deeper sickness. The entire situation in Jerusalem needs rebuilding. The city needs an overhaul of political, administrative, and social structures. 

At this point, Artaxerxes wants to know details. “How long will you be gone, and when will you return?” (v6). In other words, have you thought this through? Do you have a plan? Do you have something more than a pipe dream to make this happen? Nehemiah wasn’t just spitballing. He had a plan. Well, at least as specific a plan as he could considering that he’d never been to Jerusalem before. This was a little more than a vacation request. He was going to ask for a significant amount of time off. This was going to be a sabbatical. The trip itself is three months one way. While we don’t read it here, Nehemiah is asking for years, not days, weeks, or months. This is a big job. A very big job.

Nehemiah has sought God’s good guidance and come up with a very specific plan. He knows exactly what he needs to get the job done. “Let letters be given to me” (v7). He knows that he needs legal docs from the king that gave Nehemiah and his crew the royal stamp of approval for travel through the region. And he asks for the authority to get the lumber needed for the project (v8). Remember, this is the Middle East. Lots of sand. Very few trees. Timber is a hot commodity. Kings in the region would place armed guards around their royal forests. Nehemiah asks for a signed document from Artaxerxes to show to “Asaph, the keeper of the king’s forest that he may give me timber” (v8). So just where did Nehemiah get this very detailed plan? If you look closely, you’ll see God’s fingerprints all over it.

If this conversation isn’t bizarre enough already, this pagan Persian dictator says “yes.” “And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me” (v8). Nehemiah may have made a compelling argument but in the end that didn’t matter. The only reason the king signs off on this crazy request is because God made it happen. His fingerprints are all over this project and this book. Many commentators like to point out that there aren’t any miracles recorded in the book of Nehemiah. Tell me this isn’t miraculous? A lowly Hebrew slave gets access to the pagan king. Miracle one. The slave makes an over-the-top request to rebuild a city almost 1,000 miles away. Miracle two. The slave actually has a very detailed and specific plan for the reconstruction. Miracle three. And the king says “go for it!” Miracle four. 

Many smart dudes believe that Ezra and Nehemiah are actually one book written by the same author (probably Ezra, he was a scribe after all). Seven other times in these two books, we read about how God has His good and gracious grip on His people and the situation (Ez 7:6, 9, 28; 8:18, 22, 31; Neh 2:18). The placement of His hands has everything to do with Nehemiah’s performance. God’s good grip makes all the difference.

Nehemiah's Booming Serve

A tennis player with a booming serve can dominate just about any opponent. The top players in the game used their serve to take many titles. Roger Federer. Pete Sampras. Novak Djokovic. Venus and Serena Williams. Martina Navratilova. And they didn’t him Boris “Boom Boom” Becker for nothing. These folks could bring it. The Bible is also loaded with men and women with big serves. Nehemiah could let it rip. He could serve with the best. And here in Nehemiah 1:5-11, we see him uncorking one of the top serves in the Old Testament. And he does it from his knees. Our man Nehemiah serves others through prayer. Yeah, he’s got a big, booming serve.

Let’s back up a bit and see what led to Nehemiah’s big serve. After shipping His people off into Babylonian exile for their own disobedience, God is actively working to return them to the Promised Land. He nudges the pagan Persian King Cyrus to send a large number of Jews back home (Ez 1:1-4). The LORD also uses King Darius to sign off of second resettlement. Later it’s Artaxerxes’ turn to be used by the God of Israel (Ez 7:1-28). Despite rebuilding the temple (Ez 6:14-15), the renovation of Jerusalem grinds to a halt. Meanwhile, we meet a servant named Nehemiah working in the royal winter palace in Susa (Neh 1:1). His brother and his posse are fresh back from Judah and the news isn’t good. This situation there is so bad that Jerusalem has become a joke (Neh 1:3). The wall of the city is a pile of stones. The city gates are in ashes. The breaking news of the broken walls breaks Nehemiah’s heart. That’s when we see him serve. He prays, and prays, and prays. And in doing so, he serves, and serves, and serves. Nehemiah’s got a HUGE serve!

He pleads to “the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love” (v5). Later in this same book, Nehemiah describes how the people turn from their sin and turn back to “the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love” (Neh 9:32). It’s probably not too surprising that this is almost exactly the same way Daniel cries out to Yahweh when he confesses the rebellion of God’s people during their captivity in Babylon. “O LORD, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments” (Dan 9:4). Nehemiah is crying out to the God who will absolutely do what He promises He will do. 

This is a massive reminder that this is NOT about the strength of our faith but in the One in whom we place our faith. Jesus will never fail. Jesus will never let us go. Once we’re in His kung fu grip, He’ll never let us go. Should we try to hang on to Him with everything we have? Absolutely. But eventually my grip will slip. I can trust in Christ and His steadfast, ongoing, never-ending, faithful, long lasting love. He’ll never let go. He’ll never stop loving. That’s the God Nehemiah is crying out to from the palace in Persia. That’s the God we can still call on today. 

Nehemiah pleads with God, “Let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, to hear the prayer of Your servant” (v6). It’s almost as if Nehemiah learned to pray by reading Daniel. “O my God, incline Your ear and hear. Open Your eyes and see our desolations” (Dan 9:18). There’s no doubt that the book of Daniel heavily influenced and encouraged God’s people during their 70-plus years in exile. And why wouldn’t it? Dan the Man is one of the first of Israel’s best and brightest to get shipped to Babylon (Dan 1:1-7). He knows the exile firsthand. The LORD uses Daniel to let the Jews know that He hasn’t forgotten them. He is listening to their prayers. He is watching what’s going on. He will bring them back home to the Promised Land. That’s exactly the God to whom Nehemiah calls on. He knows that God is listening. He knows that God is watching. He knows that God cares. You and I can be sure that He’s listening, watching, and caring what happens in our lives. Sounds like a great reason to pray, don’t you think? Nehemiah sure does.

The son of Hacaliah asks God “to hear the prayer of Your servant” (v6). While he’s a lowly slave in the Persian palace, he sees himself as God’s servant. He uses the Hebrew noun ‘ebed, which means slave, worker, bondservant, or manservant. This fascinating term appears a total of 22 times in the book of Nehemiah, eight of those are right here in this prayer (v5-11). While it can describe someone in forced and begrudging employment, the word actually be used for someone in willing and joyful service of God. Some scholars see a beautiful element of worship in this sense.  Moses uses a variation of this same word when he writes about God’s call on Adam in the garden. “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden to work it and keep it” (Gen 2:15). Remember, this is BEFORE the Fall. Adam’s service in Eden was a joyful act of worship to our good and gracious God. Before the Fall, Adam had a booming serve. 

Nehemiah sees himself as God’s servant. He understands Moses to be in the same role (v7-8). He understands all of God’s people to be His servants (v10-11). Nehemiah knows that the coming Messiah is the ultimate servant. The prophet Isaiah writes pages of the suffering Servant who serves His God and His people by substituting Himself on their behalf (Is 42:1-7; 49:1-9; 50:4-10; 52:13-53:12). If you’re wondering, Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prediction as that incredible suffering Servant. A former murderer named Paul tells his Philippian friends that Jesus “emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant” by going to the cross in our place (Phil 2:7-8). Christ came to serve you and me. He serves us by living the perfectly obedient life that you and I failed to live. He serves us by dying the death for our sin that we should have died. He serves us by rising to a glorious new life that we don’t deserve. The King of Kings is the Servant of Servants. Jesus has a booming serve!

Back at the palace in Persia, Nehemiah is “confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against You” (v7). Like Jesus, he has the attitude of a servant leader. He doesn’t just pray and confess his own sin and rebellion but he humbles himself before God on behalf of the people of Israel. He doesn’t just pray for their most recent sins but for the Israelites long, sordid history rebellion against God. Nehemiah traces God’s faithfulness and goodness back to back in the day. Back to Moses. He also traces the people’s rejection of God back to Moses. Nehemiah prays to a God who is a better Savior than the people are sinners. If his prayer on behalf of others sounds familiar, it should. In the prequel, Ezra confesses for the sin of the people (Ez 10:1). Daniel did too (Dan 9:20). Even Jesus pleads with His Dad to forgive the very people who were murdering Him (Lk 23:34). It would be easy for folks like these to take one look at the sins of their friends and say, “Stinks to be you.” But they don’t. They serve others by praying and confessing on their behalf.

Nehemiah understands that our sin is ultimately a sin against God. It’s a rebellion against His authority. It’s a rejection of His goodness. It’s a refusal of His protection. King David hooked up with one of buddy’s wives, gotten her pregnant, and then had him killed. Despite all of the bloodshed and betrayal, David knew that his biggest crime was against God. “Against You, You only, have I sinned” (Ps 51:4). Nehemiah confesses, “We have acted very corruptly against you” (v7). He makes it clear that the people are responsible for trashing their relationship with God. That all started with our first parents back in Eden (Gen 3:1-7). He points out that the people have specifically broken “the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that You commanded Your servant Moses” (v7). And it’s still true today. Our fingerprints of rebellion against the LORD are all over the scene of the crime. We’ve destroyed it. We’ve spoiled it. We’ve ruined it. We’ve broken it. But that’s what Jesus came to restore because there’s no way we could. He came to bring us back into a relationship with His Heavenly Dad.

The king’s cupbearer remembers God’s promises to Moses and His people. “If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples” (v8; Lev 26:33; Dt 28:64). Nehemiah and the Israelites need no further proof of that. All they need to do is look around. They’re living almost 1,000 miles away from the Promised Land that God had given them. But Nehemiah also remembers God’s guarantee to bring them home if they only turn back to Him (v9). In his prayer, he praises Yahweh for rolling up His supernatural sleeves in the first place. “They are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand” (v10). The people did nothing to earn their rescue. God did it all by Himself. Through His great power. By His strong hand. Don’t forget that there’s absolutely nothing we did to make ourselves worth saving. God did it all by Himself. Through His great power. By His strong hand. 

Nehemiah wraps up his prayer of service by asking for a specific request. “Give success to Your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man” (v11). “This man” is King Artaxerxes. He’s really hoping that God will provide him with an opportunity ask the pagan dictator for something big. Something REALLY big. His heart breaks for the broken walls of Jerusalem and the broken lives those living in the Promised Land. You see, Nehemiah may just be a servant in the palace but he has regular access to the most powerful man on the planet. “Now I was the cupbearer to the king” (v11). He’s going to leverage his place and position for the glory of God’s kingdom and the good of His people. Where has God placed and positioned you? How can you use where you are for His glory and the good of His people. Think of him as Artaxerxes’ personal wine steward. But in the ancient world, it was more than just helping the king choose a Merlot or Chardonnay. He was there to check for poison. He would taste it first. If he would die, the king would know he should probably open a different bottle. We don’t know how many of the king’s cupbearers had croaked before Nehemiah. But today, he’s going to use the opportunity to serve. And Nehemiah’s got a booming serve!