Scenes from Nehemiah: a leader takes stock

In this new series, we look at the life of Nehemiah, and the leadership challenges he faced.
Click here for the recording of this 8/31/25 Service, and you can fast-forward to 28:37 to get to the start of the sermon.

Our text comes from 1st Nehemiah 1.1-7

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 about the Jews who had escaped and had survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem.

3 And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and disgrace, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates have been burned with fire.” 4 Now when I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5I said, “Please, Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps the covenant and faithfulness for those who love Him and keep His commandments:

6 let Your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open, to hear the prayer of Your servant which I am praying before You now, day and night, on behalf of the sons of Israel Your servants, confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have committed against You; I and my father’s house have sinned.

7 We have acted very corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses.

Some background on Nehemiah the prophet

• Led the Jews in rebuilding Jerusalem mid 5th century BC

• Prior, he had served as cupbearer to King Artaxerxes of Persia

• He enquired about news from back home, which was not good

• He stepped into a leadership vacuum at a critical time in Jewish history (Britannica.com)

V1-2

• Nehemiah means “The Lord Comforts”

• The time was early winter of 445bc

• Nehemiah was serving artaxerxes as cupbearer in the winter palace at susa

• His brother and some others bring word from Judah

• Thus, his source would have been trusted

• He enquires about his fellow jews and his home city of Jerusalem- he wants to know how things are back home

v3

• They bring word that the remnant (sha.ar- those who remain, are left over, or survive), those who survived babylonian captivity and had returned to Jerusalem are in

1. Great distress, ra-ah- misery

2. disgrace , cherpah- shame, reproach

3. The wall of Jerusalem had been broken down, and

4. its wooden gates burned (they return to ruin)

v4

• When he takes in the gravity of these words he

1. Wept, and

2. Mourned (aval- lament), for days

• He was moved by what he heard

• He then reacts in two ways

1. He fasted, voluntarily abstaining from food as an act of worship and humility

2. He prayed to the God of Heaven (the first of 9x in this book)

• Notice that His first physical response was spiritual

v5

• Nehemiah affirms God’s

1. position (in Heaven) and  His

2. power as great and awesome (yare- to be feared)

• God keeps his promises and his covenant love (chesed) to those who

1. Love him

2. Keep his commandments

v6

1. Hear me

2. See me

• Regarding my continual prayer for your hebrew servants

• I confess the sins committed against you

• I and my household (bayit) have sinned against you

Dobbins’ definition of sin

1. Sin is an invisible force

2. Emanating from Satan

3. That impacts on the mind and will

4. To think and act

5. in terms of negative life choices

6. Thus detracting from our Kingdom potential

V7- Nehemiah gets specific

1. We have acted corruptly, chaval- to betray the pledge

2. We have not kept the commandments

3. Nor the statutes/decrees

4. Nor the ordinances

• Which you commanded and gave to Moses (the law)

How this applies to us

1. A real leader cares about people and their circumstances

2. Leaders need a realistic assessment, no matter how bad the news (some don’t ask questions because they don’t want the answer)

3. Much of our suffering is self induced

4. A leader who is loves people will be troubled by people’s sufferings, no matter the circumstances

5. A leader’s first move on behalf of people is always toward God- “Lord, what do you want me to do, if anything?”

6. God always keeps his covenant love and promise

7. a real leader owns his sins, and those of his people