TEXT: Nehemiah 1

SUBJECT: Studies in Nehemiah #1: In Shushan

I hope this afternoon to begin a Christ-centered study of Nehemiah. Nehemiah was a great man; anyone who has his story that. But we mustn't become caught up in his personal drama. For the Book of Nehemiah is not about Nehemiah. It, like the rest of Scripture, is about Jesus Christ.

Nehemiah is a type of Christ. Laboring mightily for God's visible kingdom, he succeed against incredible odds. Our Lord Jesus undertook a greater work--to build an eternal kingdom, in which all believers have a place. He too was met by opposition and treachery. Yet He "did not fail or grow discouraged..."

Nehemiah died centuries ago. But the One he represented, our Lord Jesus Christ, lives forever. What He did then, He is doing now. May God hasten His work. And may he give us a part in it. For Christ's sake. Amen.

What does this chapter tell us about our Lord Jesus and the building of His Kingdom?

It tells us He is aware of His people and their problems. Jerusalem was once "Beautiful for situation/The joy of the whole earth". But that was a long time ago. Its fortunes had long been in decline. In 589 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar sacked the city, demolished its temple, and carried its people into captivity. Life in exile was hard. New languages must be learned; new occupations must be found; new homes must be built. The hardships of life put a premium on survival. The welfare of Jerusalem slipped from the public consciousness.

But Nehemiah remained keenly interested. His brother lived there. One day he paid him a visit and brought an appalling report: "The survivors...are in great distress and reproach. The wall...is broken down and its gates are burned with fire". Living in the palace, it would have been easy to forget Jerusalem. But Nehemiah could not. He must know.

In this way, he recalls the Savior who is fully apprised of our problems. The people of God had once labored in the sweat shops of Egypt. They cried for mercy; their masters turned a deaf ear. But our Lord Jesus "heard their groaning". They despaired that He didn't know. But while they wondered if He knew, He was "putting their tears into His bottle" and "Writing them in His book". He was fully aware of their predicament. He knew it better than they.

It is easy to think otherwise. No one was holier than Job, yet he wondered if Christ was aware of his loss and pain. Doubting at first, he later denied it. Yet in the end, he "knew the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy".

The disciples felt very much the same way when, caught in a storm, they assumed the Lord did not know their danger. Yet He did, walking to them on the water to quiet the storms that blew upon the lake and into their souls.

Do we ever doubt His knowledge? Doctrinally, we don't. One of the first theological terms we come across is "Omniscience". The Lord knows everything. But on a more personal level, we often deny His knowledge, don't we? We sometimes think that He's lost interest in us; that He's no longer there to see our problems or to hear our prayers.

But if Nehemiah knew all about the chaos of Jerusalem, let's never doubt our Lord Jesus knows about our every problem. He's aware of our physical pain; he knows our mental anguish; he sees when others do us wrong. Our Lord Jesus is aware of His people and their problems.

The chapter also tells us He sympathizes with His people in their problems. When Nehemiah heard his brother's report, he didn't shrug his shoulders. No! He "wept, mourned, prayed, and fasted for many days". He was more than informed; he was "moved with compassion". Jerusalem's desolation was his own. He identified with God's people and suffered right along with them.

In this way, too, he brings our Savior to mind. He is not only aware of our problems; he feels them. They're His problems. "In all of their affliction, He was afflicted" says the prophet. This is not mere rhetoric. He joined the human race, with all of its infirmities, all of its heartaches, all of its losses. And-- unlike you and me--He joined it of His own free will. He chose to become "A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief". Why? Because He loves us. And "love" means entering into the life of another.

The people of Jerusalem were cheered to know a man of Nehemiah's stature was "on their side". Should we be any less happy to know Nehemiah's Lord identifies with us, in all of our pains, sorrows, and bereavements? It is good to know He "Weeps with those who weep". The Man who "groaned" at the tomb of His friend has lost none of His sympathy. He remains "touched by the feeling of our infirmities".

The chapter teaches one final lesson: Our Lord Jesus is set to do something about our problems. Nehemiah's heart was deeply moved by Jerusalem's sad state of affairs. But not only his heart. The whole man was stirred to action. He prayed for Jerusalem and resolved to take the matter up with his king. In other words, he "loved, not in word and in tongue, but in deed and in truth".

This also foreshadowed our Lord. Touched by our hopeless estate, He came into the world to redeem us at the cost of His own blood. He never swerved from His plan. When tempted to forego the cross, He manfully took it up to bring every blessing to His people. The cross did not complete His work. He continues it at God's right hand praying for us and providing the things we need.

Thus, however bad our problems, we have a Savior who knows about them, feels them, and is set to do something about them. He may act today; He may act tomorrow; He may act in 50 years. But don't doubt Him; He'll act; He'll do you good. If Nehemiah would act for the good of Jerusalem, won't the Lord Jesus act for the good of His people?

Yes He shall. Let us plead with Him; let us wait for Him; and let us "see the salvation of our God".

And from this chapter, let us learn to be Christ-like. Do we make the effort to become acquainted with each other? To learn of each other's ills? Of each other's fears? Or have we become so absorbed with our own problems that we have no time or interest in others? God forgive us!

Do we enter into each other's sorrows? Does the death of a sister's loved one fill us with horror? Do we feel a brother's illness? Do we suffer his poverty? Or have we grown apathetic? "Past feeling" as Paul puts it.

Do we seek to help others in their needs and sorrows? By praying for them? By providing practical help? If we don't, John can only wonder: "How does the love of God dwell in [us]?"

Let us, therefore, learn from Nehemiah's example. And admire the Lord who enabled him to set it. Amen.