Nehemiah's Prayers (Devotional Notes)
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that Hanani, one of my brothers, and some men from Judah came; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped and had survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem.
They said to me, “The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire.”
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.
that Hanani, one of my brothers, and some men from Judah came; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped and had survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem.
3 They said to me, “The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire.”
4 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.
New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Ne 1:2–4). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
Then the king said to me, “What would you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.
Then the king said to me, “What would you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.
New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Ne 2:4). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
Exile, Babylonian
The term “Babylonian exile” can also be applied to three additional deportations. First, it can refer to the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar’s initial action against Jerusalem in 605 bc, after which Daniel and others were exiled (Dan 1:1). Second, it can refer to the capture of Jerusalem in 597/6 bc, when Jehoiachin and his household and many inhabitants of the city were deposed and brought to Babylon. This deportation included “the mighty men of valor” and all the craftsmen and smiths (Jer 52:28; 2 Kgs 24:12, 14). In 597/6 bc, Nebuchadnezzar appointed Mattaniah (Jehoiachin’s uncle) king and changed his name to Zedekiah (2 Kgs 24:17). Third, the term “Babylonian exile” can be applied to the 582 bc deportation (mentioned in Jer 52:30), which took place after the destruction of the temple and is related to the assassination of Gedaliah (Middlemas, Templeless Age, 12).
Krijgsman, M. (2016). Exile, Babylonian. In J. D. Barry, D. Bomar, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair Wolcott, … W. Widder (Eds.), The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
Nehemiah, Book of
The final view is that Ezra returned in the seventh year of Artaxerxes I (458 bc), while Nehemiah returned in the 20th year of Artaxerxes I (444 bc). This view, which is currently the traditional approach, is the most faithful to the biblical text. Nevertheless, there are two major difficulties with this view:
1. There is no mention of Ezra in Neh 1–7.
2. Ezra 10 implies that the problem of intermarriage with foreign women was resolved; however, in Nehemiah, intermarriage with foreigners is still a major issue.
Loken, I. P. (2016). Nehemiah, Book of. In J. D. Barry, D. Bomar, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair Wolcott, … W. Widder (Eds.), The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
Exegesis
Exegesis
1. Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah - Jews were trusted by leadership of the Babylonian empire.
2. True in their faith and commitment to God - made impression on the Eastern despots and satraps.
3. In spite of their trials and difficulties, Nehemiah completely and totally trusted God.
4. Nehemiah's questioning by Artaxerxes had to have been stressful. Artaxerxes had murdered two brothers to get where he was.
5. An unhappy look could get you killed.
6. Nehemiah knew he had to do something - led by God
7. Whenever Nehemiah was confronted with great difficulty, he prayed and did so with confidence. Happens numerous times throughout the book.
8. Nehemiah understood the Jews were under chastisement by a loving Father, which was why he still felt confident praying.
Exhortation/Application: We must not retreat from raising our voices in prayer. No matter what kind of trial we are going through, we must continue to trust God, knowing He loves us and will do what is good for us in the end. This is the example of Nehemiah.