Purpose Statement
Introduction
Nehemiah 1: 5-11 is a prayer that demonstrates the importance of faith in pursuing the moral path in relation to the cultural values that one holds. The characteristics that are presented within this passage demonstrate the importance of belonging to a community, which transcends the boundaries of the physical world. Within the passage, Nehemiah prays for the success of the request he made to Artaxerxes to help his people, who had been defeated and broken, many in captivity or exiled. With the gates and walls of Jerusalem broken their sense of safety and community had been destroyed. In thinking after his people, praying and fasting in order to promote their well-being, and the ultimate presentation of pleas to his new King for the capability to help them his pious values become evident. Despite the fact that he is in a position of comfort and strength, he is still fundamentally concerned with those that are of his own heritage. In looking at the context and significance of these events it is evident that his exaltation of God goes well beyond his own experiences. His cultural views and values are ingrained into him as he continues his work. He prays, “Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name.” However, he does not move forward without consideration of those that have less than him. Upon hearing of the realities and difficulties that his people are facing, he decides to put his own well-being on the line in order to provide those of his own faith with the necessities to rebuild their nation. He viewed his king as a man before God, rather than a man above God, which he believed was an inherent value that all men should hold. For this reason, he believed that in developing ways to help those of Israel, he would be elevating his king to greater heights, as he used his power and authority to promote God's will within the world.
The biblical passage presents an Israelite serving a king far from his homeland praying for the deliverance of his people in order to show the importance of community and faith in promoting God’s work through good deeds in the world.
Context
The context of the verses is presented through a historical valuation of both the position that Nehemiah was in at the time as well as the state of Israel and Jerusalem in particular, which had fallen into decay and become defenseless. The passage is a prayer offered by Nehemiah, son of Hachalia, when asking God for favor with King Artaxerxes to allow him go back to his native Jerusalem and help in reconstructing the lives of the people and rebuilding the walls of the city. Previously, through one of his brethren Hanani, word had reached him that his people were living in despair. Upon hearing this, he decided that he should use his position in order to help them in any way that he could. They had been overtaken by their enemies and Jerusalem was in disrepair. They had therefore lost their sense of pride and security as a people. At the time, Nehemiah was a cup bearer for King Artaxerxes in Persia. This put him in the position to help his countrymen. Nehemiah pursued this in a variety of ways. Given that he was employed and under the authority of his master, he sought to request permission to return to his homeland and help in restoring the dignity of his people. Furthermore, he sought to permission to ferry building materials, including timber from the foreign country to Israel. He also requested to be able to carry the timbers across the roads of the nations without being stopped. He is therefore offering a prayer before formally presenting his case before his employer and requesting for permission to go back and help in the aforementioned work. The decision of Artaxerxes to allow his return to Israel in order to rebuild its walls demonstrates the level of importance placed on this prayer. This allowed him to return and rule his homeland with just intent.
The internal context of Nehemiah and the conflict that he goes through, as represented by his prayer and his requests to God to alleviate his people’s suffering, is reflected by the external context of his position in the court and the overall state that Israel is in. These two notions seem to be reflected in the prayer that Nehemiah gives within the passage which underscores both his intentions and his desires. The internal context of the passage is the level of devotion and faith that is represented by Nehemiah’s inner struggle. This struggle represents the underlying influence that his religion has had on his sense of community and personal commitment to his God. Nehemiah’s commitment is built upon the implications of his values in association with the revelations of the external context of the passage. In relation to the externality of the message, the sins of his community are what inevitably led them to the destitution that they saw during Nehemiah’s day and what would eventually lead them to stray from the path that he sets out once more. This conflict between the inner, personal, context of the individual and the outer, social, context of the communities that the individual belongs to represents an important relationship between faith and interpersonal connections. While his faith is what allowed him to help his people, his connection with them was what gave him the desire to do so. This desire was fulfilled through his steadfast prayers, which were eventually answered as his king allowed him to return to do the work.
Meaning
In assessing the details of the biblical passage, the representation of Nehemiah's character presents an important level of insight into the importance of faith. The meaning that can be derived from his actions is fundamentally rooted in his pursuit of prayer for comfort when concerned about his people’s fate. The name Nehemiah can be directly translated to “Comforted by YAHWEH”. This comfort that he received from his prayer can be understood as the source of strength that was needed in order for him to return to his homeland and help to rebuild its stability. His devotion to fasting and prayer is ultimately what caused his king to take note of his people’s plight. This allowed him to return to Jerusalem in an attempt reestablish its foundation. The importance behind his actions represent the level of dedication that he had to not only his people, but his faith as well. Rather than attempting to beg the king or to continuously petition him with his worry, he focused instead on his inner spiritual focus and prayed to God in order to help his people. This allowed him to return and rebuild Judah, strengthening it against its neighbors.
His desire to rebuild his homeland holds an important meaning within the text. This meaning is presented through not only Nehemiah’s prayer and demonstration of faith but also through the actions that he takes once he is given the opportunity to help his community. This shows a profoundly personal aspect to the works that he undertakes. It is significant that Nehemiah “goes to Israel by himself, and handles most crises on his own.” This was a basic duty that he felt that he had. The permission that was granted to him was therefore not formed out of pity or concern for the Jewish people on the part of Artaxerxes, but rather due to the representation of faith that was shown by Nehemiah. The sorrow that the Israelite felt became evident in his actions. The level of devotion that he had to his own people and religion inspired the king to allow him his desire. Nehemiah was able to use his devotion and faith in order to effectively demonstrate the importance of the request to himself, his king, and his God. The underlying meaning of the text is therefore represented by the fulfillment of Nehemiah’s prayers, which allowed him to receive the blessing of return to help his people. The answer that was given to his prayers came only due to the level of devotion that he showed to both his king and his Lord. This devotion expresses an importance attached to the actions of the individual and carrying out the fulfillment of personal responsibility even across vast distances.
Significance
The importance of this passage in understanding the rest the Bible is in it complexity in relation to the way in which it theologically centers itself in the idea of faith and personal sacrifice for the sake of community and giving those of one’s own heritage the means to address their previous mistakes and make amends. Despite them facing a variety of external pressures and influences, Nehemiah believed that Israel could be rebuilt and remain strong, overcoming their past transgressions in order to create a more stable and faith-centered nation. “Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.” His words request that God forgive them for them for their past transgressions and relieve them from their suffering. In relation to the relevance that these ideas have to readers, it is evident that Nehemiah himself serves as a significant individual that should be valued for his actions. The application of the passage can be used to better understand the level of devotion that the post-exile Israelite community had towards their homeland. This relationship demonstrates a profound longing for the well-being of the Israelite nation despite the level of corruption and sin that had been apparent in the past. The desire to return Jerusalem to its former glory is a significant aspect of the passage. Nehemiah’s prayers underscore a profound longing to not only see his countrymen prosper, but also to return to his community and help it to prosper through the good works of his Lord.
The presence of the passage indicates that there was a strong commitment towards the Hebrew nation and the underlying circumstances that it was going through. This demonstrates that despite time and distance, those who had been scattered from Israel still saw themselves as part of its larger community. However, “the prayer’s most striking aspects is that its major part most fully describes the transgressions of previous generations, with very little connection to the community that now addresses God.” The passage demonstrates the significance of important themes such as the compassion of God in answering Nehemiah’s prayers and the righteousness and generosity espoused by Nehemiah himself, as opposed to the sinful Israelites. It is therefore these prayers that become the juxtaposition by which the sinners would be divided from the good. Major significance can therefore be attributed to the prayer itself, which serves as a bridge between the righteous wishes of Nehemiah and the compassionate intervention of God in swaying the decision made by Artaxerxes to allow him to return to Israelite with the necessary resources and knowledge to help his people retain their former glory. This significance lies in the capacity that is demonstrated within the passage for prayer and commitment to faith to bring a person closer to their communities.
Conclusion
The biblical passage presents an Israelite serving a king far from his homeland praying for the deliverance of his people in order to show the importance of community and faith in promoting God’s work through good deeds in the world. In his prayer to his Lord, asking for his intervention in the fate of Israel, and his fasting in order to prove his devotion, Nehemiah was doing what he could in order to help his own people. Even though he was far from them, in a position of high esteem with the powerful Persian empire, he longed for the safety of his kin, putting his reputation on the line by requesting a favor of the king, in an attempt to secure their destinies, by God’s will. In assessing the meaning of Nehemiah’s character, the level of personal respect that he must have had for both his position and his countrymen must have profoundly affected him emotionally. His character therefore serves as a representation of the impact that community and identity have in a person’s spiritual nature. In looking at the significance of this, there are a variety of examples of human nature that are at work within the short passage. Nehemiah therefore represents the importance of community and faith due to the level of reverence that he has for his people. He is able to achieve good deeds due to the king’s ultimate decision to allow him to return and rebuild his nation. These aspects of the text indicate the underlying purpose of the Biblical passage, which expresses the importance of overwhelming faith when presented with adversity.
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