These are the memoirs of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah. In late autumn, in the month of Kislev, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ reign, I was at the fortress of Susa. Hanani, one of my brothers, came to visit me with some other men who had just arrived from Judah. I asked them about the Jews who had returned there from captivity and about how things were going in Jerusalem. They said to me, “Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.” When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven. Then I said, “O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands, listen to my prayer! Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned! We have sinned terribly by not obeying the commands, decrees, and regulations that you gave us through your servant Moses. Please remember what you told your servant Moses: ‘If you are unfaithful to me, I will scatter you among the nations. But if you return to me and obey my commands and live by them, then even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will bring you back to the place I have chosen for my name to be honored.’ The people you rescued by your great power and strong hand are your servants. O Lord, please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayers of those of us who delight in honoring you. Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me.” In those days I was the king’s cup-bearer. Nehemiah 1:1-11 NLT

Reflecting especially on verses 6-11, one cannot but see a reflection of what the Lord was teaching us in Luke 15:7,10 showing the great value God places on each person, His passionate pursuit of lost people and His deep joy when they are found and turn back! Attendant to this is a significant rapturous event in Heaven with angels celebrating the miracle of a changed heart.

This is the context of the leadership message of Nehamiah, Ezra, the scribes and the teaching Levites. We share here from the commentary in Dancing in the Desert regarding the pains of leadership that culminated in this joy.

“Nehemiah’s story began in sadness, so it’s significant that the most memorable verse from this book is about joy. The path to celebration wasn’t an easy one. It began with Nehemiah’s mourning over the broken walls of Jerusalem, a desperate prayer to God, and a request to the king. But the long journey to Jerusalem was only the beginning of the long journey toward fortifying the city. The wall project was opposed by local leaders who intimidated, slandered, conspired, distracted, manipulated, and even threatened direct attack. And if the external threats weren’t enough, some internal conflict and financial stress complicated matters. This project was not a smooth process; it had to be carried out by persistent, stubborn faith in the face of obstacles.

That’s why the joy and celebration at the dedication of the rebuilt wall were so significant. They punctuated a painful season of Judah’s history. They were the fruit of Nehemiah’s strong leadership, a unified effort, and relentless faith, and they came in the context of deep repentance and honest confession. Nehemiah’s prayer in chapter 1 and the people’s prayer in chapter 9 were filled with remorse and a recommitment to God’s ways. After years of suffering the consequences of neglecting God’s law, the people celebrated “with great joy because they had heard God’s words and understood them” (8:12)” – Dancing In The Desert

This is the charge for us as custodians of God’s heritage, under-shepherds under the Chief Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, to be examples of dedication and commitment to our Father’s pleasure and delight. Shalom.



Pastor Afolabi Oladele