The Mourning Before the Dawn (Nehemiah 1: 1-11)

There’s a moment that comes when you’ve been dreaming of something for years, and it just doesn’t seem possible. You ask people about their experiences. You know things can be different... if only... and so you weep. You may lose your appetite, but like Nehemiah, you should pray.

Scripture Reading: Nehemiah 1: 1-11

These are the words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah: In the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, Hanani, one of my brothers, arrived with men from Judah. So I questioned them about the remnant of the Jews who had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. And they told me, “The remnant who survived the exile are there in the province, in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”
When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

Then I said: “O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps His covenant of loving devotion with those who love Him and keep His commandments, let Your eyes be open and Your ears attentive to hear the prayer that I, Your servant, now pray before You day and night for Your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins that we Israelites have committed against You. Both I and my father’s house have sinned. We have behaved corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, statutes, and ordinances that You gave Your servant Moses.

Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses when You said, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to Me and keep and practice My commandments, then even if your exiles have been banished to the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for My Name.’
They are Your servants and Your people. You redeemed them by Your great power and mighty hand. Lord, may Your ear be attentive to my prayer and to the prayers of Your servants who delight to revere Your name. Give Your servant success this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” (At that time I was the cupbearer to the king.)

~ Excerpt from Berean Standard Bible

Commentary:

We regularly read passages of the Bible to say we read for the day. We give ourselves a check mark for completion. So, instead of that, start asking questions about the main character in the scene.

Was this Nehemiah's first time praying over this?

Was it the first time refugees came into Susa?

Is this recorded because he changed his prayer this time?

Or is it just the recorded prayer and scene because this time he decided to act in faith?

These aren't questions that we can always answer, but they are questions that can help us think. It puts us in the mindset of asking what does God want to tell us through the story. So, how does Nehemiah Pray?

• Complements God (Nehemiah 1:5)
• Reminds God of who he is (Nehemiah 1:5)
• Request that God listens to him (Nehemiah 1:6)
• Confesses his sin, the sin of his people, the sin of his family (Nehemiah 1:6)
• Quotes God to God. (Nehemiah 1:8-9)
• Request from God based on God’s past actions. (Nehemiah 1:10-11)

For a few years now, I've been wondering if I was ever taught to pray. My treatment of God was more like a genie. I prayed quickly and I prayed for what I wanted. And I expected God to deliver it soon. After all, they weren't bad things. So I wondered why he didn't simply allow me to have them. God seems to be highlighting to me that my heart posture towards him is wrong. And so, I ask you this today as well. Is your heart posture towards him wrong too?

Nehemiah is in mourning before the Lord. And we don't know how long he has been praying. We don't know how long we have heard of these stories, but we do know that this time he fasted for days and it wasn't to lose belly fat. He mourned for his people. But unlike me, he knew the promises from God. He did not make a request to God based on the vanities of his heart but based on the fulfillment of God's words in Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 30:1–10). We also know that this isn't the first attempt or pray about rebuilding the temple and the wall. And we'll never know why God chose and waited on Nehemiah.

Daily Practice

• Find a promise from God in the Bible. Memorize it. Add it to a prayer request.
• Repent not just for yourself but on the behalf of others: Family, Community, City, Country, etc. Whatever God brings to your heart.
• What is one other thing you see in this section of the text?

Study Note: How to use daily practice: If you don't want to study in one go, break it into pieces. Complete the Daily Practice in the evening.

A Note on historical context

Why are people coming to Susa?

Susa was the Winter Palace of the kings of Persia. It's also where Queen Vasti in Esther 1 would've lost her crown. Daniel had his vision in Daniel 8 here too. So it's a pretty important location. We don't know why they came. There's no reason in the Bible, though commentary speculates about it.

Who was Nehemiah?

He was a eunuch who served as an important court official. From the role 'cupbearer', you may be tempted to believe that Nehemiah just bought the king food. But that's not true. He was likely a part of some administration as well. So he was in a position of power in a foreign pagan kingdom.

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References:
Myers, J.M. (1965). Nehemiah Distressed by News of the Conditions in Jerusalem (1:1–11). In Ezra • Nehemiah: Introduction, Translation, and Notes by (pp. 91–96). New Haven & London: The Anchor Yale Bible. Retrieved May 8, 2025, from http://dx.doi.org/10.5040/9780300261240.0023

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