(from page 12 and 13)
Nehemiah did not pray for the wall to be restored. Instead, his prayer consisted of three
specific elements:
-What did Nehemiah confess?
-What did Nehemiah remind God of?
-What did Nehemiah ask God to do?
Read Nehemiah 2:1-8. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=nehemiah%202:1-8
-Did the king’s response to Nehemiah’s request surprise
you? Why or why not?
-How was God addressed in these other prayers in the
Bible? What were the pray-ers expecting
God to do in response to their prayers?
-What did Nehemiah confess?
ReplyDeleteI have sinned. 7 We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses.
-What did Nehemiah remind God of?
The word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations; 9 but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.’
Basically he was reminding God of His willingness to forgive those who truly repent/turnaround from their disobedience.
-What did Nehemiah ask God to do?
Please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”
Read Nehemiah 2:1-8.
-Did the king’s response to Nehemiah’s request surprise you? Why or why not?
It didn’t surprise me but only due to hind sight. I’ve read about this king before and the Greeks describe him as a brave and handsome man, a kindly and magnanimous ruler and a kindly monarch (Nepos, "De Regibus," ch. i.; Plutarch, "Artaxerxes," ch. i.). Not only here but also as I have read of his actions in Daniel I find him to be a reasonable man (though not Christian). He seems to care about the people genuinely and recognize that the might of one’s rule is not in their army alone but also in their mercy. This seemed rare among the kings during this point in history as a great show of force seemed the most common method to display how mighty a king was. And certainly Artaxerxes or Xerxes who may have in fact been the same king (debatable in history books) did have a great and powerful army (one of the largest in the world) and had conquered much. The history surrounding this king tells stories that tantalize my imagination with magnificent battles, some of which are even portrayed in blockbuster movies of our day but none so wonderfully translated into video as they have been through written word. You can also read about Xerxes in Esther and gain a great deal of insight into both his power and strength as well as his mercies there.
A good friend and brother also pointed out a great reason not to be shocked about this. Nehemiah prayed for it and God is faithful.
-How was God addressed in these other prayers in the Bible? What were the pray-ers expecting God to do in response to their prayers?
2 Chronicles 6:14 -
Mentions that He is incomparable, keeps His promises, and is merciful to those who walk before Him with all their hearts. Solomon then goes on to pray that the Lord would dwell with them in this earthly temple even though God cannot be contained.
Psalm 88:1 -
God of my salvation. A confirmation of recognition in one’s own inability to save themselves and complete reliance on the work of the LORD alone to save.
Daniel 9:4 -
Great and awesome. Daniel here recognizes first and primarily in prayer who God is just as we are taught to in “the Lord’s prayer” as well as in John 17 by Jesus who prays with first priority being on God the Father and His glory and greatness; His hollowed name. Then Daniel continues making mention much like Solomon did saying, “who keeps His covenant and mercy”, and also not forgetting the qualification of receipt for those with, “those who love Him” and “those who keep His commandments”.
Thanks for expounding on king Xerxes. Good information.
DeleteWhat did Nehemiah confess?
ReplyDeleteHe confessed his own sins and the sins of Isreal that they had committed against God.
What did Nehemiah remind God of?
That they had acted wickedly and disobeyed His commandments and laws.
What did Nehemiah ask God to do?
He asked God to listen to his prayer and to give him success by granting him favor in the presence of the king.
Read Nehemiah 2:1-8
Did the king's response to Nehemiah's request surprise you? Why or why not?
Reading this story from the perspective of a world view the kings response does surprise me, but knowing God and knowing of His promises this doesn't surprise me. God placed Nehemiah in a position that afforded him an audience with the king and reading the response that the king had we can gather that Nehemiah was well respected.
How was God addressed in these other prayers in the Bible? What were the pray-ers expecting God to do in response to their prayers?
2 Chronicles 6:14- Solomon acknowledged that there was no other God like our God. He was expecting that God keep his promise of living among His people and keeping His covenant of love to those who give their whole hearts to Him.
Psalms 88:1- This prayer begins with "Lord, the God who saves me", or God our savior. This prayer is a plea for God to hear our cries.
Daniel 9:4- Daniel acknowledges God as the great and awesome God who keeps His covenant of love. Daniel was expecting God to free His people and bring them back to Him.
The common theme of the prayers are acknowledging God as the ultimate God, confessing our sins, asking for God to reveal His will and/or keep His promises as we whole heartedly follow Him.
Great point on the 2 perspectives. That is what it comes down to sometimes. old view vs new view or world view vs Biblical view. Thanks for the reminder.
Deletehola Kim. I went ahead and posted the last few pages of Ch 1.
Delete-What did Nehemiah confess? He basically admitted to God that he and his people had sinned and had not kept His precepts, etc.
ReplyDelete-What did Nehemiah remind God of? He reminded God that not only had He told His people that if they didn't keep his laws and precepts that they would be scattered abroad but he reminded Him that if they were to repent and return to God, He would bring them back and keep His covenant with them.
-What did Nehemiah ask God to do? He asked God to give him favor with the King in the thing he wanted to ask of him.
-Did the king’s response to Nehemiah’s request surprise you? Why or why not? The king's response did surprise me somewhat but at the same time, it was obvious that Nehemiah was respected by the King, and with God's hand in the situation, the king's response didn't surprise me.
-How was God addressed in these other prayers in the Bible? What were the pray-ers expecting God to do in response to their prayers?
ReplyDelete2 Chronicles 6:14- Solomon acknowledged that there was no greater God and that He was indeed a covenant-keeping God. Solomon was trusting in God for this fact.
Psalms 88:1- The psalmist was acknowledging the fact that salvation comes through God alone.
Daniel 9:4 - Daniel also knew that his God was a covenant-keeping God and he totally gave Him the awe and respect He deserved, but at the same time, he knew that He would bring the Israelites out of bondage and restore them.