1026 THE KING’S BUSINESS Nehemiah’s Prayer Answered NOVEMBER 18, 1917. LESSON VII. Nehemiah 2:1-11. (Memorize vs. 5, 6 ). G olden T ext : “Ask, and it shall be given you.”—Matt. 7 :7.
DAILY BIBLE READINGS Mon., Nov. 12—Neh. 2.T-8. (The Lesson). Tues., Nov. 13—Neh. 2 :9-20. Wed., Nov. 14—Num. 14:20-35. Thurs., Nov. IS—2 Chron. 20:14-19.
Fri., Nov. 16—Isaiah 37 :21-32. Sat., Nov. 17—Dan. 9:20-27. Sun., Nov. 18—Psalm 132:11-18.
EXPOSITION AND PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
vs. 1-3. "And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that (when) wine was before him: and (, that) I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his pres ence. Wherefore (And) the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick f this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid. And (add, 1) said unto the king, Let the king live forever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?” As Nehemiah prayed for his peo ple the thought had come to him that deliverance for them was to come through him because of his influence with the king and he had prayed to God to give him favor in the sight of the king (ch. 1 : 11 ). In the passage before us we see the begin ning of the very definite answer to this prayer. Nehemiah sought to attend faith fully to his duties, but he was so burdened for his people that his countenance showed the sadness of his heart, even in the pres ence of the king. Nehemiah had never before been sad in his presence, and that fact made his present sadness all the more noticeable. Up to this time he had gone about his duties with a bright and happy countenance. It was Nehemiah’s great love for his people that made him. sad of
heart and therefore sad of countenance. His own position was a most enviable one, but that did not matter to him so long as his people were in distress and so long as God was dishonored. God used this unac customed sadness as a means of answering his prayers and of carrying out his plans of deliverance for Israel. While God can act supernaturally, it is his method, as revealed in experience and revealed in His Word, to use ordinary means and natural things to carry out His purposes and to answer the prayers of His people. The king quickly detected the change in the counte nance of Nehemiah, and showed his sym pathy with him by putting to him the question “Why is thy countenance sad ?” Evidently Nehemiah had won a large place in the affections of the king. It was evi dent to the king that Nehemiah was not sick, and that his sadness must come from sorrow of heart. The king’s question filled Nehemiah with fear, either lest the sor row be misinterpreted as an expression of discontent with the service of the king, or as a sign of some treachery toward the king, or more likely, for fear that he him self would not make just the wisest use of the present opportunity. Nehemiah’s answer to the king’s questions was not only frank but deeply significant. It revealed Nehe miah’s heart, his entire disregard for self and his unselfish love for his people and for the city that was dear to God. The
Made with FlippingBook Annual report