The Wall Builder's Burden

I am beginning a personal study into the life and leadership of the biblical character, Nehemiah. The account of Nehemiah's leadership takes place somewhere around 445-425 B.C. Nehemiah is a Jewish man who finds himself in the citadel of Susa in the empire of the Persians. He lives in Persia as a result of the exile of the Israelites into Babylon. Susa is the grand imperial residence of the Persian king and Nehemiah is the cupbearer to the king. The cupbearer, according to jewishvirtuallibrary.org, was “a high ranking royal official primarily in charge of serving wine to the king. Since he was close to the person of the king, who feared intrigue and the possibility of poisoned food, the cupbearer was required to be a man of irreproachable loyalty capable of winning the king's complete confidence.”

One day, news came concerning Jerusalem from a group of men who had recently visited the city. The news was sad:The wall of Jerusalem was broken and the gates had been burned with fire. This news greatly impacted Nehemiah. Verse 4 of chapter 1 of Nehemiah reads: “When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days, I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.

This short verse speaks volumes about the leadership qualities within this godly man. When Nehemiah heard the news, he had no position of authority; no power to change the situation in Israel; no resources or money to send that could rebuild the walls; and no immediate solution to repair the gates. But he did the six things that he was capable of doing.

First, he listened. He inquired of the men regarding the state of Jerusalem. And then he listened carefully to the report. He understood the great trouble that faced the Jewish remnant. He empathized with the disgrace that permeated the survivors. He was stunned by the brokenness of the city and the gates that blazed in destruction. Nehemiah listened with ears of deep understanding and a heart that reflected the brokenness of the walls. His listening went beyond the words of the report to the pain of its reality. The report crashed through his mind and lodged deep within his soul.

Second, Nehemiah nurtured his burden. He could not run from nor flee the heaviness of the news. He sat down and wept. Tears of sorrow and grief filled his life. The sadness became personal, the news hit home, and the reality of the burden became inescapable. Rather, the walls of Jerusalem dominated his thinking and the urgency of the situation burned in his inner being.

Third, Nehemiah engaged his emotions. He wept for the city. He response went beyond sorrow. The mental assent to the difficulties facing the city reached a transformational point as the emotions of the leader engaged the reality of the disgrace. Nehemiah could not let it go...he could not forget the news and go about life as usual...he could not just ignore the broken walls.

Fourth, this godly leader experienced personal loss. He owned the tragedy. Not only did he weep but he mourned for the city. In his mind's eye he could see Jerusalem dying and he experienced the dark grief of failure. Along with the mourning came a fifth element: he fasted. He was so distraught that he separated himself from food in order to concentrate on the power of God. He was deeply committed to knowing God's will and design for the situation.

The sixth action of Nehemiah is the climax of his response: he prayed before the God of heaven. This activity demonstrates Nehemiah's complete dependence on his God. Nehemiah did not have the solution; he did not have the means to bring about change; but he did know the One who could transform the situation into victory. His prayer is powerful and to the point. His prayer is filled with humility and confession. It is so significant – I encourage you to read it in Nehemiah 1:5-11. I hope to write more about the prayer in a future blog.

As most of you may know, Nehemiah is able to address King Artaxerxes and is given the opportunity to travel to Jerusalem to provide leadership in rebuilding the walls. But before we travel with him to Israel, let me make one other quick note. In Nehemiah 2:1 we see this godly man before the king. It is in the month of Nisan. This is four months after the initial news of Jerusalem had reached his ears. Note two things: 1) Nehemiah's burden was real, and deep, and long-lasting. This was not a temporary sadness or a short-term concern. This was a strong burden that would not be satisfied or appeased. This was a burden that he carried for many days. 2) Nehemiah did not receive quick relief from the heaviness. Instead of finding the answer quickly, he had to wait on the perfect timing of the Sovereign One. Leaders do not always have quick answers to the burdens of life. Deep concerns often involve closed doors and seemingly impossible solutions.

Just some leadership questions.... How well do I listen? Is my soul burdened with the urgency of walls that need to be rebuilt? Is it only my head, or is my heart engaged in the mission of my calling? When was the last time I wept for the burning gates around me? Is the deep commitment characterized by fasting part of my burden? Am I patiently praying; confidently trusting; and passionately awaiting God's open door of opportunity? Such is the mindset of Nehemiah's leadership.