Nehemiah 1:5-11
Summary for Neh 1:5-11: 1:5-11 a Nehemiah’s prayer includes praise (1:5 b), confession (1:6-7 c), remembrance of God’s promises (1:8-9 d), and petition (1:10-11 e). Nehemiah recognized that Israel’s current situation was not a failure of God’s covenant of unfailing love. Israel’s persistent sin had brought about the punishments entailed in the covenant.1:6 f I confess that we have sinned: Like Ezra (Ezra 9:5-15 g) and Daniel (Dan 9:4-19 h), Nehemiah identified with the sins of his people, made no excuses, and accepted both his individual responsibility and the responsibility of the larger covenant group that had sinned against God.
Summary for Neh 1:8-9: 1:8-9 i Nehemiah recalls God’s curse on sin and his promise of restoration (Deut 4:25-31 j; 30:1-5 k).
• The place ... for my name to be honored was Jerusalem.
1:10 l Nehemiah alludes to God’s long-standing covenant relationship with the Israelites: He had rescued them in the Exodus (Deut 9:29 m) and made them his servants.
1:11 n making the king favorable to me: Nehemiah knew God could influence the king’s heart to be kind to Nehemiah.
• As cup-bearer Nehemiah tasted the king’s wine to make sure it was not poisoned, which provided him daily access to King Artaxerxes.
Copyright information for
TNotes