Nehemiah 2:5
And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers’ sepulchres, that I may build it. And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers’ sepulchres, that I may build it.
Nehemiah asked King Artaxerxes to release him from court service and send him to Jerusalem, the city where his ancestors were buried, so that he could rebuild its walls and ruined places and make it strong and defended. He made the request respectfully and prudently as a servant seeking favor and consent, yet boldly, seeking not only permission but the practical aid and authority needed to accomplish the work. When the king asked what he requested, he did not dare answer at once but first briefly and silently prayed to God for direction, because important interests were at stake and the fate of a nation hung on the impression then made. God answered by moving the heathen king to help him and grant all that he asked or even desired, showing that the whole undertaking was of the Lord. The verse teaches that God's people may ask those in authority for help in advancing God's work, joining petition with practical effort and careful planning, and being instant in prayer with hearts uplifted to God even while speaking with others.
The Request in Context
Nehemiah asked King Artaxerxes to send him to Judah, to Jerusalem, the city of his fathers' sepulchres where his ancestors were buried, that he might rebuild it. The request was for release from court service to go to that distant place and restore its ruined places, rebuilding its walls and making the city strong and defended. He framed it as a servant seeking favor in the king's sight, asking if it pleased the king to grant approval and consent for him to go and do this work. That respectful and prudent approach belonged to a sacred trust he carried for Jerusalem's restoration. At the same time the request was bold, a direct appeal to the monarch for permission to leave and advance the work.
He sought not only permission to go but the practical aid and authority needed to accomplish the rebuilding. What he asked the king to grant was joined to what he had asked of God, that the king would invest him with authority and furnish practical help for the work. The request carried out a plan formed in his mind while praying in a distant land after hearing of Jerusalem's affliction and entreating God's favor in behalf of the people. It came after mourning and weeping and praying, with petition leading into practical effort rather than replacing action.
When the king noticed his sadness and asked what he requested, he did not dare answer at once but first briefly and silently prayed to the God of heaven for direction. He paused because important interests were at stake and the fate of a nation hung on the impression then made on the monarch's mind.
Divine Answer and Example
The request was joined with asking God that the king would also invest him with authority and give the practical help needed for the work, carrying out a plan formed while praying in a distant land after hearing of Jerusalem's affliction and entreating God's favor for the people. God answered that prayer by moving the heathen king to help him, moving foreign kings to support His purpose and assist him in carrying out His purpose despite the opposition of enemies. The answer came in a way that showed the whole undertaking was of the Lord.
The request obtained all that he asked or even desired. He could therefore present himself to the people as sustained by the combined authority of the Persian king and the God of Israel when he asked them to take the favorable occasion and arise with him and build the wall.
God's people may ask people in authority for help in advancing God's work and God's cause, boldly and respectfully asking permission to go and help. They are to present their needs to others with prayer, faith, sound judgment, prudence, and a close connection with God. The request joins petition with practical effort for the work God had set before him, as part of a careful, well-planned undertaking to rebuild the city's walls. Prayer did not replace action, for after mourning, weeping, and praying he asked to be sent to rebuild the city.
When the king asked why he looked sad and what he requested, he did not dare answer at once because important interests were at stake and the fate of a nation hung on the impression then made on the monarch's mind, so before answering he darted up a brief silent prayer to the God of heaven for direction. That brief prayer, offered even while speaking with someone, illustrates being instant in prayer and seeking God's help in consequential situations. Hearts are to be uplifted to God in prayer wherever we are and whatever our employment, with minds stayed upon Jesus and guided by the light of His word, without waiting to bow on the knees, ready at a moment's notice as minute men and women under all circumstances. God brought him as one of His servants before a ruler so that idolaters could have opportunity to receive the light of the true God, and through his service in captivity under trial and hardship he helped carry out work that God's people had neglected in their own land.