And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, that I took the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had never been sad in his presence before. (Nehemiah 2:1)

The Character Of Nehemiah

Henry Hancock said, “Out of our beliefs are born deeds. Out of our deeds we form habits; out of our habits grow our characters; and on our character, we build our destination.” (Alpha Xi Delta Magazine, 1957). Nehemiah was the son of Hachaliah, and both were born in the land of bondage, far from the land of promise. Nehemiah’s grandfather would have been part of the first captivity when Babylon conquered Judah. Two generations later, the nation of Persia ruled the remnant of the Hebrews under King Artaxerxes. Nehemiah heard stories of the golden days of Israel and the magnificence of Solomon’s Temple. The city of Jerusalem was a fairy tale told by the few who had seen its glory.

Nehemiah was a cupbearer for Artaxerxes in the capital city, Shushan (Susa). He had never traveled to Jerusalem, but his heart was intent on knowing of its plight. When Hanani told Nehemiah how the walls of Jerusalem were broken down and the gates burned with fire, he wept and mourned for many days as he fasted and prayed to the Lord. Nehemiah’s first prayer was one of repentance. The condition of the city weighed heavy on his mind as he went about his duties with the king. It was on a certain day as he served the king Nehemiah’s downtrodden countenance drew the attention of the king. When the king asked his cupbearer why he was sorrowful, Nehemiah told his master his desire to go to Judah to rebuild the city.

The picture of Artaxerxes and a Hebrew slave was a remarkable paradox. In an amazing turn of events, the cupbearer asks the most powerful king on earth to allow him to travel 850 miles to Jerusalem and remain for a time. Nehemiah was born as a captive and served the king as his servant. The king of Persia was a powerful man who would rule his kingdom for forty-five years. Through the providential care of the Lord, King Artaxerxes permitted Nehemiah to go to Jerusalem with letters of authority and permission to gather wood from the king’s keeper of the king’s forest for building.

Requesting the king’s permission to leave Shushan and travel to Jerusalem was a bold move characterized by the faith of a man of God accustomed to praying to the Father. Nehemiah was taking a risk, asking permission. He was a man of prayer who believed in the outpouring of God’s blessings through divine petitions. It required the consent of the king to allow Nehemiah to go. The remarkable part of the story is the king and queen were pleased to let their most trusted servant leave.

There is evidence of God’s providence in allowing Nehemiah to leave. Still, it cannot be lost that the character of Nehemiah, serving before a pagan king who did not worship the one true God, was critical to the story. Artaxerxes trusted Nehemiah because the Hebrew slave had demonstrated his loyalty to God as Joseph had done many generations before in the court of Pharaoh. Character meant something to Nehemiah. He may not have realized the value of his example of faith until the time came when he needed to go to Jerusalem. Dwight L. Moody was right when he said, “Character is what you are in the dark” (1837-1899). The king knew Nehemiah’s character was trustworthy.

Nehemiah’s example must be built upon for the Christian who lives among a perverse and crooked generation. There is a need for men and women (and young people) of character to stand tall before the people of the world and show Jesus Christ. Nehemiah’s character was sterling, allowing him to etch his name in the divine record as a great man of faith. He went to Jerusalem and, under his leadership, rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem in fifty-two days. It was God’s work he went to accomplish because his character was built upon God’s wall of faith. Live in such a manner that the king of Persia would be pleased to allow you to undertake a great task. Better yet, live in such a manner the King of Kings and Lord of Lords sees your faith and speaks your name to the Father.