Nehemiah 2:1-20 “Arise and Build” 9/2/2023

There are two things that I want to point out to you here in this verse.
First is the patience of Nehemiah…how he waited on the Lord for the answer to his prayer.
And second…that he was in the presence of the king who was not a believer in the One true God…the God of Israel.
1. Patiently waiting
We know from the date mentioned here…that four months have passed since chapter one of Nehemiah.
What happened in chapter one was that Nehemiah had learned that wall of Jerusalem was broken down, and its gates were destroyed by fire.
Upon hearing of the condition of Jerusalem he began to pray to God…and part of that prayer was for favor before the king.
He prayed:
“Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me.” (Nehemiah 1:11 NLT)
It has been four months since Nehemiah had prayed that prayer.
It is now springtime in Persia…and Nehemiah has been called before the king to bring him wine.