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“The Stone of Supplication (Nehemiah 2)”
The Stone of Supplication (Nehemiah 2)
Wade Webster
Each chapter of Nehemiah gives us a stone that must be revived if we are going to build the Lord’s work. The stone that must be revived in the second chapter is the stone of preparation. The preparation of Nehemiah is seen in three things.
First, Nehemiah had to petition the ruler (Neh. 2:1-10). In the first chapter, Nehemiah asked God to give him mercy in the sight of the king (Neh. 1:11). Three months later, the requested opportunity finally presented itself. For the first time ever, Nehemiah was sad in the king’s presence (Neh. 2:1). The king noticed the sadness and asked Nehemiah about it (Neh. 2:2). Great fear filled Nehemiah’s heart (Neh. 2:2). He explained to the king that he was sad because of the destruction of Jerusalem and the tombs of his ancestors (Neh. 2:3). The king was touched by Nehemiah’s sadness and asked what he could do to help (Neh. 2:4). Before Nehemiah answered the king, he said a quick prayer. To his credit, Nehemiah was ready with a list of things that he needed. His careful preparation was clear. He began by asking for the king’s permission to go back to Jerusalem and to rebuild the city (Neh. 2:5). When the king asked how long he would be gone, Nehemiah set him a time (Neh. 2:6). Again, this reveals careful planning on Nehemiah’s part. Nehemiah further requested letters of passage from the king. This would prove especially important because some of the leaders in the region would not be happy with Nehemiah’s presence and plans (Neh. 2:7-10). Finally, Nehemiah requested timber from the king’s forest to use in rebuilding the gates (Neh. 2:7-8). Again, this shows great preparation.
Second, Nehemiah had to probe the ruins (Neh. 2:11-16). Although Nehemiah had heard of the terrible destruction, he needed to see it for himself (Neh. 1:1-3; 2:11-16). Three days after arriving in the city, Nehemiah goes up to view the ruins. The Hebrew word translated as viewed is a medical term. It refers to probing a wound to determine the extent of the damage. Amazingly, Nehemiah went up to view the ruins at night (Neh. 2:11). It seems clear that Nehemiah wanted the viewing to be as private as possible. No doubt, he expected to have opposition from without and within. He wanted to formulate his own plan before others began interjecting their own opinions and objections.
Third, he had to persuade the residents (Neh. 2:17-20). Nehemiah knew that he couldn’t do the work of rebuilding by himself. He needed help from the people. To persuade the people, he recounted how that God had blessed his efforts and granted him favor in the sight of the king (Neh. 2:17-18). His words convinced them and they agreed to rise up and build (Neh. 2:18). In spite of strong opposition, Nehemiah was convinced that God would prosper them (Neh. 2:19-20).
Like Nehemiah, if we are going to be successful in building the Lord’s work, we must revive the stone of preparation. Without preparation, the work will likely never get off the ground. If it somehow gets off of the ground, it will soon come crashing down.
