That I May Build It

Nehehmiah 2:4,5
4 Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.
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.
KJV

Nehemiah’s prayer to God and his request of the king for the rebuilding of the walls at Judah was not a self-directed spiritual exercise serving his own selfish interests. For Nehemiah did not pray God that the Most High himself or the king would rebuild the walls in Judah; nor did he lament because the people would not rebuild the walls; Instead Nehemiah sought favour so that he might be sent into Judah to do the work and “build it.”

And Nehemiah’s actions were all the more noteworthy when one considers the circumstances that Nehemiah found himself in. He was in no mean (lowly) position, for he was the King’s cupbearer. And while he might have used the position to ensure his own present and future security (having audience with both the king and queen), he was lamenting (not over himself) but over what was taking place among God’s own people, Nehemiah’s people. (Note the following: Though he possessed a position of privilege and preferment, he used his singular opportunity to make a request to the king to do something for others and not himself.)

Nehemiah’s interests were purely invested in the advancement of people and not himself. And those to whom the Lord has granted vision and strength enough to accomplish His purposes, will be the very same who the Lord will grace and grant the necessary favour for the fulfilling of it.

Beyond this, while the king may indeed have been the earthly instrument to grant Nehemiah’s request, Nehemiah’s first and primary petition (and likely a very persistent petition) was to the “God of Heaven.” Similar to rise of Joseph by Pharoah, the king of Babylon’s granting of favour to Ezra, the favor of Daniel with two kings of the Babylonians and a third, Darius, as representative of the Medes and Persians and still another king of Babylon, Evil-merodach, concerning the “lifting up the head of Jehoiachin” from prison-presciently and prefiguring the deliverance of Israel after their 70 year captivity prophesied through Jeremiah in Jeremiah 29:10-11-God often uses those who for reasons beyond (and within) their intentions to bring about His purposes on behalf of those who pursue purposes on behalf of people:

“Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.”-Ezra 1:2