A true leader is a burden bearer. He/She must know and demonstrate the ability to serve before leading. There are many who desire to be leaders among us, but very few have what it takes to be a true leader; one who represents the Lord well and cares about the condition of people. Jesus is our ultimate example of leadership. He sets a high standard that we can use as a plumb line to evaluate ourselves and the leaders around us.
Nehemiah is one of my favorite Biblical leaders. While he never met Jesus, he lived out a life that was exemplary and effective for the Kingdom of God while facing much opposition.
Who is Nehemiah? Nehemiah was a Jewish cupbearer serving under the Persian Emperor Artaxerxes I Longimamus. Being a cupbearer was a trusted position. The king only took a cup from his cupbearer knowing that the drink has been tested before being given to the king. However, a cupbearer was the last person who has access to that drink before the king drinks it, so he has the opportunity to poison him if he wanted to. That shows the level of trust the king had towards Nehemiah.
King Artaxerxes had allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild its walls. This is where Nehemiah comes in.
Nehemiah the Intercessor
It came to pass in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the citadel, that Hanani one of my brethren came with men from Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who had survived the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. And they said to me, “The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.”
So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. Nehemiah 1:1-4
Nehemiah cared enough to ask Hanani about the Jews’ condition in Jerusalem. When he heard that they were in distress, he became distressed. This is an example of great empathy. He could have just said, “Oh, that’s too bad. I’ll pray for them.” But he identified with their condition and it brought him to a place of mourning and crying out before God on their behalf. He even chose to fast for them. Nehemiah took ownership of the situation. He became a burden-bearer for people he didn’t know personally. They were just his fellow Jews!!
Are there times in your life when the Lord leads you to intercede on behalf of others who are not your family and friends? Have you fasted for situations that you didn’t have any control or power to change?
Nehemiah, in his prayer asks for forgiveness of sins when he prays “…we have sinned against you.” (Nehemiah 1:7b) He included himself in this prayer, and confessed that he along with the other Jews had sinned and were in need of forgiveness. That shows great humility on Nehemiah’s part. He could have just prayed for them, but he chose to identify with them.
A true leader intercedes on behalf of people by identifying with their condition. That’s the beautiful and delicate balance of leadership. On one hand the leader is close to the Father. He can pray, mourn, fast, and ask Him for mercy and forgiveness. On the other hand a leader is in pain for his people, when sin has brought so much devastation in their lives. I don’t think Nehemiah at this point even thought of himself as a leader, but the condition of His heart was shaping him to be the leader when God had a need of him.
Intercession leads into a blueprint
In chapter 2, Nehemiah came before the King, and the King noticed his sad face. The King asked Nehemiah why he was so sad. Nehemiah explained the condition of Jerusalem. This time the King asked what Nehemiah’s request was.
When God gives us a burden for someone or a group of people, many times through that burden He shapes our hearts to become part of the solution. Nehemiah had been praying and fasting for four months. The Lord had been speaking to him during those times. He knew God had picked him for this burden that He had laid on him. There is nowhere in scripture where it tells us that Nehemiah was hesitant or excited about the opportunity. He kept doing what was before Him. When he came before the king, he didn’t barge in or make any demands. He was doing his ordinary work, and it was the king who noticed that Nehemiah was sad. The Lord opened the door to Nehemiah for the burden that He had placed on him.
Blueprint Leads into Action
When the King asked Nehemiah what His request was, Nehemiah was ready with a plan of action. All those days of intercession, mourning, and fasting had given him the opportunity to hear God and His plan of action for the Jews. He had seen the blueprint. Nehemiah asked to go to Jerusalem to help rebuild the walls. Nehemiah knew exactly the material required, the route he needed to travel on and the letters of permission he needed as he traveled through various territories. This was just a beginning of this journey that would last several years of Nehemiah’s life.
In our culture, we admire and adore the term “leader”. People have desires to be in leadership positions. However, when we look at the Bible, most leaders understood the weight of the responsibility so well, that it didn’t excite them or make them proud to be leaders. They were doing it because they loved God and wanted to be obedient to His request.
What is your view of leadership? Does being in leadership make you feel important and significant? Have you been faced with the weight and responsibility of leadership to the point you would willingly give it up if the Lord asked you to? Are you doing it just to please Him?
There is much to learn from Nehemiah and his leadership style. We will continue with this subject in the next devotional.