Daniel and Nehemiah

by Damien F. Mackey That Nehemiah was much like Daniel is apparent, for instance, from the following article: https://www.facebook.com/SabbathSchoolBibleStudyGuideHelps/posts/nehemiahs-prayerlike-daniels-prayer-recorded-in-daniel-9-nehemiah-records-for-us/2651964044867134/ NEHEMIAH’S PRAYER Like Daniel’s prayer, recorded in Daniel 9, Nehemiah records for us what he prayed during his time of intense pain and grief over the condition of his beloved Judah. Both prayers include: 1. praise and adoration for God’s power and mercy 2. confession of his sins, along with those of God’s people 3. requests for God’s intervention to preserve His remnant 1. God, You are great and have mercy (Neh. 1:5). 2. Hear me (Neh. 1:6). 3. Confession of sins (Neh. 1:6, 7). 4. Remember Your promises (Neh. 1:8, 9). 3. You have redeemed us (Neh. 1:10). 2. Hear me (Neh. 1:11). 1. God, grant prosperity and mercy (Neh. 1:11). Nehemiah’s prayer focuses on God’s covenant promises. Just the recounting of them helped Nehemiah to remember that God always fulfills His promises. God, of course, doesn’t need the reminder, but the purpose here was to help Nehemiah fill his heart with renewed hope and to strengthen his trust in those promises. Often, we expect answers to prayers right away, but Nehemiah perseveres and prays for more than four months before anything happens. Nehemiah was a man of prayer: “Nehemiah had often poured out his soul in behalf of his people. But now as he prayed a holy purpose formed in his mind. He resolved that if he could obtain the consent of the king, and the necessary aid in procuring implements and material, he would himself undertake the task of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and restoring Israel’s national strength. And he asked the Lord to grant him favor in the sight of the king, that this plan might be carried out. ‘Prosper, I pray Thee, Thy servant this day,’ he entreated, ‘and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.’ Four months Nehemiah waited for a favorable opportunity to present his request to the king.” …. And, again, from this one: http://www.jesuswalk.com/greatprayers/9_nehemiah_success.htm …. Nehemiah's terminology seems to have some similarities with Daniel's prayer of confession, which probably isn't surprising since they were part of the same Jewish community in the Persian capital of Susa: Nehemiah 1:5 Daniel 9:4b-5 5O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, 4bO Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands... 6alet your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. 6bI confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father's house, have committed against you. 7We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses. 5we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. Nehemiah begins to pray10to the LORD (that is, God's revealed name, "Yahweh"), whom he describes as "the God of heaven," a phrase commonly used in the Persian empire. Like the Lord's Prayer, Nehemiah's salutation lifts his eyes to view the expansiveness of the Maker of the heavens. The phrase, "great and awesome God" is striking. As mentioned in our study of Daniel 9:4, "awesome" (NIV, NRSV) or "terrible" (KJV) is yārē, "be afraid, revere," which can refer to the emotion of fear as well as to "reverence or awe."11We don't like the idea of a terrible or dreadful God. We would rather think of God as our buddy or "home boy." No! God is awesome. He has immense power under his sole control. I can remember holding my firstborn son on my shoulders as I walked along the beach at Fort Bragg, California. The Pacific breakers crashed upon the shore and rocks with great noise and power. I could feel my son was almost shuddering in fear. "God made the ocean, David," I told him. Yes, God is awesome in his power. He cannot be domesticated or tamed. He is God in all his might and power! The refrain to Rick Mullins' praise chorus has brought this phrase into our worship vocabulary: "Our God is an awesome God He reigns from heaven above With wisdom, power, and love Our God is an awesome God."12 Like Daniel, Nehemiah recalls God's "covenant and steadfast love" (NRSV), which the people of Israel have broken by their disobedience. Then he asks God to give him a hearing. He is about ready to go in before the most powerful monarch of his day, Artaxerxes. But first he begs a hearing from the God of heaven upon whom he depends. …. [End of quotes] The big question now becomes (to be considered in a future article): WAS NEHEMIAH THE SAME PERSON AS DANIEL?