In his private quarters, Nehemiah looked to the God of his father’s seeking guidance and purity. His day-to-day existence was spent mostly in the court of the King. The royal court was a hodgepodge of vileness and people who essentially fed the ego of the King. They worshipped the one that bestowed wealth and in many cases power to them. Because of the dominance of the empire the room had a diverse group of people. Nehemiah was not overly comfortable with all of these people. He was ok with different races. But the King was fascinated with deformed people. Many hunchbacks and people with unusual deformities were always present. These were all people that he saw as cursed by God. Yet here they were honored. Daily the cupbearer chose not to be distracted by the noise and action of the court. His life depended on him being aware of those that might seek to harm the King. While flagrant sin was all over the court, Nehemiah sought purity. So, in his private quarters he again prayed and sought God to open his eyes and ears. With tears he pleaded with God to purify his thoughts. Many of the images of the court were difficult to put aside. He often felt polluted. Yet, he was not in a position to offer sacrifices as his ancestors had done. They could not be purified in this heathen community. Nehemiah had purchased several scrolls to include much of the Torah and each day He would read through the passages in Leviticus and pray. What was becoming clear in his own heart was that he needed to be cleansed if he was to serve God faithfully. While there might be a time to call out the sins of others, the first mission was to cleanse himself.
Many times, friends would visit him in his chambers, and they would discuss the almighty. They discussed how Judah and Israel had been sinful, but how could God use such an ungodly culture to punish His own people? It seemed unfathomable that God would be so unjust.
In the dark of the night while the King slept, Nehemiah would confess to God his own doubts, and as a friend would seek answers to difficult questions. He confessed his own sin, the sin of his people. His prayer was not simply words. These were accompanied by tears and deep emotions. He recalled a Jewish mentor who had long since passed telling him the story of the snake in the sleeping quarters.
One afternoon a man was getting ready to go to bed with his family all around him. Gently, he kissed his precious children. Quietly, he prayed for a blessing on their rest and their dreams. As the father turned to leave, he saw a venomous snake on the floor. Now the father was a man of peace and loved all creation. In ordinary situations he would have ignored the snake and let it be. However, this snake was a threat to his most beloved. It was in this moment that the father became a savage and boldly took on the snake, cutting it into pieces. The lesson of the mentor was that snakes were the least of the threats to his children. Many dangers were present to our people and the man of God must savagely take on the evil. This savagery against the evil in his own heart and in the hearts of his people added emotion to his own prayer life.
