(Continued from Tuesday)

“You see how Daniel and I both refer to Moses in our prayer? We were both looking at what Moses said centuries before. We were both aware of what Solomon had prayed at the dedication of the temple.

“Both Moses and Solomon warned about what would happen when our people turned from God and both told us what God would do if we returned. When we turned, we would be scattered. Moses didn’t say ‘if’, he said ‘when’. Four hundred years apart, our people heard those warnings. And then God waited another four hundred years before allowing Jerusalem to be destroyed. Generation after generation, king after king, prophet after prophet. You can read for yourself that there were many many opportunities. But eventually, God showed us that he was willing to have the city of God destroyed to show that he cared more about his people than his city.”

I held up my hand. “Can you wait a bit while I read those stories?” Nehemiah nodded and walked out. I heard him in the kitchen fixing coffee. I read the words of Moses in Deuteronomy.

All the nations will ask: “Why has the Lord done this to this land? Why this fierce, burning anger?” And the answer will be: “It is because this people abandoned the covenant of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, the covenant he made with them when he brought them out of Egypt. They went off and worshiped other gods and bowed down to them, gods they did not know, gods he had not given them. (Deuteronomy 29:22-30:5)

I read the words of Solomon in 1 Kings:

and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray to you toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name; then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. (1 Kings 8:46-53.)

The warnings were clear. The promise was great. I was ready to talk again. And Nehemiah walked back in, carrying two mugs.

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More tomorrow

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Reflecting on Nehemiah 1. Taken from A Great Work: A Conversation with Nehemiah for People (Who Want to Be) Doing Great Works.