“And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy.” — Nehemiah 13:22

Nehemiah was a man of prayer—the last part of our focus verse and his many other prayers recorded in this short book make that apparent. Before approaching the king, Nehemiah prayed. Before he began the project of rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem, he prayed. In perplexing situations, when facing opposition, and in times of danger, he prayed. As a result, his life demonstrated the impact one individual can have on a nation.

While Christians around the world know about Nehemiah, many will not recognize the name Jeremiah Lanphier. However, Lanphier was also a man of prayer whose efforts made a great impact on his nation, and eventually, the world. 

Converted under the ministry of Charles Finney, Lanphier felt God calling him at the age of forty-eight to serve as an “urban missionary” in New York City. He had no seminary training, but when a church in the older section of downtown Manhattan needed someone to hand out Gospel pamphlets and Bibles, Lanphier quit his business and started knocking on doors. He visited local organizations, invited children to Sunday school, and encouraged hotels to refer guests to the church on Sunday. However, the response to his efforts was disappointing, and Lanphier found that time spent in prayer brought him the most peace and resolve. 

Lanphier wrote in his journal, “One day the idea was suggested to my mind that an hour of prayer, from twelve to one o’clock, would be beneficial to businessmen, who usually in great numbers take that hour for rest and refreshment.”The thought took root, and gradually he developed a plan—he would begin a weekly prayer meeting open to anyone who was interested, from bankers to broom-pushers. He printed up handbills advertising the first meeting, to be held at noon on September 23, 1857, in a small, third floor hall on Fulton Street in New York. 

On the appointed day, no one came during the first half hour, so Lanphier prayed alone. Then one man arrived, and another. By 1:00 p.m., there were six. Lanphier had hoped for more, but he reminded himself that Jesus said, “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” The following week, there were twenty present, and forty the week after that. Then, some of those who had been impacted by these times of prayer asked if they could meet daily, and the number of attendees grew. 

When Lanphier began inviting people to those first prayer meetings, he had no idea what would happen just three weeks later. On October 13, 1857, after a major trust company declared bankruptcy, panic struck the New York Stock Exchange and hundreds of banks and individual investors were ruined. Shortly thereafter, railroads went bankrupt, factories closed, and unemployment increased. Amid the resulting social and financial turmoil, many people realized their need of God. The Fulton Street prayer meetings were thronged, and noon prayer meetings began in other churches, theaters, and halls throughout the city. 

The telegraph and newspapers spread the word of the religious awakening in New York. Prayer requests began coming in from around the world and converts swelled church congregations across the land. Historians have suggested that up to a million people came to faith during the years 1857 to 1858. While Jeremiah Lanphier’s prayers and the Fulton Street prayer meetings were not the sole impetus behind the revival that swept across the United States, the prayers prayed during those weeks in 1857 clearly played a key role. In time, the revival kindled on Fulton Street spread to Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England, Europe, South Africa, India, Australia, and the Pacific islands.¹ 

God hears and responds when people pray! Nehemiah was a man who put everything before the Lord in prayer, and he was rewarded for his diligence and perseverance. Jeremiah Lanphier recognized the value of prayer and dedicated himself to giving others an opportunity to pray. Their commitment to prayer can become a model for us. What will happen in response to our prayers? We will not all change the world, but we can be sure that there will be results!

^1. William J. and Randy Petersen, 100 Amazing Answers to Prayer, Fleming H. Revell, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Fleming H. Revell, Baker Publishing Group, 2003).

BACKGROUND

Following Nehemiah’s first twelve-year period of governing in Judah, he traveled back to Persia in 433 B.C. Scripture does not record how long he stayed in Persia. When he returned to Judah for a second period of governorship, he found conditions in Jerusalem had changed significantly from the unified desire to follow God that had existed when he left. 

The final chapter of the Book of Nehemiah describes reforms Nehemiah instituted during his second administration as governor. Verses 1-9 describe Nehemiah’s expulsion of Tobiah from his unlawful residence in the Temple chambers. Three further reforms are noted in the remainder of the chapter: the restoration of support for the Levites; renewal of the Sabbath observance; and the denunciation of mixed marriages. The chapter concludes by briefly summarizing what Nehemiah accomplished during his second tenure as governor. 

For the first reform, Nehemiah immediately dealt with a situation in the Temple that seemingly occurred soon after he had returned to Persia. The phrase “on that day” (verse 1) refers to when the wall was dedicated. At that time, when the Law was read (as seen in chapters 11 and 12), the people were reminded of God’s instruction in Deuteronomy 23:3-4 that the Ammonites and Moabites were to be excluded from Israel unless they converted to the worship of Israel’s God. At that time, the people obediently separated such individuals from their midst. However, verses 4-9 reveal that Eliashib the high priest had made an exception. He was “allied unto” Tobiah the Ammonite (probably through marriage), and he allowed Tobiah to have his own quarters in the Temple chambers—areas that were supposed to be reserved for the priests and Levites or storage of Temple treasures. When Nehemiah discovered this upon his return from Persia, he immediately cast Tobiah out of the Temple complex with all his belongings. He then had the rooms Tobiah had used ceremonially cleansed and restored to their proper use. 

Verses 10-14 indicate that Nehemiah became aware that the Levites had not been properly supported, so they had gone back to their fields to make a living, thus neglecting their duties in the Temple. To rectify this, Nehemiah gathered the rulers and insisted that these abuses be corrected. He appointed four trustworthy men to oversee collection of the tithes and offerings, and to ensure that those who served in the Temple were provided for as commanded by the Law. 

A further reform, noted in verses 15-22, concerned a general ignoring of a proper observance of the Sabbath. Many of the people of Judah were failing to obey God’s commands regarding the Sabbath rest, which took place from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday. Foreigners were selling near the city gates on the Sabbath and the people of Judah were buying, treating this holy day like any other. In response, Nehemiah commanded that the city gates be closed on the Sabbath. In addition, he placed watchmen at the gates to ensure that vendors did not enter. When “once or twice” a few of these individuals camped outside the gate (possibly hoping to secretly move their goods inside or to entice customers out to them), Nehemiah threated to take stern action if they did so again. 

Another situation that Nehemiah had to address is described in verses 23-29. While Nehemiah was away, the Israelites had resumed their practice of intermarrying with people from the pagan nations around them. This was in direct disobedience to God’s command, for such unions presented a grave danger that the Jews would compromise their worship by adopting idolatrous religious customs. Nehemiah was indignant when he saw this was again occurring and that the children of such marriages could not even speak the language of the Jews. He reacted with vehemence and pointed to the failure of Solomon to remind the people of the results of “this great evil.” Intermarriage had even occurred within the family of Eliashib the high priest, so Nehemiah dealt with the situation swiftly and firmly. 

The book closes with Nehemiah’s personal and brief summary of his reforms, and a short prayer in which he committed himself and his work to God.

AMPLIFIED OUTLINE

IV. The remaining actions of Nehemiah
     C. The final reforms in Jerusalem (13:1-31)
          1. The separation from foreigners (13:1-3)
          2. The cleansing of the Temple after Tobiah (13:4-9)
          3. The restoration of the Temple personnel (13:10-14)
          4. The restoration of Sabbath observance (13:15-22)
          5. The denunciation of mixed marriages (13:23-29)
          6. The summary conclusion (13:30-31)

A CLOSER LOOK

1. According to verse 3, what did the people do when they had heard the Law?
2. Why do you think Nehemiah was so indignant regarding the errors of the people of Judah that are described in this chapter?
3. What lessons about effective leadership can we learn from Nehemiah’s actions in this chapter?

CONCLUSION

The prayers and efforts of Nehemiah and Jeremiah Lanphier are examples to us of how God can use one dedicated life to work out His purposes.