Self-regard and magnanimity.
In each one of these verses Nehemiah makes a personal reference. He, the writer, is the theme of his narrative. He writes of himself more than is customary with the sacred authors. We consider—
I. THE SELF-REGARD WHICH IS NOT SELFISHNESS. Though Nehemiah writes about himself, there is no painful egotism in his record. He does not obtrude himself. There is a self-regard which is not selfishness. It is right and needful that we should
(a) think much and highly of our spiritual nature. Not to do this is the sin of the thoughtless multitude. Every man's first duty is to consider how he himself stands before God, and whether he is entering in activity and life into all the holy possibility of moral character. It is sometimes right that we should
(b) speak or write about ourselves. Our Divine Master without egotism spake much concerning himself. He could not possibly have wrought his redeeming work with any completeness had he not so done. His great apostle had occasion to write much about himself in order to make clear the truth, and "for the furtherance of the gospel." So Nehemiah writes, using often the first person singular, but in no egotistic vein. We may sometimes aid the cause of Christ and serve our fellow-men by an effective personal narration of motive, experience, and work. Only we must remember that this is an alluring path, and we may easily go too far in it. It is not every one who can be as autobiographic and as unselfish as Nehemiah. Often it is our duty to
(c) pray for ourselves (verse 19). Often should we utter such a prayer as "Think upon me, my God, for good." Though assured that "the Lord thinketh upon us in our poverty" (Psalms 40:17), and greatly encouraged thereby, we must ask him to have us in his gracious and bountiful remembrance. And it is right that we should
(d) hope for a personal reward for our labours (verse 19), "according to all that I have done for this people." We cannot be more evangelical than Paul, but with him we may hope that after the "fight is fought" and the "course is finished," the "righteous Judge" will give the "crown of righteousness" (2 Timothy 4:7). Like Moses, we may "have respect unto the recompense of the reward" (Hebrews 11:26). But we have our attention called also to—
II. THE MAGNANIMITY WHICH IS CHRISTIAN (verses 14, 15, 16, 17). Nehemiah was totally unlike those governors who had regarded their office as a means whereby to secure emolument. His thoughts rose high above the line of the mercenary and the perfunctory. There was a large-mindedness, and therefore an openheartedness about him worthy of all admiration and imitation. He not only did his own appointed work faithfully and energetically (verse 16), but he declined to receive the usual remuneration. For twelve years he "did not eat the bread of the governor" (verse 14). Beside this, he kept a very hospitable table, entertaining daily "an hundred and fifty of the rulers of the Jews, beside those that came from the heathen" (verse 17). Generosity may be shown in many ways:
It is sometimes
(a) the overflow of natural disposition. We find in some ungodly men this open-heartedness and nobility of conduct. With Nehemiah it was partly, indeed largely,
(b) the outcome of genuine godliness (verse 15). "So did not I, because of the fear of God." If animated by this motive, we shall not live to ourselves, but shall
that God may be glorified, and the welfare of his people promoted.—C.
HOMILIES BY J.S. EXELL