Page 15 - Principles of Leadership - Nehemiah

1. Looking out in compassion (1:1-3)

Nehemiah 1:1 The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah: During the month of Chislev in the twentieth year,
when I was in the fortress city of Susa, 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, (Probably a blood relative based upon
7:2 where Nehemiah singles out Hanani as “my brother.”) arrived with men from Judah, and I questioned them
about Jerusalem and the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile. 3 They said to me, “The remnant in the
province, who survived the exile, are in great trouble and disgrace. Jerusalem’s wall has been broken down,
and its gates have been burned down.”

First, we need to start with a little historical background to understand this text. When the Jews left Egypt and
made their way to the Promised Land, God promised that he would show them where His name was to dwell.
Deuteronomy 12:11 Yahweh, your God, will choose the place to have His name dwell. Bring everything I
command you: your burnt offerings, sacrifices, offerings of the tenth, personal contributions, and all your
choice offerings you vow to the LORD. Notice that they were to come to this place. Then God reveals that place
in the following passages. I Kings 11:36 My servant David will always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the
city I chose for Myself to put My name there. Again, this truth is repeated in II Kings 21:7 I will establish My
name forever in this temple and in Jerusalem. Jerusalem and the temple were to serve as a centripetal force
where people would come to be blessed. (See Below) But with the city lying in ruins, great disgrace hung over
the heads of the people, and God’s name was tarnished. Before we move on, the church is to serve as a
centrifugal force today as commanded in Acts 1:8 and Matthew 28:19-20. “The church's universality is the
intentional centrifugal, totally outward movement of the church. The church is less than what it is called to be
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when there is a loss of this outward directedness of the people of God.”

Jude 22 says that “Some have compassion, making a difference.” (KJV) Great leaders look at the world through
the compassionate nature of our Lord. Nehemiah was not preoccupied with his own concerns, but he cared
enough to ask. This is the first key to Nehemiah’s leadership greatness that he cared enough to ask. His
compassionate nature led him to ask about Jerusalem and the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile.
Leaders who look at the world through the eyes of compassion become disturbed when they hear about the
needs of others. This compassionate nature compels them to action.

I do not want to rush over the above point that he cared enough to ask. Notice again, the scriptures say, I
questioned them about Jerusalem and the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile. Notice that Nehemiah
uses the plural pronoun them, and it appears that he asked a series of questions about Jerusalem and the

“Quality questions create a quality life. Successful
people ask better questions, and as a result, they get
better answers.” Anthony Robbins

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