Elijah at Horeb, and Nehemiah at Shushan.

1 Kings 19; Nehemiah 1
1 Kings 19; Nehemiah 1.
In meditating on distinguished servants of God brought before us in the scriptures, and also in considering those of our own day, it may have been too much our habit to magnify their graces to the exclusion of their deficiencies, or to magnify their defects to the exclusion of their graces.
In looking at the histories of Elijah and Nehemiah, we may say that the times in which they lived were in some respects like our own. Everything of a corporate character had sadly failed, the estate of the people was very low, and there was little or no heart to turn to God. Scarcely anything could be worse than the position of the people in both instances; but the condition of the soul of Elijah when at Horeb, was very different to that of Nehemiah at the palace of Shushan, as was also the divine testimony concerning their service.
The state of Elijah’s mind when in the wilderness is full of serious warning. It shows us that while we are exercised about the sins of others, how needful it is to have a just estimate of our own condition. Elijah was extremely sensible of the enormity of Israel’s sin; their sad ways deeply occupied his soul. He had been a very bold, faithful, devoted, self-denying servant, and just before this had been wonderfully honored by the Lord God of Israel; but now, in his great concern for the people, he forgot his own failures. The consequence was, that instead of self-judgment and humiliation, with confession and prayer, he made intercession against Israel, and spoke as if he was the only faithful one, the only person in Israel that was “jealous for the Lord God of Hosts.” In this there was some truth, but it was not grace and truth, as we see in the perfect Servant, the Lord Jesus Christ. “I have been very jealous for the Lord God of Hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, thrown down Thine altars, and slain Thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life to take it away.” (1 Kings 19:10, 1410And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. (1 Kings 19:10)
14And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. (1 Kings 19:14).) Twice the Lord asks the question, “What doest thou here, Elijah?” and each time he gives the same answer. Twice he talks of his own jealousy for the Lord God of Hosts. Twice he makes intercession against Israel, and twice he intimates that he is the only one in Israel that is on the Lord’s side. The question that the Lord proposed, “What doest thou here, Elijah?”1 would have been a very searching one to him, had he been prepared to look into his own heart. The simple reply then would have been one of confession of his own lack of confidence in his God, and his failure in fleeing from Jezebel―with earnest prayer for forgiveness. Had he thus cast himself upon the restoring grace of God, he would then, like Daniel and others, have prayed for and not against Israel.
God’s answer to the conduct of Elijah is very remarkable. He thus commands him: “Anoint Elisha to be prophet in thy room;” and adds, “I have left Me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.” There was also deserved judgment pronounced upon the people.
Does not this little history admonish us, beloved, to “cast the beam out of our own eye,” as that which alone prepares the way for us to “see clearly to cast out the mote out of our brother’s eye?”
Let us now look at Nehemiah.
Nehemiah’s deep concern, when he heard that the people of God were in much affliction and reproach, that the city was lying waste, the wall of Jerusalem broken down, and the gates thereof burned with fire, plainly shows us that he was very jealous for the Lord God of Hosts, though he boasted not of it. His readiness to leave the luxury and honor of the palace of Shushan, for the trials and conflicts of Jerusalem, teach us how true his heart was.
When Nehemiah heard of the sad condition of the Lord’s people, we do not find that he made intercession against them, but he sat down, wept and mourned day after day, fasted, and prayed day and night to the God of heaven. He turned to the scriptures―sure sign of a soul really exercised before the Lord―he acknowledged his own sin, the sins of his father’s house, the sins of the children of Israel, accepted God’s chastisement, earnestly pleaded God’s promises in the scriptures of truth, counted upon the Lord’s restoring grace, and appealed to the faithful love of the God of Israel― “Now these are Thy servants and Thy people, whom Thou hast redeemed, by Thy great power, and by Thy strong hand.” (Neh. 1)
The sequel shows us how abundantly God answered his prayers, with what remarkable success his efforts were crowned, how greatly God was glorified, and His people benefited.
While we may be occupied, and rightly so too, about our position―and Nehemiah was not negligent of this―may we never forget our own condition of soul.
But further. Let us look, for a moment, from the servants to the Master. In Christ crucified, we see how inseparably the glory of God and the welfare of His people are connected together. He hath left us an example, that We should follow His steps. He would also have us wash the defiled feet of our brethren, as well ale have our own feet washed. His love even overcame refusal, and so should ours. Peter would not allow the Lord to wash his feet. In the heat of a carnal moment he resisted such wondrous depths of divine grace. Nothing is so humiliating to the flesh as grace. But how did the Lord appeal to Peter? Did He imperiously threaten him? Did He say, if I wash thee not, I will have no part with thee? No, quite the contrary. He assured Peter that it was his profit, his blessing, his happiness, his companionship that his loving Lord sought. He therefore said unto him, “If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with Me.” After this, Jesus said, “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; AS I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” (John 13:6, 8, 346Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? (John 13:6)
8Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. (John 13:8)
34A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. (John 13:34).) This command, however, was not great enough for Peter in his then condition of soul, for he vainly gave way to unwarrantable thoughts. Not content simply to take the place of obedience to his Master’s word, he lost sight of his real condition, and through the deceitful workings of the flesh, under pretense of seeking the honor of the Lord, he said, “I will lay down my life for Thy sake.” (vs. 37.) This was a serious mistake of Peter’s, and forcibly reminds us of that ancient axiom, “To obey is better than sacrifice.” Peter’s fancied zeal for the honor of Christ led him into another error. In the rashness of mistaken energy, “he drew his sword, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear.” This was a terrible failure, and soon proved to be the harbinger of worse. The Lord could only reprove Peter by immediately healing the wound, and sheaving him that he knew not what manner of spirit he was of.
What instruction, beloved, do we gather from these things, but that true zeal for Christ, and a godly jealousy for the honor of His name and truth, (would that we had more!) must be carried on in the Spirit of Christ, and according to the example and word of Christ, if we would ensure His companionship with us now, and His “Well done” at His appearing.
IF we say, “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable”.... “I will speak of the glorious honor of Thy majesty,” and “the Lord is gracious, and full of compassion, slow to anger, and of great mercy;” we should also, in the exercise of our souls, have the ready lip to say from the heart, “Every day will I bless Thee, I will extol Thee; I will bless Thy name forever and ever. (Psa. 145)
 
1. Elijah means, my God is Jehovah.