Ezra 7, Nehemiah 1: Risky Business.

At the beginning of the book of Nehemiah, we see Nehemiah in a very similar position to that of Esther. He is a Jew in a position of high influence- he is cupbearer to the king of Persia. He literally risks his life every day for the life of the king by taste-testing all the king's food before the king eats it. Checks it for poison.

If you think about it, poisoning must have been a fairly common way for insurgents to try to kill the king if they created an entire position to prevent it. Talk about a high-stress job! Nehemiah was used to taking risks.

So when he hears about how the Jews in Judah are struggling to maintain the peace, how the wall around the city of Jerusalem is in ruins, he begins to make a plan to journey over to Jerusalem to help rebuild the wall (and the morale of the Jews!).

The problem? He has to get permission from King Artexerxes to leave his post as cupbearer before he can be allowed to leave. He will have to approach the king uninvited (just like Esther) and risk his life in a different way.

Nehemiah prays to God, taking all responsibility for the sins of the Jewish nation. He confesses that they have not followed Him, that they have rebelled against Him and fallen away. He goes before God and asks for God's favor in spite of all they have done not to deserve it.

He asks for a chance to take this risk to travel to Jerusalem. To help his people rebuild. The wall. Their faith.