Nehemah 2: 11-18 Analysis

I look at Nehemiah 2:11-18 a model of true repentance. As Nehemiah went back to examine the fruit of the people’s sin- the destruction of their beloved city- I see him deeply examine it before he tries to rebuild it. When we repent, we can’t just give an insincere apology, or an half hearted turn of the heart. Before anyone can see that they need salvation, or see that they need forgiveness again(for us that are already saved), we have to truly look into our heart, look into our actions and see how vile and wrong we are for our sins. He stayed there for 3 days( the complete number). He sat out at night with a select few, but what he was there for was personal between him and God. When we sincerely repent, we should be secluded alone with God. Jesus expressed twice in the sermon on the mount about doing things in secret so that only God would be who we were trying to receive from.
I said out loud, “I don’t even know what repentance is.” The next day during morning service, the first words out of the pastor’s mouth after reading the scripture were “ Repentance is having the heart to want to change.” Nehemiah had that heart. His heart was hurt over what had happened to this once great city. This is the heart I must have toward my