Nehemiah 2:11

So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.

Days of quiet

Some workers of the present day would have sent round the bellman and summoned the leading inhabitants to a preliminary convention within half an hour of their arrival; but there was no such unbelieving hurry-scurry with Nehemiah, and therefore three days were allowed to elapse. It was necessary to recover from the fatigue of the journey. He who is the God of our bodies as well as of our souls knows full well the limit of our powers, and would not have us outrage physical laws, even in seeking to do Him honour. These three days may have been needful also for further prayer and waiting upon God. It may have been also that God would not have him begin work under mere natural impulse or human excitement. Hence the need of three days of quiet. Men under excitement can do wonderful things, whether in storming a redoubt or in conducting what in modem times is called a “mission”; but God does not want His work done under excitement. Calm and quiet of soul are more favourable to that true reliance upon Him which gives Him all the glory and seeks none for ourselves. (W. P. Lockhart.)

The wisdom of waiting

This interval would no doubt be occupied in reflecting on the difficulties of his enterprise--in maturing his course of procedure. Besides, he was probably in doubt how to proceed, till God revealed to him His will; and for this he needed to make his requests known to Him in prayer. This is ever the discipline of a religious life. A pious writer remarks, “I need just as much patience to wait as the lamp needs oil, till the day break, and the shadows flee away.” (W. Ritchie.)

Preparatory retirement

God’s servants frequently thus retired for deliberation before entering upon arduous tasks. Moses, Paul, Christ Himself. Nehemiah’s retirement--

I. Gave him time to look round.

II. Gave him time to look forward.

III. Gave him time to look within.

IV. Gave him time to look upward. (Homiletic Commentary.)