So built we the wall;
and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had
a mind to work — Nehemiah 4:6
The
challenges could not be greater. In fulfilment of the prophecy of Jeremiah, a
minority of the people of Judah chose to leave captivity in Babylon and return
to home. The walls of Jerusalem and the temple of God were rebuilt. Yet, they
faced much opposition from the neighbours and over time the walls of Jerusalem
came into disrepair. The people were greatly discouraged.
Then
comes Nehemiah. A Judean who served in the Persian court as the king’s
cupbearer, Nehemiah’s rise to leadership was birthed in crisis. When he asked
about the welfare of his people back home, he heard most distressing news: The
people of Judah are in great affliction and reproach. The walls of Jerusalem
were broken down and the gates burned with fire.
Crisis
can be the womb of opportunity.
Nehemiah
rose up to be one of the greatest Hebrew leaders and indeed one of the great
leaders of history. Yet he did not come into this position out of personal
ambition or some sense of entitlement. Nehemiah’s leadership was birthed out of
a burden for his city and people. From this burden, he devised a plan to
motivate the people and rebuild the walls.
Sure
enough, like the tares popping up with the stocks of wheat, opposition to
Nehemiah came from the locals. While this can be annoying and grievous, it can
be very strengthening - especially when you partner with God. Nehemiah, in the
face of opponents, redoubled his efforts and the walls of the city were
completed in a record 52 days.
Nehemiah
is a wonderful account how through determination, a purpose, plan, prayer, and
perseverance, stunning results of renewal, revival and restoration happen. The
role of prayer in Nehemiah is indisputable: 1:4-11; also 2:4; 4:4-5,9; 5:19;
6:9,14;13:14,22,29,31.
HEBREW NAME
The Hebrew name of Nehemiah is ne-hem-yah, meaning ‘the
comfort of Yahweh.’
AUTHOR
The book begins with the phrase ‘the words of Nehemiah’ (1:1).
This means that Nehemiah is the author and this book is his memoir.
PORTRAIT OF CHRIST
Just as Nehemiah repaired the broken down walls of Jerusalem, so
Jesus Christ is the one who repairs the breach in our lives caused by sin and
shame.
THEME OF NEHEMIAH
Sound, God-ordained leadership helped to bring the physical and
spiritual restoration of the people of Judah and the city of Jerusalem.
KEY VERSES IN NEHEMIAH
So the wall
was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month of Elul, in fifty-two days.
And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around
us saw these things, they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for they
perceived that this work was done by our God (6:15-16).
So they read
distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and
helped them to understanding the reading (8:8).
SUMMARY OF NEHEMIAH
Ezra was the priest, Nehemiah the governor. Ezra was the cleric
and Nehemiah the secular leader. Ezra brought reformation and Nehemiah
reconstruction. Ezra came in the second return out of Babylon and Nehemiah the
third.
The events of the story happen in the reign of Persian King
Artaxerxesx I (464-423 BC). After hearing of the deplorable state of the people
and the city of Judah, Nehemiah appeals to the king to grant him leave to
rebuild the walls. After exploring the city in his famous ‘night journey,’ Nehemiah
utters the command ‘Rise and build’ (2:18).
The opposition to Nehemiah was not slow in coming: first in the
form of mockery and then a conspiracy to hinder. He outwits and outworks them
all. The walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt in record time due to the help of God
(6:16).
There is more. Nehemiah wants to rebuild the people of Judah,
which will prove to be more challenging that the stone-heavy walls of
Jerusalem. Through Ezra the priest, a marathon Bible reading commences. People
respond with tears, rejoicing, confession and commitment to obey. There is
nothing like the Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit to build people
up. The priests and Levites led people in prayer: a person of prayer is a
person of power.
After a departure of several years, Nehemiah came back to Judah to
clean house. He restored sabbath observance, cleansed the temple, and made the
Judeans divorce their foreign wives
And I contended with
them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair,
and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their
sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves.— Nehemiah
13:25
These may have seemed like extreme measures but it worked - reformation
and restoration came to Judah, preparing the holy city for the coming of the
Messiah 500 years later.
OUTLINE OF
NEHEMIAH
I.
Walls of Jerusalem Rebuilt(1:1-7:73)
a.
Preparation to Reconstruct the Wall (1:1-2:20)
1.
Burden & Intercession of Nehemiah (1)
2. Nehemiah’s Night Journey in Jerusalem (2)
b. The
Reconstruction of the Wall (3:1-7:73)
1.
Record
of Builders (3)
2. Opposition to Reconstruction (4:1-6:14)
a. Mocking, threats, discouragement (4)
b. Extortion Neh Ex. (5)
c. Compromise, treachery, slander (6)
Completion of Reconstruction
3. Registration
of Jerusalem (7)
II.
People of Judah Revived (8:1-13:31)
a.
Covenant Renewed (8:1-10:39)
1.
Reading of the Law (8)
2. Renewal of the Covenant (9,10)
b.
Obedience to the Covenant 11:1-13:31
1. People resettled (11)
2. Wall
rededicated (12:27-47)
3.
People of Judah restored(13:1-31)
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