Category: <span>Nehemiah</span>

Unfortunately, the behavior of the returned exiles quickly resembled their forefathers, whose sin prompted the exile (2 Kings 17, 25). The people again had an operational temple, but lacked the character required by the law of Moses. The final installment of the Ezra-Nehemiah sequence records the most significant reform since the days of King Josiah (2 Chronicles 34). Here the people heard the law and committed themselves to obeying it.

In Nehemiah 8-12, the author described the returned exiles’ efforts at reform, which began when Ezra read to them the word of the Lord. When Ezra began to read, the people—young and old, women and children—stood and with raised hands shouted, “Amen, Amen!” (Neh 8:6). As Ezra read, several Levites stood amongst the people and explained the law to the people. The people wept over their sin and the consequences that their ancestors had to endure as a result. Ezra, Nehemiah, and the Levites instructed the people to stop weeping and celebrate the holy occasion (Neh 8:9-12). God had shown His grace in bringing the people back to His land. Their strength would be found in faithful rejoicing for the Lord’s kindness upon them.

The people went on to celebrate the Festival of Booths or Tabernacles (Neh 8:13-18). According to Lev 23:33-44, this was to be an annual commemoration of how the Lord sustained Israel in their 40-year wandering. The people had understood that the Sabbath rest of the land had been fulfilled (2 Chron 36:21); theirs was a day of rejoicing—followed by confession of sin (Neh 9:1-37). Several of the leaders recounted God’s acts from creation to their return from captivity. Their final words show that weeping was not only for their sin, it was also for independence. They said, “Here we are today, slaves in the land You gave our ancestors so that they could enjoy its fruit and its goodness. Here we are—slaves in it!” (Neh 9:36).

Having heard the law of Moses read to them and confessed their sins, the people vowed to follow the Lord’s ways (Neh 9:38-10:39). The people vowed that they would not intermarry with foreigners (Neh 10:30) or participate in commerce on the Sabbath (Neh 10:31). Rather, they would contribute to the work of the temple (Neh 10:32-34), bring the first of all their produce to the Lord (Neh 10:35-37a), and give a tenth of their income for the support of the Levites and the house of God (Neh 10:37b-39). They were focused on one goal: “We will not neglect the house of our God” (Neh 10:39). Having committed themselves to the Lord, the people resettled Jerusalem. They constituted temple practices (Neh 11:1-12:26) and dedicated the wall around the city (Neh 12:27-43). Two processions convened at the temple and, “on that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced because God had given them great joy. The women and children also celebrated, and Jerusalem’s rejoicing was heard far away” (Neh 10:43). Despite these remarkable steps, after Nehemiah returned to his post in the court of King Artaxerxes, Israel’s spiritual zeal declined in Judah and Jerusalem. Nehemiah asked the king for a second leave of absence and worked to reform the people yet again (Nehemiah 13).

The celebration of the Festival of Booths in Nehemiah 8 provides a window for understanding the storyline of Scripture. Though prior to Nehemiah’s day the Festival of Booths had not been celebrated for generations (Neh 8:17), it would gain increased prominence up to the time of Jesus. During one of Jesus’ visits to Jerusalem for the Festival of Booths, John recorded in John 7:37-39 that on the last day of the feast, Jesus called out to any who were yet hungering and thirsting for spiritual substance to come to Him. He promised them streams of living water that would flow from within them. That living water was the Spirit—whom He would give to His people after He was glorified.

While building the wall, Nehemiah heard the outcry of many of his people who were enduring extortion during a famine—at the hands of other Jews. Nehemiah condemned the oppressors in the harshest of terms. “What you are doing isn’t right,” he said, “Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God and not invite the reproach of our foreign enemies?” (Neh 5:9). He continued, “Let us stop charging this interest. Return their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses to them immediately, along with the percentage of the money, grain, new wine, and olive oil that you have been assessing them” (Neh 5:10b-11). Even though the people pledged to fulfill his demand, Nehemiah was incensed at their lack of spiritual sensitivity. He shook the folds of his robe and said, “May God likewise shake from his house and property everyone who doesn’t keep this promise. May he be shaken out and have nothing!” (Neh 5:13).

If that was not enough, Nehemiah had to endure the continued threats of pagan leaders who opposed the reconstruction of Jerusalem. Sanballat and Tobiah were so influential that they even employed one of Nehemiah’s contemporaries, Shemaiah, to arrange for Nehemiah to go to the temple. They knew that as a layman Nehemiah was restricted from entering, and if he had, he would have committed a ritual transgression and lost favor with the people (Neh 6:10-14). Though they conspired against him, as a wise and devoted leader Nehemiah would not break God’s law. When Nehemiah’s enemies learned that the wall was completed, he boasted, “All the surrounding nations were intimidated and lost their confidence, for they realized that this task had been accomplished by our God” (Neh 6:16).

Although the city was fortified by the wall, Nehemiah knew that if left uninhabited, Jerusalem would be destroyed by Sanballat, Tobiah, and company. Nehemiah 7 records that Nehemiah enlisted the help of the Hebrews to build the wall; he also moved them from the outskirts of the city into the fortified area under the administration of his God-fearing brothers Hanani and Hananiah. Yet, to protect the purity of the people and the city, Nehemiah governed the resettlement according to genealogical records (Ezra 2), and “each of them returned to his own town in Jerusalem and Judah” (Neh 7:6).

The flow of Ezra-Nehemiah reveals a concern for the distinctiveness of the returned exiles as the people of God. Nehemiah was thus outraged that Hebrews would take advantage of their countrymen (Neh 5:1-13) and he saw to it that they followed protocol concerning the priesthood and national distinctions (Neh 7:61-65, 73). As the storyline of Scripture progresses to the coming of Christ, there is a noticeable movement toward commonality amongst all believers, regardless of national origin.

(1) John noted that after Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the Pharisees turned to one another in disgust as Greeks began to follow Jesus. “You see?” the Pharisees said to one another, “You’ve accomplished nothing. Look—the whole world has gone after Him!” (John 12:19).

(2) When Peter arrived at the home of the Roman centurion, Cornelius, he said, “In truth, I understand that God doesn’t show favoritism, but in every nation the person who fears Him and does righteousness is acceptable to Him” (Acts 10:34-35).

(3) Paul described the new, corporate body of believers in Christ, saying, “Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all” (Col 3:11) and similarly, “For as many of you as have been baptized in Christ have put on Christ. There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise” (Gal 3:27-29).

A few years after the temple’s completion, Nehemiah heard that the wall around Jerusalem had yet to be rebuilt. Artaxerxes succeeded Darius over Persia and Nehemiah rose to a prominent place in Artaxerxes’ court. When Nehemiah was informed of the situation of the city of David, he was ready to leave his post in the king’s immediate service and work to restore Jerusalem to its place of prominence.

After Hanani informed his brother Nehemiah that the returned exiles were in great trouble and that Jerusalem’s wall had not yet been rebuilt (2 Chron 36:19), Nehemiah “sat down and wept” (Neh 1:4). After prayer and fasting, Nehemiah beseeched God to act in behalf of His name, despite the sins of His people. Nehemiah prayed for success before the king; he wanted the king to release him from his duties in order to undertake the work in Jerusalem (Neh 1:10-11). When Artaxerxes noticed Nehemiah’s waning countenance, he inquired as to the cause of his sadness. Upon hearing the matter, Artaxerxes granted Nehemiah permission to fulfill the desire of his heart. Being “graciously strengthened” by his God (Neh 2:8), Nehemiah asked the king for orders of safe passage and timber “to rebuild the gates of the temple’s fortress, the city wall, and the home where I will live” (Neh 2:8).

The author mentioned nothing of Nehemiah’s journey to Jerusalem, but moved quickly to the drama of Nehemiah’s investigation of the city and its walls (Neh 2:11-16). Nehemiah was ready to act. He exhorted the officials, “Come, let’s rebuild Jerusalem’s wall, so that we will no longer be a disgrace” (Neh 2:17). And they did. Nehemiah 3 lists some of the Hebrews that devoted themselves to the work. Side by side, they rebuilt the walls, entrances of the city gates, and the towers.

But the work was not without opposition, as the author described in Nehemiah 4. Just as the enemies of Judah and Benjamin attempted to inhibit the construction of the temple (Ezra 4:1-5; 4:24-5:5), Israel’s enemies did the same when Israel attempted to rebuild the temple (Neh 4:1-2). Nehemiah and company did not falter before Sanballat and Tobiah, who even attempted to kill the inhabitants of the city and those constructing the walls (Neh 4:4-23). Half of the people continued to work, while the other half acted as guards, watching out for them with swords, spears, bows, and armor (Neh 4:13, 16-23). Nehemiah and the other leaders felt so threatened that they did not feel free to bathe without having a weapon at hand. Nehemiah charged the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the great and awe-inspiring Lord, and fight for your countrymen, your sons and daughters, your wives and homes” (Neh 4:14).

Though Nehemiah was burdened to tears for the welfare of Jerusalem and toiled for its fortification, his beloved city was later overtaken. In the storyline of Scripture, the significance of Jerusalem reaches its pinnacle not in the kings of Israel and Judah, nor in the devotion of Ezra and Nehemiah, but in Christ. In Christ, the Mosaic law has been fulfilled and the city of David granted an eternal, spiritual quality that is distinctly related to Him.

(1) The author of Hebrews encouraged his audience that in Christ they had access to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God (Heb 12:22). The Jerusalem to come is the place of festive gathering of angels and the fellowship of all those whose names are written in heaven (Heb 12:22-23). The heavenly Jerusalem is where the righteous will enjoy fellowship with God the judge and Jesus the mediator, forever (Heb 12:23-24).

(2) John described the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven as the place of God’s dwelling with His people (Rev 21:3). “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it,” John wrote, “because God’s glory illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lamb” (Rev 21:23). Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life will enter (Rev 21:27).