Although he was Jewish, his family brought into captivity by the
Babylonians, Nehemiah had risen to a position of influence in the king’s
court. As a matter of fact, the King Artexerxes
trusted him so much that he was the king’s cupbearer. It was during this time, at the time Ezra had
become the high priest in Jerusalem, and during the time that the rebuilding of
the temple there was being completed, that Nehemiah learned that the walls of
Jerusalem and the city, itself, were still in ruins. This distressed Nehemiah. He was so distressed that he wept and mourned
for days, fasting and praying to God.
As we noted in our study of Ezra, God places men in
positions of authority and He uses them to accomplish His purposes, whether
they are aware of it or not. Not only
did God place Nehemiah in the king’s court, but God also caused the king to
notice and to care that Nehemiah was distressed. When Nehemiah told the king the reason for
his distress, God softened the heart of the king. Not only did the king dispatch Nehemiah to
Jerusalem to oversee the rebuilding of the city and its wall, but he also gave
Nehemiah letters which gave him the authority to do the task and granting him
safe passage through the outlying territories. And on top of that, the king also provided timbers
from the royal forest to be used to rebuild the gates of the fortress near the
temple, the gates of the city, and the house which Nehemiah would build for
himself. Contrast all that we read in
chapter 2 of Nehemiah that I have paraphrased here with what we read in Ezra
when this very same king ordered that the city NOT be rebuilt. Only God could have caused such an about-face
in the heart of the king:
Therefore, issue an order
to stop these people: this city is not to be rebuilt until I make a decree.
(Ezra 4:21)
Once Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem, he
organized the people into work crews to rebuild the wall around the city. They worked day and night, threatened by neighboring
tribes that were violently opposed to their work. Their work was attacked by mockery,
conspiracy, extortion, compromise, slander, and treachery (see chapters 4 – 7),
but “the people were eager to work.” (Nehemiah 4:6) Nehemiah appointed guards to keep watch,
armed with spears, shields, bows, and breastplates. Those who were carrying building materials to
the builders with one hand also carried a weapon in the other. Those who were actually doing the
construction work wore a sword as they built.
A trumpeter stood near Nehemiah in order to sound an alarm in case of an
attack. Despite all the opposition and
the added stress and work that opposition created, the wall was completed in just
52 days!
Nehemiah remained in Jerusalem for 12 years and served as governor there, under the authority of the king, at which time the city was rebuilt and repopulated. The temple was once again the center of worship. However, during a short time period when Nehemiah had returned to the king, the people once again failed to keep God’s laws. The priests had become corrupt and were allowing the temple to be desecrated. Upon Nehemiah’s return, he revived the people, cleansed the temple, reprimanded the tribal leaders, and brought God’s law back to the city.
Nehemiah remained in Jerusalem for 12 years and served as governor there, under the authority of the king, at which time the city was rebuilt and repopulated. The temple was once again the center of worship. However, during a short time period when Nehemiah had returned to the king, the people once again failed to keep God’s laws. The priests had become corrupt and were allowing the temple to be desecrated. Upon Nehemiah’s return, he revived the people, cleansed the temple, reprimanded the tribal leaders, and brought God’s law back to the city.
Be careful to understand, the book of
Nehemiah tells us a story that is full of hope and faith in the middle of
adversity and disobedience, and it would make a wonderful movie. But this is a true story, a story of events
that actually happened some 2500 years ago.
It is not a parable. The facts
that are given in our Bible are also documented in secular historical
documents. These were real people, used
by God, and their story can be used to point us to Christ and our relationship
with Him. So where do we see Christ in
the history recorded by Nehemiah?
· To begin with, Nehemiah
was in an exalted position in the house of the king of Persia when he left to
do his work in Jerusalem. Jesus was also
in an exalted position, One with God, Creator of the Universe, when He left
Heaven to do His work of salvation on earth.
At that time, I was a cupbearer to the
king. (Nehemiah 1:11b)
In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was
God. . . The Word became flesh and made his home
among us. We have seen his glory, glory like that of a
father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (John1:1, 14)
· Neither Nehemiah nor
Jesus Christ attempted to begin their work without intense, fervent prayer and
fasting.
Lord, let your ear be attentive to the
prayer of your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in
honoring your name. Please give success to your servant today and grant him
favor in the presence of this man! (Nehemiah 1:11a)
Jesus returned from the Jordan River full of
the Holy Spirit, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. There he was tempted for forty days by the
devil. He ate nothing during those days and afterward Jesus was starving.
(Luke 4:1-2)
· Both Nehemiah and Jesus
Christ faced opposition.
But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the
Ammonites, and the people of Ashdod heard that the work on the walls was
progressing and the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. They plotted together
to come and fight against Jerusalem and to create a disturbance in it. (Nehemiah
4:7-8)
When they heard this, everyone in the
synagogue was filled with anger. They rose up and ran him out of town. They led him
to the crest of the hill on which their town had been built so that they could
throw him off the cliff. (Luke 4:28-29)
· But Nehemiah and Jesus
Christ completed the work they were sent to do.
So the wall was finished on the
twenty-fifth day of the month of Elul. It took fifty-two days. (Nehemiah
6:15)
When he had received the sour wine, Jesus
said, “It is completed.” Bowing
his head, he gave up his life. (John 19:30)
So what does this mean for me and for
you? Although Nehemiah completed his
work, the city and its wall and the temple were all rebuilt, the people did not
remain faithful. They were led astray by
corrupt leaders and false teachers. And
although Jesus completed the work of salvation for us on the cross, unless we
accept His payment for our sin and give our lives to Him, we will be found
guilty because of our own corruption.
Unless we study His word, and unless we allow Him to lead us every day
of our lives, we can be led astray by false teachers whose words sound good,
but are contrary to God’s holy Word.
My prayer for you and for me this week is adapted from
Nehemiah 9:5-6 and from Psalm 119:10-11:
(Here I) stand and bless the Lord (my) God. From everlasting to
everlasting bless your glorious name, which is high
above all blessing and praise. You alone are the Lord . . . I have sought you with all my heart. Don’t let me stray from any
of your commandments! I keep your word close, in my heart, so
that I won’t sin against you.
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