The Book of Nehemiah
The name Nehemiah actually means “The Comfort of Yahweh". I wonder if God sent Nehemiah as a literal comfort to the Jews.
In the past, God disciplined His people for their disobedience. The Israelites had seen three periods of captivity, under the Assyrians, Babylonians and Medo-Persians. King Artaxerxes I issued the decree for Nehemiah to lead the 3rd group of Jews to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. The physical rebuilding of the wall represented a spiritual restoration of the people. Nehemiah’s reform helped preserve the Israelites’ identity, protecting them from Pagan beliefs and culture.
Nehemiah lived prayerfully and boldly. The Book of Nehemiah contains the longest recorded prayer, comprised of prayers for many situations and feelings. Nehemiah desired God’s approval more than people’s. His walk was a blend of prayer and action: pray AND. Through the Book of Nehemiah, we learn that opposition and spiritual warfare are inevitable. Satan used ridicule, oppression, discouragement, demoralization, distraction and physical threat. Nehemiah fought with continual prayer, single-mindedness (focus on 1 goal), wisdom and righteous living — weapons of spiritual warfare. He never folded. Remember, compromise can lead to sin easily, escaping is hard.
Historical Context: The Book of Nehemiah is the last recorded history of Israel in the Old Testament before the intertestamental period, or 400-year gap between the Old and New Testaments. During these “silent years,” the Pharisees and Sadducees emerged and power shifted from Persian to Greek to Roman rule. Imagine the kind of world Jesus was born into, the kind that needed His divine saving.
Nehemiah 1
The Jews from the first two expeditions before & under Ezra were in great danger spiritually and physically. They may not have even known the depth of the trouble they were in.
The wall of Jerusalem was down — the Israelites lacked defenses, but it was also a source of disgrace to God. Nehemiah wept for God.
Nehemiah’s prayer was God-centered. It was full of adoration, confession, a reminder of God’s covenant with Israel and petition. He knew God would accomplish His plan through ANYone, so he asked for favor in the presence of the king, reducing him to “this man” while speaking to the the King.
The Power of Proximity: The chapter ends with “I was cupbearer to the King. Nehemiah was given proximity. He had access and was in the room. He could get close.
Nehemiah 2
Nehemiah’s proximity to the king put him close enough for the king to see his sadness and ask him about it.
Proximity: Close enough to be noticed
Favor: The king cared enough to ask
Nehemiah was afraid. His “Arrow Prayer” (Neh 2:4) was a short prayer said between the king’s ask and his answer. It was short, direct and to the point. He didn’t hesitate. He prayed and answered the king, despite his fear.
Preparation: Nehemiah had an issue, an ask and an answer (a set time).
Sometimes it has to be you. The king trusted Nehemiah. He had the status and the proximity to make it happen. He didn’t just ask for the basics, he asked boldly for all that he needed.
Again, we see confidence & credit to the hand of God for making things happen — all His requests were granted. Again, a zero-balance God.
The enemies heard and were disturbed. Tobiah the Ammonite may have been part Jewish. It be your own people, man.
The enemies believed Jerusalem & parts of Judah belonged to them. It bothered them that someone came to rebuild. People can be letting what they have sit dormant, and be mad when God uses it as your blessing. They’ll believe that your blessing belongs to them, but only what God assigns has rightful ownership.
Like Ezra, Nehemiah stayed 3 days, representing divine perfection and completion, setting things apart for a specific purpose.
He set out in the night and told no one what God put on HIS heart, not even his workers. He acted as a leader and a man of prayer.
The enemies surrounded them from the north, east and south. Their first attack wasn’t physical, it was ridicule and slander.
Nehemiah rebuked past, present and future claims to Jerusalem. It belonged to the Israelites because God gave it to them, and no one else had ever or would ever have rightful claim.
Nehemiah 3
The rebuilding of the temple began with Eliashib the high priest and a dedication, and the wall was repaired.
As a skilled leader, Nehemiah had people working “opposite his house” or in their neighborhood, giving each person ‘skin in the game.’ They were inspired by direct benefit, which allowed for simultaneous progress at various points of the wall.
Women are constantly present in the Bible. They participated in the rebuilding, despite the danger involved.
Nehemiah 4
When the enemies heard that the wall was actually being rebuilt, it angered them. They ridiculed and publicly embarrassed the Israelites, calling them weak — but it didn’t work. Sticks and stones, right?
Nehemiah prayed to God to be unmerciful with them. The enemies of God’s people were the enemies of God.
Under Nehemiah', the people worked with all their heart (Neh 4:6). This made their enemies angrier. More faith/obedience, more problems.
Nehemiah prayed AND posted a guard day & night
The enemies became even angrier and plotted to kill them. It got even worse — don’t expect better in battle. Nehemiah reminded the Israelites of God’s greatness AND to fight: the balance of faith.
Nehemiah let with a plan of continued work and protection. The sound of the trumpet was an alert to come together to pray. It was a battle cry, except God was doing the fighting. (Neh 4:20)
Nehemiah stayed ready so he didn’t have to get ready. Again, Godly leadership. He slept with his clothes and carried his weapon always.
Nehemiah 5
The burden was heavy. So heavy, even the wives were complaining — and if the women back then were complaining, things were bad. The Israelites were mortgaging their land, borrowing money, selling their kids to slavery. Those who had it were charging their own people interest, violating the guidelines of Levitical Law.
If they lended money, they weren’t supposed to charge interest (Exodus 22:25-27)
If they hired their fellow Israelites, they weren’t supposed to enslave them (Lev 25:39-40)
Nehemiah called them out and even admitted his own role in lending money. He is immediate admittance was followed by solution and action.
Out of reverence for God, he didn’t take every benefit he could have like governors before him. He devoted himself to working on the wall: what he was sent to Jerusalem for. He never demanded what he could’ve, because he considered the burden on the people.
Nehemiah 6
He completed the wall and not a gap was left. Zero. Balance. God.
The enemies were scheming to harm Nehemiah, but the project he carried was too great. He couldn’t stop.
The enemies resorted to lies and slander to pit the king against him. They understood Jewish religion, and tried to use it. The enemy will use what they know about it. He studies you, so you can’t tell the difference between friend or foe. They used one of his own as a secret informer, but God gave him discernment to see the plot.
Only priests could go into the Holy Place, so going into the temple wouldn’t have saved him. It would’ve have led him to sin and face consequences of God.
The wall was completed in spite of. It was done in 52 days, a clear supernatural feat. The enemies became afraid and lost confidence because it was clear it was done with God’s help. God will make sure you and your enemies know who got it done.
Tobiah was part Jewish and married into an influential Jewish family. Intermarriages provided conduits to the enemy. The Jews reported back to him constantly.
Nehemiah 7
Nehemiah hired men of integrity, who feared God more than most. The responsibility was given to the one who was faithful.
Nehemiah’s decisions as a leader came from God: God put it on his heart and gave him the desire. He was to make a list, and to do it by their record. The consequence of not making the list was exclusion.
Again, the Urim & the Thummim are mentioned: used for getting decisions from God.
