Nehemiah

Nehemiah

5th century B.C., Jewish, Persian cup bearer. Son of Hacaliah and brother to Hanani.

Two main units

Book of Nehemiah consists of these joined by the hinge of chap. 7.

Ezra story

Book of Nehemiah includes this as well. Ezra emphasizes the truth that rebuilding the law of God in the hearts of the people is just as important as rebuilding the walls to protect a city.

First unit

Chaps. 1-6 that involves the reconstruction of the wall. This unit concludes with a census or registration of the new inhabitants of Jerusalem that returned with Zerubbabel (chap. 7).

Second unit

Chaps. 8-13 that involves the restoration of the people. This unit is religious rather than political; emphasizes religious instruction rather than physical construction.

Completion of the wall in record time

Chapter concludes by noting this despite the ongoing subversive efforts of Tobiah. Wall was rebuilt in 52 days. It was in ruin for 92 years.

Hebrew Masoretic text

Contains the books of Ezra and Nehemiah as one book and tell a continuous narrative of the Jewish return to the Holy Land.

Events of Nehemiah

Cover a 19-year period from Nehemiah's first return in 444 BC and his second return in 425 BC.

Covenant Neglect

During Nehemiah's return to Persia, some people wandered away from their covenant commitments. This put the nation at risk of being no different from their Gentile counterparts.

444 BC

Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem and surveyed the condition of the walls, then gathered the leaders of the city to share his vision this year. He said God is with me to build this thing; they said let's do this thang.

Identification for God

Nehemiah uses a unique one of these, referring to Him as "the God of heaven." God deos everything from heaven.

External threats

Ridicule from Sanballat the governor of Samaria, Tobiah the Ammonite, and Gesham the Arabian was answered through Nehemiah's imprecatory prayer. The opponents mocked, threatened, spread rumors, and used political intrigue to put fear in the hearts of those working on the wall.

Vulnerability of Jerusalem

The book begins with a recounting of Nehemiah's concern with this. This condition cause him to express grief and also to direct a prayer to God regarding Jerusalem's vulnerable condition.

Jewish return

The book of Nehemiah is the second in the historical sequence that describes this happening after the Babylonian captivity to repopulate the land, reestablish temple worship, and rebuild the walls around Jerusalem.

Restore the nation politically (chaps. 1-7)

The first major section of the book that records how God sovereignly worked through Nehemiah in this way. He did so through the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls so that His covenanted nation could be preserved from assimilation into the surrounding Gentile nations.

Religious instruction

The story of Ezra's preaching illustrates some changes in this process after the return from the Babylonian exile.

Courageous leadership

The story of Nehemiah shows the necessity of this if God's people are the experience God's protection and guidance in accomplishing God's will.

Spiritual reforms

These were necessary to bring the people back into right relationship with God after the external rebuilding of the walls. Accomplished by public reading and explanation of the Word of God.

Administrative genius

This is seen in Nehemiah's ability to delegate responsibilities and check on their progress through accountability. However, God's work is never accomplished without opposition.

Ezra's reading and the people's response

This reaction to the law that Ezra read about repentant and reverential reactions was necessary for the nation to become culturally and religiously distinct and thus prepared to fulfill her future covenant destiny.

Meaning of Nehemiah

"Comfort of Yahweh" is derived from the central character and the phrase "the words of Nehemiah."

458 BC

EXTENT OF THE RETURN 1. Anyone who wanted to return could go. 2. Royal treasury provided funding. 3. Jewish civil magistrates and judges were allowed. EXTENT OF THE RETURN 1. Men of Israel intermarried with foreign women.

538 BC

EXTENT OF THE RETURN 1. Anyone who wanted to return could go. 2. The temple in Jerusalem was to be rebuilt. 3. Royal treasury provided funding of the temple rebuilding. 4. Gold and silver worship articles taken from temple by Nebuchadnezzar were returned. EVENTS OF THE RETURN 1. Burnt offering were made. 2. Festival of Booths was celebrated. 3. The rebuilding of the temple was begun. 4. Persian ruler ordered rebuilding to be ceased. 5. Darius, King of Persia ordered rebuilding to be resumed in 520 BC. 6. Temple was completed and dedicated in 516 BC.

Record this census

God's sovereignty may have prompted Nehemiah to write about this to show that God's purpose is allowing the return was partially accomplished through the wall's reconstruction.

Internal threats

He had to overcome the threat to the builders' discouragement by reminding his workers of God's sovereignty as well as implementing some strategic defensive planning.

Covenant Enforcement

In order to accomplish this, Nehemiah had to exclude foreigners from the assembly, removing Tobiah from the temple, restoring the Levitical tithes, stopping Sabbath breaking, and disciplining those who had intermarried with pagans.

Sovereignty of God

In preserving this, the political and cultural distinction of Israel is evident in the book's second chapter. It is seen in how God strategically placed Nehemiah into the position of cupbearer in Artaxerxes' court so that he in turn could influence Artaxerxes to do something about the vulnerable condition of Jerusalem.

Assimilation

To prevent the nation of Israel from doing this with the surrounding cultures so she can fulfill her messianic and covenant destiny, the book of Nehemiah narrates the sovereign work of God among both the Persian rulers and His own people in Jerusalem.

King Artaxerxes

Xerxes' son, he was ruler in 445 B.C.. Step son of Esther. Nehemiah appealed to him to allow him to return to Jerusalem to rebuild its walls. Nehemiah was made governor of Jerusalem and Judah and the wall was built in 52 days.

Spiritual element

Was accomplished through covenant renewal and ongoing reforms (chaps. 8-13).

Political element

Was accomplished through the restoration of the dilapidated wall around Jerusalem despite much internal and external opposition (chaps. 1-7).

Book of Nehemiah

Written by Ezra with Nehemiah contributing his narrative written in first person.