Karen Whiting (www.karenwhiting.com) has been a lifelong student of the Bible. CHAPTER 1. His name was on the sealed document of the Covenant (10:1). 1-12) Nehemiah's Response to the Situation in Jerusalem Nehemiah, the son of Hacaliah, is the Jewish patriot whose life is recorded in the Biblical work named after him. He exemplifies Isaiah 40:31 that those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. Nehemiah reminded the people to trust God and paired the workers so one worked while the other stood by, armed to fight. Enemies threatened to attack, so the people prayed and set up guards (4:8-15). Watch our overview video on the prophetic books of Ezra and Nehemiah, which breaks down the literary design of each book's flow of thought. In chapter two, God put a plan in Nehemiah’s mind (v12), and he told the people that God’s hand had been favorable to him (v18). Nehemiah, a devout Jew, must have possessed profound gifts and a winning personality to ascend to such heights in Persian government. Artaxerxes sent him to Judah as governor of the province with a mission to rebuild, letters explaining his support for the venture, and provision for timber from the king's forest. In our fast paced, instant delivery world, we should slow down and wait on God’s timing. He desired to please God and willingly wanted God to observe him and be with him. We should share our faith and encourage our family members to be faithful to God. Nehemiah stated that God put a plan in his heart to assemble the people by families and that led to Ezra, the priest reading the Law of Moses aloud (7:5). According to Baba Bathra 15a Nehemiah completed the Book of Chronicles, which was written by Ezra. He refused to meet in the temple because he was not worthy to go there. Once the king asked Nehemiah what made him look sad, Nehemiah said a quick prayer before responding. The Story of Nehemiah. Article Images Copyright ©. The Book of Nehemiah, in the Hebrew Bible, largely takes the form of a first-person memoir concerning the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile by Nehemiah, a Jew who is a high official at the Persian court, and the dedication of the city and its people to God's laws ().Since the 16th century it has generally been treated as a separate book within the Bible. That meant tasting each drink to be sure it contained no poison. Nehemiah was appointed governor of Judea; and along with an escort, he was sent to his beloved city Jerusalem. All that we know about him from contemporary sources is found in this book; and so the readers of this article are referred to the Book of Nehemiah for the best and fullest account of his words and deeds. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace, That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.” Nehemiah had families work on the wall together and then assemble together to hear the reading of the God’s Word. 1. Nehemiah then began to govern the city, and correct the abuses he found existing. [16], With Ezra, Nehemiah marks the spring-time in the national history of Judaism (Cant. He recognized God’s blessings and favor (2:8, 18) and shared the news with the people to give them hope. v. 15), among whom was Daniel. Author and Time of Writing. Consider how God is calling you to make a difference and be willing to accept the challenge. Enemies tried to make Nehemiah compromise by drawing him outside the city where they could harm him, and then they tried to lure him to meet in the temple to compromise his faith. Who Was Nehemiah & Why Is He Important in the Bible? Nehemiah had worked for King Artaxerxes long enough to gain wisdom about leadership. [14] In 2 Maccabees 2:13 the subject founded the library of the Second Temple along with Judas Maccabeus. Nehemiah made his journey to Jerusalem in about 445 BC, and he was not a priest or a scribe like Ezra was but he was a governor with authority given to him by the Persian king Artaxerxes to rebuild the walls and the city of Jerusalem for the Jewish people. He shared the favor the king gave and how God’s hand had been with him and that motivated the people. Nehemiah was prepared to die for the king and yet recognized God as sovereign. The repair of the wall and recommitment of the people is the last recorded history in the Old Testament. When he discovered that some leaders had let an evil enemy have a room in the courts of the Lord, Nehemiah threw them out and restored the workers in the house of God. But my personal favorite is undoubtedly Nehemiah. He took the letters signed by the king and picked up the supplies along the journey. Check out her book The 365 Most Important Bible Passages for more insights into the Bible and its relevance today. R. ii. He’s not a spiritual leader or prophet. The book is a first person account of the events from the perspective of Nehemiah. The Book of Nehemiah takes Bible readers to the end of the historical account in the Old Testament, some 400 years before the birth of Christ. He organized workers, delegated the work, administered, and rose up to any challenge. He joined with the leaders, choir, and people to parade on the wall. Nehemiah understood the consequences of both holiness and turning away from God. Nehemiah is governor of Jerusalem from for 14 years, from 444 B.C. [15] However, Rabbi Isaiah di Trani, in his commentary to the Book of Nehemiah, writes as factual that Nehemiah was a Kohen. Bergren, Theodore A. His fasting and praying triggers changes. Nehemiah showed us how to pray to God and listen for his answers. 12). [7] Learning that the remnant of Jews in Judah were in distress and that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down, he asked the king for permission to return and rebuild the city,[8] around 20 years after Ezra's arrival in Jerusalem in 468 BC. This book guides us on how to overcome troubles and trust in God while showing Nehemiah’s prayer life, leadership, and faithfulness. The book opens with news of the dire condition of the wall surrounding Jerusalem, the city of God. [The division of the book into two is a Christian development.] When he rebuked the people for profaning the Sabbath he also reminded them that their troubles came from not being holy (13:17-18). God’s leader cares for the people and their situation. This summary of the book of Nehemiah provides information about the title, author(s), date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the Book of Nehemiah. Non-Jews were permitted to conduct business inside Jerusalem on the Sabbath and to keep rooms in the Temple. He then secretly inspected the damage at night. He also fed 150 Jews and officials daily without using his allowance as governor. On the day Nehemiah’s brother returned to Persia from a visit to Jerusalem, he drew a sad and ugly picture of a holy city, now with toppled walls and listless inhabitants. Nehemiah believed God would use him to get the wall rebuilt. In fact, the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther all come out of the same general period of Israel's history. In chapter one he spent a long time in prayer from the heart with fasting. Nehemiah’s concern for the people’s hearts shows in the opening prayer of chapter one, when he stated that we, the people, acted corruptly and disobeyed God’s laws (1:7). The books of Ezra and Nehemiah were originally combined into a single book. In the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, while I was … He quietly worked for King Artaxerxes as drink bearer. He trusted God’s promises to Moses to restore the people. People living in a city without a solid wall remained defenseless and humiliated. He confessed sins of the people. Nehemiah was a man of patience, and it is one of the reasons he is regarded as one of the greatest God-centered leaders of the Old Testament. Our prayers should include our desire to stay close to God and to help build healthy relationships. In the 20th year of Artaxerxes I (445 or 444 BC),[6] Nehemiah was cup-bearer to the king. Photo Credit: Thinkstock/Farknot_Architect. 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