He asked for success before King Artaxerxes. He’s a slave for a foreign king in Persia in 444 BC. 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 tells how, against tremendous odds, he accomplished an unimaginably difficult undertaking. CHAPTER 1. It is in Hebrew .mw-parser-output .script-hebrew,.mw-parser-output .script-Hebr{font-family:"SBL Hebrew","SBL BibLit","Frank Ruehl CLM","Taamey Frank CLM","Ezra SIL","Ezra SIL SR","Keter Aram Tsova","Taamey Ashkenaz","Taamey David CLM","Keter YG","Shofar","David CLM","Hadasim CLM","Simple CLM","Nachlieli",Cardo,Alef,"Noto Serif Hebrew","Noto Sans Hebrew","David Libre",David,"Times New Roman",Gisha,Arial,FreeSerif,FreeSans}נְחֶמְיָה‎, Nəḥemyāh, "Yah comforts". Nehemiah wept when he heard the news of the broken wall and burned gates. Still, Nehemiah is blamed by the Rabbis for his seemingly boastful expression, "Think upon me, my God, for good" (Neh. As a leader, Nehemiah looked to the welfare of their people and not just the condition of the city. Nehemiah broke them into teams of families to work on the various sections of the wall. Chronologically, the book of Nehemiah should come at the end of the Old Testament. Nehemiah acted with wisdom. Several times Nehemiah asked God to remember him for good. Nehemiah exhibited patience. His name was on the sealed document of the Covenant (10:1). When they completed the wall he stated that the surrounding nations recognized that God had helped them (6:15-16). In the 20th year of Artaxerxes I (445 or 444 BC), Nehemiah was cup-bearer to the king. He shared the favor the king gave and how God’s hand had been with him and that motivated the people. Ezra wrote about the rebuilding of the temple under Zerubbabel, while Nehemiah wrote concerning the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls. He set new rules and settled the issues. Nehemiah, governor of the province of Judah, was the man of action who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem and introduced necessary administrative reforms. The books of Ezra and Nehemiah were originally combined into a single book. I was serving the king with … The plea to be remembered for good is reflected in the words of Jesus regarding servants who wisely used talents given them (Matthew 25) that state “Well done good and faithful servant.” Let’s follow Nehemiah’s example and live a life worthy of God’s praise. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace, 2 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. He then secretly inspected the damage at night. In the book of the Bible bearing his name, Nehemiah records his memoirs. He stood with the priests and scribes and people to listen to the reading of the law and then the prayer of confession of the people. When the king asked how he could help, Nehemiah shared that he wanted to go to Jerusalem and listed letters he needed along the journey to obtain supplies. The Rabbis think that these two faults were the reason that this book is not mentioned under its own name, but forms part of the Book of Ezra (Sanh. Audio and manuscripts are available for each lesson. Nehemiah showed us how to pray to God and listen for his answers. Appearing in the Queen's presence[11] may indicate that he was a eunuch,[12] and in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, he is described as such: eunochos (eunuch), rather than oinochoos (wine-cup-bearer). We should take time to make careful plans and listen to God’s guidance. 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The Temple at Jerusalem had been rebuilt, but the Jewish community there was dispirited and defenseless against its non-Jewish neighbours. Nehemiah was appointed governor of Judea; and along with an escort, he was sent to his beloved city Jerusalem. Who Was Nehemiah & Why Is He Important in the Bible? If so, the attempt by his enemy Shemaiah to trick him into entering the Temple is aimed at making him break Jewish law, rather than simply hide from assassins.[13]. 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.” The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah in Hebrew Scripture are the key literary sources for the period of the Restoration, the formation of the Jewish religious community after the Babylonian Captivity.The prophets Haggai and Zechariah also played important roles in encouraging the people of Judah to return to their homeland and rebuild the Jerusalem Temple following the Babylonian Exile. 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. Man of prayer. See EZRA-NEHEMIAH. Nehemiah is identified in one aggadah with Zerubbabel, the latter name being considered an epithet of Nehemiah and as indicating that he was born at Babylon. The name Nehemiah means Yahweh has comforted. Once the king asked Nehemiah what made him look sad, Nehemiah said a quick prayer before responding. Nehemiah listened to the voice of the people. He patiently kept reminding the people to trust God and that God would fight for them and help them. The second best leader in the Bible is going to place way behind Jesus, but I think there are several people who could qualify: Joseph, Moses, David, Paul, Peter, and so on. [9] 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. He prayed for four months before God answered his first prayer  (1:1,2:1). Photo Credit: Thinkstock/Farknot_Architect. Outline. In chapter one … Each time enemies bullied them, Nehemiah prayed. Receiving the bad news became a call for Nehemiah, a challenge to bring change that would glorify God. Jerusalem was in ruins and surrounded by powerful enemies. We should share our faith and encourage our family members to be faithful to God. Nehemiah offers hope and much more. His prayers continued through the book and reflected his obedience and heart relationship with God. Next, the enemies tried to slander and shame Nehemiah with a report they would send to the king. Check out her book The 365 Most Important Bible Passages for more insights into the Bible and its relevance today. All rights reserved. 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). See the Soncino translation, Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible (ed. Leaders provide encouragement as Nehemiah did continually when he stated they were doing a great work. Nehemiah assembled the people when he heard of fighting within (5:1-13). We bring hope when we share how God has worked in our lives. His patience was finally rewarded, and the king consented to his request. Nehemiah was prepared to die for the king and yet recognized God as sovereign. v1 It was the month called Nisan in the 20th year of King Artaxerxes’ rule. He joined with the leaders, choir, and people to parade on the wall. Rebuilding the walls signaled God once again blessed His people. He never tried to attack his enemies, but trusted God would deal with them (6:14). Once there, Nehe… Cataldo, Jeremiah. Consider how God is calling you to make a difference and be willing to accept the challenge. Nehemiah reminded the people to trust God and paired the workers so one worked while the other stood by, armed to fight. This 13 part expository study of Nehemiah was preached at Flagstaff Christian Fellowship in 2002-2003. Bergren, Theodore A. He glorified God with listing the Lord’s attributes. The people responded and praised God (5:13). A good wall also gave the people a sense of security and community. Our prayers should include our desire to stay close to God and to help build healthy relationships. He confessed sins of the people. He humbly remained the secular leader and had the priests read the Word. Petition. After some time in Susa he returned to Jerusalem, only to find that the people had fallen back into their evil ways. James D. G. Dunn, John William Rogerson, Eerdmans, 2003), "Ezra the scribe: the development of Ezra 7–10 and Nehemiah 8", "Rebuilding identity: the Nehemiah-memoir and its earliest readers", "Jerusalem in the Persian (and Early Hellenistic) Period and the Wall of Nehemiah", "Archaeology and the List of Returnees in the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nehemiah&oldid=993467683, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from Easton's Bible Dictionary, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great … Family: A certain mishnah is declared by the Rabbis to have originated in the school of Nehemiah (Shab. 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. The Second Book of Maccabees assigns several roles to the subject which is not attested elsewhere. Nehemiah, cupbearer to King Artaxerxes, is in a unique position to make a special request for his people. In that prayer he asked for restoration of the nation of Israel and for God to keep the promise to bring the Israelites back to Jerusalem, if they would return to God. 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, around 20 years after Ezra's arrival in Jerusalem in 468 BC. He never took credit for himself but gave the glory to God. The biblical sources for Nehemiah’s life and work are the autobiographical portions scattered through the book. They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and … Email. “…please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of … He’s not a spiritual leader or prophet. The book of Nehemiah, likely written between 445 and 420 B.C. He recognized God’s blessings and favor (2:8, 18) and shared the news with the people to give them hope. This brought results as the people began working and completed the work in 52 days. 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. [18], Central figure of the biblical Book of Nehemiah, For confirmation that many scholars share this view, see, For confirmation that most scholars share this view, see, For an author who disagrees with the scholarly majority position on the historicity of Nehemiah and Ezra, but acknowledges the existence of that majority, see. [10] Once there, Nehemiah defied the opposition of Judah's enemies on all sides—Samaritans, Ammonites, Arabs and Philistines—and rebuilt the walls within 52 days, from the Sheep Gate in the North, the Hananeel Tower at the North West corner, the Fish Gate in the West, the Furnaces Tower at the Temple Mount's South West corner, the Dung Gate in the South, the East Gate and the gate beneath the Golden Gate in the East. In the Hebrew Bible the book of Nehemiah (= comfort of Jah) forms a unity with the preceding book of Ezra (compare with the notes on Ezra).Although the books bear different names they follow each other without paragraph and the numeration of the Masorah is listed at the end of Nehemiah for both books. 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. He quietly worked for King Artaxerxes as drink bearer. Heartbroken, Nehemiah began to weep. The book opens with news of the dire condition of the wall surrounding Jerusalem, the city of God. 1. Enemies tried various tactics, but Nehemiah stood firm. 123b). 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. Nehemiah is the central figure of the Book of Nehemiah, which describes his work in rebuilding Jerusalem during the Second Temple period. Article Images Copyright ©. The plan included teamwork, persistence, and cooperation, plus trust in God. 31), and for his disparagement of his predecessors (ib. Nehemiah also set up a signal of a trumpet call, so they could rally together and trust God to fight for them (4:16-23). [17], Samuel Taylor Coleridge commented on the dearth of a classical painting featuring Nehemiah. She is an author of twenty-five books, a writing coach, international speaker, and former television host. We too should live a life of integrity and that happens when we stay connected to God. He showed respect for the earthly king when he politely stated his requests. They appear in our Bible in reverse order of the chronological order in which they took place. In our fast paced, instant delivery world, we should slow down and wait on God’s timing. 1-12) Nehemiah's Response to the Situation in Jerusalem A great leader is also a servant and understands the people he leads. 1. God put a plan in Nehemiah’s mind (2:12). People living in a city without a solid wall remained defenseless and humiliated. 1 * The words of Nehemiah, son of Hacaliah. He organized workers, delegated the work, administered, and rose up to any challenge. He also fed 150 Jews and officials daily without using his allowance as governor. Nehemiah 1:1-2 “The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. Who is Nehemiah, you might ask? He took the letters signed by the king and picked up the supplies along the journey. Nehemiah, the son of Hacaliah, is the Jewish patriot whose life is recorded in the Biblical work named after him. Nehemiah kept his promise to return to King Artaxerxes and then returned to Jerusalem (13:6). He never caved in to fear. "Memory Trauma in Ezra-Nehemiah" in David Chalcraft, ed., This page was last edited on 10 December 2020, at 19:38. Zerubbabel and Nehemiah both play a part in restoring God's Temple, while Zerubbabel takes charge over governing affairs, and Nehemiah rebuilds the Walls of Jerusalem. That meant tasting each drink to be sure it contained no poison. The book is a first person account of the events from the perspective of Nehemiah. He directed the leaders and choir to go on top of the wall. [16], With Ezra, Nehemiah marks the spring-time in the national history of Judaism (Cant. He always obeyed God. 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. The people wept when they listened, but Nehemiah told them to rejoice and reminded them that God is their strength (8:9). His example shines through the ages to inspire us to follow God closely. 10 Lessons from Romans 12: Do What is Honorable, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. His fasting and praying triggers changes. [15] However, Rabbi Isaiah di Trani, in his commentary to the Book of Nehemiah, writes as factual that Nehemiah was a Kohen. A remnant of the Israelites had returned 70 years earlier and rebuilt the temple, but without walls, the city remained vulnerable to attack. [1], Most scholars believe Nehemiah was a real historical figure and that the Nehemiah Memoir, a name given by scholars to certain portions of the book written in the first person, is historically reliable.[3][4][5]. But my personal favorite is undoubtedly Nehemiah. R. ii. After completing the wall, Nehemiah worked with Ezra, the priest to reconnect the people with God. According to Baba Bathra 15a Nehemiah completed the Book of Chronicles, which was written by Ezra. Greatly angered, he purified the Temple and the priests and Levites and enforced the observance of the law of Moses. 12). He ends up the governor of Jerusalem and supervises the repairs. "Nehemiah in 2 Maccabees 1:10-2:18". He purified the people according to God’s laws. [The division of the book into two is a Christian development.] They ridiculed and bullied (4:1-6), but Nehemiah prayed, ignored them, and the work continued. Throughout the book we see a man wholly focused on God. Nehemiah is governor of Jerusalem from for 14 years, from 444 B.C. to 432 B.C. v. 19, xiii. This book guides us on how to overcome troubles and trust in God while showing Nehemiah’s prayer life, leadership, and faithfulness. 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). Last recorded history in the 20th year of king Artaxerxes and then assemble together to hear the reading of same. 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