About the year 596 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem and the people of Judah entered into their first exile. Amongst the captives was Ezekiel, and the information supplied by him indicates the mental state of those taken captive.
“And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against Me: they and their fathers have transgressed against Me, even unto this very day. For they are impudent children and stiff-hearted.”
About the year 585 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar again laid siege to Jerusalem, totally destroyed the Temple, took away from Palestine the best of the population and in their place introduced other nationalities antagonistic to God and the Jews. In Babylonia the captive Jews quickly adapted themselves to new conditions and rose to power and wealth. It is stated that nearly the whole of the banking system in Babylonia was in the hands of two Jewish financiers. In the year 559 B.C. Cyrus ascended the throne of Persia, and a year later conquered Media and created the Medo-Persian Kingdom. In the year 538 B.C. Cyrus defeated Nabonidus the King of Babylon; the Babylonian world-empire fell, and a Medo-Persian world-empire arose and took its place.
Within twelve months of his victory Cyrus’ issued this decree throughout his world empire:
“Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord God of heaven given me : and He hath charged me to build Him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all His people? The Lord his God be with him, and let him go up.”2
The response of the Jews was negligible. Any original survivors of the two exiles must have been extremely old and infirm. They had been in Babylonia about 45 years, and their children and grandchildren had neither the faith nor the incentive to leave the comforts of a settled and ordered society, to face the hardships awaiting them in the sparsely inhabited and desolate land of their fathers. Moreover the mental condition of the majority was still as Ezekiel had described it. Some forty-two thousand under the governing leadership of Sheshbazzar left Babylonia and made their way to Jerusalem, only to find on their arrival that the city presented a very sorry sight. It lay in ruins with the Temple blackened by the fires of long ago, and for about fifty years no effort had been made towards restoration.
Stimulated by Haggai and Zechariah the work of rebuilding the Temple was commenced and in four years it was completed. In the year 528 B.C. Cyrus died and was succeeded by Cambyses who was followed by Darius and Xerxes. In turn Artaxerxes came to the throne. He was Ahasuerus, the husband of Esther. His Jewish Queen’s influence is plainly implied in Nehemiah, chapters 2 to 6. During his reign the Jews remaining in Babylonia became particularly prosperous, whilst the extreme reverse obtained in Palestine. About the year 458 B.C. Ezra obtained permission to visit Jerusalem and with about fifteen hundred compatriots accomplished the journey. Indicative of his almost fanatical faith and trust in God was his refusal to have a guard of soldiers. Upon arrival at Jerusalem, Ezra endeavoured to give full play to his zeal by calling for reforms of a wide reaching nature. These reforms were so drastic and the demands of Ezra so precipitate and imperious that tremendous irritation and opposition resulted. Ezra’s campaign complied with the letter, but it lacked the spirit of the law. Its progress was limited by that which it lacked. Force cannot convert : love is the only effective power.
Although the temple was built and worship was commenced, the people lacked faith, were irresolute, and became the easy prey of the surrounding peoples and their governors. For thirteen years these sorry conditions prevailed and grew worse. It became increasingly obvious that unless they wished to surrender their occupation of the temple area and return to Babylonia, another leader with faith in God and a determination to employ that faith, must be found. Hence the meeting between Hanani and Nehemiah, more details of which are provided by Josephus:—
“Now there was one of those Jews who had been carried captive, who was cup-bearer to King Xerxes; his name was Nehemiah. As this man was walking before Susa, the metropolis of the Persians, he heard some strangers that were entering the city, after a long journey, speaking to on another in the Hebrew tongue; so he went to them and asked from whence they came, and when their answer was, that they came from Judaea, he began to inquire of them again in what state the multitude was, and in what condition Jerusalem was: and when they replied that they were in a bad state, for that their walls were thrown to the ground, and that the neighbouring nations did a great deal of mischief to the Jews, while in the daytime they overran the country and pillaged it, and in the night did them mischief, insomuch that not a few were led away captive out of the country, and out of Jerusalem itself, and that the roads in the daytime were found full of dead men. Hereupon Nehemiah shed tears, out of commiseration of the calamities of his countrymen: and, looking up to heaven, he said,
“How long, O Lord, wilt Thou overlook our nation while it suffers so great miseries, and while we are made the prey and the spoil of all men?’ And while he stayed at the gate, and lamented thus, one told him that the king was going to sit down to supper: so he made haste, and went as he was, without washing himself to minister to the king in his office of cup-bearer.”3
Of Nehemiah’s youth and early manhood nothing is recorded, but it can be assumed from chapter 10:1 that he was a prince of the tribe of Judah. He is introduced as occupying a position of much importance and influence, that of minister to a monarch who was the ruler of a great world-empire, one who could have advanced Nehemiah to a position of wealth and magnificence.
What appealed to Nehemiah as more intrinsically valuable than all the glory offered through worldly advancement, was the prosperity of Jerusalem. The report of its calamitous condition overcame him. ” And it came to pass that when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven.”4
This said news given him by Hanani was reflected in his face. The king observed it and questioned Nehemiah. Before answering him Nehemiah solicited and secured heavenly counsel. “Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make .request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.”5
Directed by this Nehemiah asked and obtained permission to go to Jerusalem to undertake its reconstruction. He also obtained letters to the Persian governors ” on the other side of the river.” To secure this consent and co-operation was an extraordinary achievement, but the dauntless courage subsequently exhibited by Nehemiah was even greater. Leaving the comforts of palace life, he made the journey north to Biribek on the Euphrates and then south-westward to Jerusalem. Animating him and sustaining his spirit during that arduous journey, was the single urge to further the prosperity of Jerusalem. This is indicated by his actions. Almost immediately after he arrived, he made a night survey. What he then beheld would have totally disheartened most men. Not so Nehemiah. When he stood before the king, God had answered his prayer and mightily encouraged him. To the peoples of the land in burning words he stated his intentions, telling them also of the hand of God which was ” good” upon him. Through his sustained determination and passionate faith, he completely roused them; and caught up in the fire of his enthusiasm, they resolved to rebuild the walls.
How comprehensive was the response! Men and women from all parts of the land, from Jericho to Tekoa, priests and Levites, goldsmiths and perfumers, all were willing to undertake hard manual labour and enter upon a task which for fifty years no one had attempted. Nehemiah who previously had been only a name to them, was now revealed as a man resolute and full of faith, who revived and consolidated this national uprising. But many difficulties awaited Nehemiah. Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem sought to stop the work, insinuating to the King of Persia that rebuilding the wall was merely a pretext to rebellion. When this failed, they tried ridicule of what prior to the appearance of Nehemiah had been descriptively true. Now it was unsuccessful, and sterner measures were attempted.
“And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.”6
News of this powerful conspiracy was calculated to weaken the strongest hearted. But Nehemiah was forewarned and therefore forearmed, and said, “God shall fight for us.” But there arose no need to use the sword. Faith alone sufficed for protection.
This attempt only increased the determination and the courage of Nehemiah. He needed both. The outside enemy was not yet vanquished, and the last means employed by the enemy were the most insidious. Trading upon the prevailing fear, they tried to use it by bribing men inside the walls of Jerusalem to profess they were prophets and had a message from God for Nehemiah. This is how he described it:
“For they all made us afraid saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands. Afterwards I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up: and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple : for they will come to slay thee, yea in the night they will come to slay thee. And I said, Should a man such as I flee? And who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in. And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him, but that he pronounced this prophecy against me : for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.”7
This subterfuge being exposed, Nehemiah’s zeal seems to increase in tempo. The work must go forward, and be completed. Opposition encouraged him. Difficulties made him more determined. Confidence compelled him. For in fifty-two days the walls were built and Jerusalem was made safe—an achievement which is entirely without parallel.
His courage is exhibited in other reforms he established, notably his forthrightness concerning marriage, but they are entirely subsidiary to the great work he accomplished. The building of the walls of Jerusalem was not only a great work by an incomparable leader, but it was designed to identify an important part of the purpose of God. It established the time when the seventy weeks of Daniel’s prophecy should commence. Place in juxtaposition the principal work accomplished by Nehemiah with the prophecy of Daniel : ” Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.”8
Nehemiah may have known this. If so then the work he accomplished exhibited the faith he had in God and also in the Divine Purpose. The prosperity of Jerusalem and possibly “Messiah the Prince” were to Nehemiah the focal points of all God had promised. It impelled him to overcome almost insuperable difficulties. Thus his work is recorded for us to read and emulate. In these days of expediency and compromise, unwavering men are needed. To Nehemiah, Messiah the Prince was a prophecy. To us Messiah the Prince is an actuality.
His first appearing is the indisputable guarantee of his second coming. If an unfulfilled prophecy sufficed to inspire Nehemiah, what of us upon whom has fallen “the end of the ages”? Surely we should have as our mark the dauntless faith of Nehemiah ! We have the same privilege of prayer, and the same power to encourage us. Let us constantly use it, for we shall need it in the days that lie ahead —days that will certainly bring trials and difficulties, jealousies and oppositions. May we never be downcast, but upright and bold, confident that we shall have heavenly help.
1 Ezek. 2 : 3-4
2 Chron. 36 : 22-23.
3 Josephus, Ant. 11 v. 6.
4 Nett. 1:4.
5 Neh. 2:4.
6 Neh, 4 : 8.
7 Neh. 6 : 9-12.
8 Dan. 9 : 24-25
Jacob’s Prophecy in Gen 49 and Other Discussion Questions