Bible Summary (Nehemiah)

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Introduction

The return of the Jews from Babylonian exile occurred when King Cyrus of the Persians conquered the Babylonians and allowed the Jews to return to Judea. Upon returning, it would have been difficult to survive. It would take time to rebuild infrastructure for food, trade, and defense.

Judea still had opponents in the surrounding countries of Samaria, Amon, and the south that would not want Israel to rise again to power. They raided Jerusalem to keep the Jews powerless.

After a lengthy Exile, not everyone returns home and not all at once. Some adjust to the new land they are in. Some find new work which seems better than moving to a poor land. Some were servants who could not afford to move. Some could afford it, but the journey was long and dangerous.

The events in Nehemiah occur about 90 years after the original Return of the Jews under King Artaxerxes.

• 606-597 B.C. – Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon Exile
• 537 – Cyrus (Persia) decree of Jewish Return
• Darius I (522-486)
• Xeres I (485-465)
• Artaxerxes (465-424)
  Ezra Returns (457)
  Nehemiah Returns (445)

Chapter 1

• Nehemiah hears about the Jews
• Prays for mercy

Nehemiah was located in Susa, a city east of Babylon, further away from his homeland than Babylon itself. Just like may immigrants, who still refer to their ancestor’s homeland as home, Nehemiah feels a deep connection with his people in Judea when he hears they are being attacked and Jerusalem itself breached.

Nehemiah offers a prayer to the Lord, humbling himself and asking for mercy for his people and for their sins. Nehemiah knows the people grew weak because of their sins and were scattered into Exile, but prayed that the Lord would gather them back if they followed His laws and commandments. Nehemiah asked to find favor from the Lord.

Chapter 2

• Nehemiah Sent to Judea
• Review of Jerusalem

The Lord answers Nehemiah’s prayer but in a way that he does not expect. Nehemiah was the cup-bearer to the Persian king Artaxerxes. The Lord uses Nehemiah’s humility and sadness to reach into King Artaxerxes ‘ compassion for his servant. The king allows Nehemiah to go to Jerusalem to help rebuild it (for a specified amount of time).

The journey is fraught with dangers so the king gives Nehemiah letters and an armed escort to help him get to Jerusalem safely. Some enemies, like Snabllat of the Samaritans (north of Judea) and Tobiah of the Ammonites (East of the Jordan), were not pleased that someone would help the Israelites.

When Nehemiah had reached Jerusalem and had been there 3 days, he inspected the walls of Jerusalem by night to avoid detection and assessed the damage to see how much work it would take to rebuild. None of the nobles, nor the priests, nor the Jews, knew of his plans yet.

When he brought his plan to the Jews and told them of the favor the Lord had bestowed on him, and the assistance he was getting from the king, they were enthusiastic to rebuild.

The leaders of the neighboring lands, Sanballat, Tobiah, and Arabs to the south, mocked their effort, but Nehemiah rebuked them by saying the Lord would make it happen without any of their help.

Chapter 3

• The work Divided Up
• Opposition from Judah’s Enemies

The work was divided up among the Jews, each taking a different portion of the city walls and gates. The approximate locations (by verse) are shown on the map below, beginning with the Sheep Gate in the north, and proceeding counterclockwise around the whole city of Jerusalem.

Seeing the work started, the Samaritan Sanballat and the Ammonite Tobiah once again ridicule the Jews, mocking their efforts trying to demoralize them.

The Jews continue to pray to the Lord and to remember those who mocked them as they continue to build the walls.

Chapter 4

• Building the Wall

The tone changed once the enemies started to see gaps in the wall getting closed up. Instead of words, they decided to threaten with attacks before the walls could get stronger. The Jews who were building the walls lived in fear for their lives, thinking the end was near.

• Nehemiah demonstrates strategic defense skills

It is at this time that Nehemiahcame up with some intelligent plans to defend the city.

• He assigned guards at strategic positions
• He reminded the people that the Lord was with them
• He divided half the people to work on the wall while the other half were on standby for battle in case it was needed.
• Even then, they would be spread out, so he told them if an attack occurred to come to wherever the trumpet was sounded.
• Workers also had a sword at their side
• The people spent the nights inside Jerusalem to serve as guards by night and workers by day

They worked from daybreak until night, not even having time to change clothes.

Chapter 5

• Internal Problems
• Nehemiah’s Record

In addition to their fears of enemy attacks, The nobles and magistrates of the area were taking advantage of the people, charging them so much for basic necessities that the people were losing their lands. Their children were like slaves.

• Nehemiah shows his political skills

Nehemiah rebuked the nobles and magistrates for their severe treatment, comparing them to the Gentile kings who took the people into slavery, saying they should fear God and their enemies, not to treat their brothers and sisters like salves. He himself was generous in lending people what they needed.

He convinced the nobles and magistrates to give the people back their land, their houses, and any interest in anything that was lent. Nehemiah made them take an oath with the priests as an extra witness to make sure it would be done. Nehemiah added a note of punishment from God to anyone who didn’t. They did as they promised.

During the 12 years there, while Nehemiah was appointed the governor of Judah by King Artaxerxes, he did not live off the governor’s allowance. He fed 150 Jews and Magistrates each day from his own savings, and although he did not have land of his own, he also worked on the wall; all for his people, hoping God would remember.

• This is the opposite of what Solomon had done when he was king, taking more and more from the people, losing sight of the Lord.

Chapter 6

• Plots Against Nehemiah
• Completion of the Work

When the wall was rebuilt, Israel’s enemies plotted against Nehemiah. Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab, invited Nehemiah to a council, but he suspected their plan to harm him and sent them a message that he was busy in great enterprise and why should he come?

When they could not get him to come to them, they changed their tactic to accuse him of planning to be the new King of the Jews, so they wanted a council to discuss this. Nehemiah denied their claims and did not go to them, but redoubled his efforts on the work.

When Shemaiah tried to convince Nehemiah of impending danger and to take refuge in the Temple, Nehemiah rebuked him and suspected he was being bribed by Sanballat and Tobiah. Instead, Nehemiah turns to God and asks Him to remember their false deeds.

The wall was completed in 52 days. Their enemies became discouraged because the Lord was with them and they completed the work.

However, many nobles within Judah were still in league with Tobiah the Samaritan, relating all that Nehemiah was doing, trying to intimidate him.

Chapter 7

• Guarding the Walls
• Guarding the Priesthood
• Re-furnishing the Temple

Nehemiah set up trustworthy men to watch over the main gates and for the gates to be closed at restricted times of the day.

Nehemiah was also wise to recognize infiltrators could come in secretly by other means. He reviewed all the family records of those who had returned from exile; the people, the priests, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants

Nehemiah 63-65
Anyone who could not prove their ancestry was disqualified from the priesthood (unless the high priest with the Urim and Thummim determined otherwise). This was to prevent spies, enemies, and false teachers from infiltrating the priesthood.

Some members of the ancestral household contributed to refurnishing the treasury for the Temple, including vestments, basins for cleaning, silver and gold.

Chapter 8

• Ezra Reads the Law
• The Feast of Booths

At the Water Gate, the people gathered to hear from Ezra, the priest-scribe, who was from the line of Aaron. He taught them from the law and read from daybreak until midday out of the book. He gave a great blessing, reminding people to return to God, to the law.

Many people were weeping as they heard the words of the law, so Ezra and Nehemiah had to remind them it was a joyful holy day to be returning to the Lord. They held a feast to rejoice in the Lord! The people began to rejoice.

The next day, as they were re-discovering the law from the Lord through Moses, they discovered it was time to celebrate the feast of booths, which was not done since the time of Joshua. They used branches from olive, oleaster, myrtle, palm, and others to build the booths.

Ezra read from the book for 7 days and on the 8th day, they had a solemn assembly. (This would be repeated later in the re-dedication of the Temple in the time of the Maccabees).

Chapter 9

• Public Confession of Sin
• Prayer of Remembrance and Assistance

The Israelites separated themselves from the other people, confessed all their sins and the sins of their ancestors, read from the book of the law, and gave blessings and praise to the Lord.

They prayed out loud in a beautiful recounting of the events of the past, from the time of creation, through Abraham, Moses, the Judges, to the present day. They recounted the times when the Lord provided for them even after they had repeatedly turned away from Him in sin.

They ended by saying the rich produce of the land was going to others because of their sins. They asked the Lord for help in great distress.

Chapter 10

• Signatures of the Pact
• Requirements of the Pact

To confirm their seriousness, they take an oath and put it into writing, signed by the governor and other leaders, starting with Nehemiah.

Along with the benefits of the oath, there are requirements to follow.

• Obey the commandments, laws, and statutes
• Not to marry the local inhabitants who are not Jewish
• No purchasing goods on the Sabbath
• Forgive dept in the 7th year
• Give to the house of God (the Temple)
• Take turns to provide the food offerings
• Firstfruits go to the House of the Lord
• firstborn to be consecrated by the priests

In Jesus day, Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to be consecrated at the Presentation ritual in the Temple.

Chapter 11

• Resettlement of Jerusalem
• Other Settlements

Along with the administers taking up residence in Jerusalem, lots were cast to choose 1 in 10 Jews to live in Jerusalem while the rest would live in other cities of Judah and Benjamin. Those who did so willingly were blessed and respected by others.

• It may not have been appealing to everyone since Jerusalem would be the focal point of potential enemy attacks.

As with the careful listing of the 12 tribes at Mt. Sinai and the settlement of tribes in Canaan, the scribe gives a careful account of where the people were settled here. Schedules were set up to help people return to a regular pattern of life.

Chapter 12

• Priestly Ancestry (the first to Return)
• High Priest Line of Succession
• Priests and Levites Under Joiakim
• Dedication of the Wall

As in Chapter 7, it was critical to record all the priests and Levites to prove their ancestry and for future posterity. First, the wave that returned with Zerubbabel, Jeremiah, and Ezra.

The High priest succession was identified and written down.

The book of Chronicles is mentioned as another source of the priestly ancestry.

• Ezra was the priest-scribe
• Nehemiah was the Governor

The Completion of the wall was celebrated by the priests & Levites, singers from all around, administrators, the people, Ezra, and Nehemiah organizing it.

The dedication started in the south of the city, with the priests purifying the walls near the Dung Gate and Fountain Gate. Two choirs split apart each with an accompanying procession, one up along the eastern wall and the other along the western wall until they came back together in the north by the Sheep Gate and Prison Gate.

In the Temple area, the priests offered sacrifices to the Lord.

They had great rejoicing in Jerusalem on that day!

The Scheduled provisions were followed as in the days of David and Solomon.

Chapter 13

• Moabite and Ammonites excluded
• Reform in the Temple
• Sabbath Defiled
• Mixed Marriages

The Moabite and Ammonites were separated out from the Jews because of the grievous sins of the past. By worshipping false gods of Baal, and cursing the Israelites, they were threats to Jewish beliefs. The current threats of Tobiah the Ammonite and the opposing Arabs in Moab did not help the situation.

Nehemiah, fulfilling his agreement, after 12 years, returned to King Artaxerxes. However, after a suitable amount of time, he asked leave of the king, to return to Jerusalem.

During his absence, he learned of evils act of the priest Eliashib who had been in alliance with Tobiah the Samaritan. Eliashib had given Tobiah a large chamber within the house of God that was supposed to be for grain offerings, wine offerings, and the Temple’s vessels. The portions due to the Levites were neglected.

Nehemiah straightened out the problem and appointed new people to watch over the Lord’s house. He asked God to remember. It must have been a burden to constantly correct evil plots.

Nehemiah also had to correct people who were trying to sell on the Sabbath, warning them they were profaning the Sabbath like their ancestors. He enforced it by closing the gates of Jerusalem for the Sabbath.

Some of the Jews had married others who worshipped false gods. So that the people would not follow the mistake of Solomon in following his wives into to worship false gods, Nehemiah cleansed the Jews of the practice, including driving away one of the sons of Eliashib.

Conclusion

Nehemiah, in a span of just over 12 years had managed to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, cleansed the priesthood of unproven ancestry, helped Ezra in getting the people to follow the Lord, and helped enforce the laws when the people went astray.

The Jew’s faith seemed to be growing stronger again. However, it was still not strong enough to withstand the false faith of others around them. As a result, they had to keep themselves separated to try and remain pure.

At later times, when the Jews were under attack and facing outside opposition, they would remember Nehemiah as an example of how to restore the faith. (See the Maccabees)

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