Through The Bible
16 Nehemiah
May 23 - Nehemiah 1 - 2
Life Lesson... Sometimes people need a little encouragement and a helpful leader to do the good work that needs to be done for the Lord.
The book of Ezra was about the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. Now we have come to the book of Nehemiah, and he wants to rebuild the wall about the city. I enjoy the book of Nehemiah, and I hope you will, too! We will see his leadership, his willingness to work with the people, and his zeal for the law of the Lord. The book begins with Nehemiah in Shushan the palace. Some of his brethren from Judah told him that the remnant of Jews were in great affliction and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem was broken down, and the gates had been burned with fire. The book ends with these words, "Remember me, O my God, for good." (Nehemiah 13:31)
"3 And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.
4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,
5 And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments:
6 Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned.
7 We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.
8 Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:
9 But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.
10 Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.
11 O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cupbearer." (1:3-11)
Nehemiah made his request to the Lord, in Chapter 2 he made an appeal to the king.
"1 And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence.
2 Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid,
3 And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?
4 Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.
5 And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it.
6 And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time." (2:1-6)
Nehemiah asked the king for letters to the governors to convey him till he came into Judah. And a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king's forest for timber to make beams for the gates, the wall, and a house for him. "And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me." (2:8) Nehemiah came to the governors beyond the river, with the army captains and horsemen, and gave them the king's letters. "When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel." (2:10) (We will hear more about these men and the trouble they will cause.) After three days in Jerusalem, Nehemiah went one night with a few men and looked over the walls that were broken down and the gates that had been burned.
"17 Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.
18 Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.
19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?
20 Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem." (2:17-20)
Twice Nehemiah spoke of the good hand of his God upon him. He also encouraged the people saying, "let us build up the wall..." and they responded with, "Let us rise up and build." They had been there. They knew the condition of the wall and gates. But they had not done anything about it until someone came along and encouraged them to strengthen their hands for the good work. We can already tell that they have opposition, but Nehemiah has faith that God will prosper them.
May 24 - Nehemiah 3 - 5
It has been five weeks since I had the last chemotherapy pills and I was beginning to feel better and able to do more around the house. Yesterday I fell down the steps in the laundry room. I am thankful that there are only three steps and that I didn’t need a trip to the ER. My knees and ankle are very sore and I appreciate your prayers.
Life Lesson...Sometimes when we "watch and pray" it means that we need to watch for the enemy. And sometimes the enemy may be from within.
Chapter 3 begins with how Eliashib the high priest and his brethren the priests built the sheep gate. The next verses tell who built next to them, and continues going around the wall. It also tells of those who didn't help. "And next unto them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their Lord." (Nehemiah 3:5) In verse 12 we also see that some women helped with the work. "And next unto him repaired Shallum the son of Halohesh, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem, he and his daughters." The Levites also worked. (3:17) Baruch "earnestly repaired..." (3:20) For 32 verses we see how different groups of people worked to help repair the gates and the wall, ending with the goldsmiths and merchants. With their hard work came opposition. Nehemiah prayed that God would "turn their reproach upon their own head and give them for a prey..."
"1 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.
2 And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?
3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.
4 Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity:
5 And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders.
6 So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.
7 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,
8 And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.
9 Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.
10 And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.
11 And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.
12 And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times, From all places whence ye shall return unto us they will be upon you.
13 Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
14 And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
15 And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work." (4:1-15)
The people worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other hand. Each builder had a sword girded by his side and they worked from the rising of the sun until the stars appeared. They also had a trumpet to use for a warning and some were guards about them. We have seen opposition from their enemies by ridicule, by anger, and threats of violence. In Chapter 5 we see another type of opposition from within, from the nobles and rulers of the Jews. The people cried out that they were working and still had to have food for their families. They had to mortgage their land, vineyards and houses to buy food. Some borrowed money from the king's tribute and others had children who were brought into bondage. I like verse 7. "Then I consulted with myself..." It's okay to talk to yourself! It's good to think things out before you speak.
"6 And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.
7 Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them.
8 And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and found nothing to answer.
9 Also I said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies?
10 I likewise, and my brethren, and my servants, might exact of them money and corn: I pray you, let us leave off this usury.
11 Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye exact of them.
12 Then said they, We will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will we do as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise.
13 Also I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his house, and from his labour, that performeth not this promise, even thus be he shaken out, and emptied. And all the congregation said, Amen, and praised the LORD. And the people did according to this promise." (5:6-13)
Nehemiah then told them that for the 12 years he had been appointed governor in the land of Judah he had not eaten their bread or taken their silver. He said that he and his servants worked on the wall. "Moreover there were at my table an hundred and fifty of the Jews and rulers, beside those that came unto us from among the heathen that are about us. Now that which was prepared for me daily was one ox and six choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days store of all sorts of wine: yet for all this required not I the bread of the governor, because the bondage was heavy upon this people." (5:17-18) And the chapter ends... "Think upon me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people." (5:19) Do you ever pray, "Think on me God, for good"? God does think of us! "How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee." (Psalm 139:17-18)
May 25 - Nehemiah 6 - 8
Life Lesson... "The joy of the Lord is your strength." (Nehemiah 8:10)
In Chapter 6 Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem told Nehemiah to come meet with them, but their plan didn't work.
"1 Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;)
2 That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.
3 And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?
4 Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner." (Nehemiah 6:1-4)
Sanballat sent a letter to Nehemiah that said the Jews wanted to rebel and Nehemiah was planning to be their king. "Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart. 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." (6:8-9) Shemaiah told Nehemiah to hide in the temple so they wouldn't kill him."
"11 And I said, Should such a man 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.
12 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.
13 Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me.
14 My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear." (6:11-14)
We saw in Nehemiah 5:19 that he said, "Think upon me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people." Well, now he asked God to think upon them, according to their works. The wall was finished in 52 days. "And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God." (6:16) The nobles of Judah and Tobiah continued to send letters to each other. The chapter ends, "Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear." (6:19) Chapter 7.
"1 Now it came to pass, when the wall was built, and I had set up the doors, and the porters and the singers and the Levites were appointed,
2 That I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of the palace, charge over Jerusalem: for he was a faithful man, and feared God above many.
3 And I said unto them, Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun be hot; and while they stand by, let them shut the doors, and bar them: and appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, every one in his watch, and every one to be over against his house.
4 Now the city was large and great: but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded.
5 And my God put into mine heart to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, that they might be reckoned by genealogy. And I found a register of the genealogy of them which came up at the first, and found written therein,
6 These are the children of the province, that went up out of the captivity, of those that had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and came again to Jerusalem and to Judah, every one unto his city;" (7:1-6)
The chapter continues with the names of the families and the number of people who came to Jerusalem. "The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore, Beside their manservants and their maidservants, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and they had two hundred forty and five singing men and singing women." (7:66-67) The number of their horses, mules, camels and asses follows. Then some of the gifts that were given are noted. In Chapter 8 all the people gathered in the street and Ezra stood on a pulpit to read the book of the law of Moses. He read from morning until midday, "and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law." (8:3) When he opened the book all the people stood up.
"6 And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
7 Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place.
8 So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.
9 And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.
10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.
11 So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved." (8:6-11)
They found written that the people were to dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month, so they took tree branches and made booths. "And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness. Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner." (8:17-18)
May 26 - Nehemiah 9 - 13
Thank you for the prayers. I am able to walk better after my fall.
In Chapter 9 the Children of Israel fasted, separated themselves, confessed their sins, and they continued to read the book of the law and worship the Lord. The Levites stood on the stairs and praised the Lord.
"5 ... Stand up and bless the LORD your God for ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.
6 Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.
7 Thou art the LORD the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham;
8 And foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give it, I say, to his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou art righteous:" (9:5-8)
The chapter continues with praise to the Lord for His great wonders, and how His people rebelled against Him. "Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day. Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us; for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly:" (9:32-33) And they made a sure covenant with the Lord. Chapter 10 opens with the names of the people who sealed the covenant. They agreed to walk in God's law, to not marry with the people of the land, and to not buy from the people of the land on the Sabbath day. They also agreed to give their firstfruits and tithes and not forsake the house of the Lord. In Chapter 11 they cast lots, that one in ten would live in Jerusalem. The names are listed of those who lived in Jerusalem and those who did the work of the house of the Lord. Chapter 12 gives the names of the priests and Levites that went up with Zerubbabel. They had a dedication of the wall.
"27 And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings, and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps.
28 And the sons of the singers gathered themselves together, both out of the plain country round about Jerusalem, and from the villages of Netophathi;
29 Also from the house of Gilgal, and out of the fields of Geba and Azmaveth: for the singers had builded them villages round about Jerusalem.
30 And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and purified the people, and the gates, and the wall." (12:27-30)
"Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had made them rejoice with great joy: the wives also and the children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off." (12:43)
Chapter 13 tells of Nehemiah's return after he had gone back to the king for a short while. He admonished the people for not following the law of the Lord. We see his zeal for the Lord. He threw the stuff of Tobiahs out of the house of God. He contended with the rulers and set them in their place. And again he asked God to remember him for his good deeds that he did.
"4 And before this, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah:
5 And he had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the meat offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded to be given to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the offerings of the priests.
6 But in all this time was not I at Jerusalem: for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon came I unto the king, and after certain days obtained I leave of the king:
7 And I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God.
8 And it grieved me sore: therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber.
9 Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers: and thither brought I again the vessels of the house of God, with the meat offering and the frankincense.
10 And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them: for the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to his field.
11 Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place.
12 Then brought all Judah the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oil unto the treasuries.
13 And I made treasurers over the treasuries, Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah: and next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah: for they were counted faithful, and their office was to distribute unto their brethren.
14 Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof." (13:4-14)
Nehemiah saw some working and selling on the sabbath and he commanded them to leave the gates shut on the sabbath.
"20 So the merchants and sellers of all kind of ware lodged without Jerusalem once or twice.
21 Then I testified against them, and said unto them, Why lodge ye about the wall? if ye do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no more on the sabbath.
22 And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy." (13:20-22)
Then he saw some Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab, and their children could not speak the Jews' language.
"25 And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves.
26 Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin.
27 Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to transgress against our God in marrying strange wives?
28 And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was son in law to Sanballat the Horonite: therefore I chased him from me.
29 Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites.
30 Thus cleansed I them from all strangers, and appointed the wards of the priests and the Levites, every one in his business;
31 And for the wood offering, at times appointed, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good." (13:25-31)
