Nehemiah – An Introduction

Posted On July 26, 2023

The book of Nehemiah is placed among the Old Testament writings known as the “Historical Books” (Joshua – Esther; and including the three books of the Maccabees in the Orthodox canon). The events therein took place between 444 B.C. and 425 B.C.

Nehemiah was neither a priest nor a prophet, but a layman who had a deep love for God and a strong desire to serve God’s people. What makes this even more significant is that he was likely born while in exile in Persia (present-day Iran) and had never been to Jerusalem nor to Judah! Such a respect for his ancestors and their history deserves our gratitude. God give us more like him.

In the following studies, we will attempt to draw some waters of refreshment and encouragement for our souls from this old well of Nehemiah.

Before commencing these studies, I think we might benefit from a review of the events which took place in the one and a half centuries prior to Nehemiah’s experiences. For that, I refer you back to the introduction to our studies of Haggai (OTOW – March, 2023) and to the attached outline entitled “Coming Home” found at the end of this post.

The siege, conquest and destruction of Jerusalem and the surrounding land of Judah in 586 B.C. was beyond devastating for the inhabitants therein. They had, indeed, grown cold in their zeal for God and had become lax in their worship. Furthermore, the last four kings of Judah offered scanty leadership, promoted idolatry, and weakly submitted to the demands of foreign kings. When God’s patience ran out, He allowed King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon (present day Iraq) to ransack the temple, take multitudes of captives into exile and destroy the capital city of Jerusalem in July, 586 B.C.

Those who remained found themselves in a state of misery and desolation. Thousands of their young men and women, craftsmen, smiths, and potential leaders had been forcibly removed from them (II Kings 24). Likewise, they were bereft of their temple, spiritual leaders, and means of worship. Jeremiah vividly describes the mournful cries amid the city’s “death” in the first two chapters of the book of Lamentations.

For the next 48 years (586 – 538 B.C.), this sorrowful cloud of despair hung over those people whom God had chosen as His own (Deuteronomy 7:6; Psalm 96:6, 7; and many more). But now it seemed as though He had forsaken them. Within the brokenness of their hearts and the guilt of their souls, they knew that God was not unjust in bringing this judgment upon them. One after another, the Lord had sent His prophets – Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Joel, Habakkuk, and others – to warn them and call them to return to their God. They also knew that, along with these calls to repentance, there came the hopeful promises of forgiveness and restoration. But those calls had fallen on deaf ears. Their leaders had not led them in paths of righteousness and the people had not kept the remembrance of their faithful forefathers. Therefore, Jeremiah (who stayed with the people in Jerusalem) tearfully reminded them, “So the Lord could no longer bear it, because of the evil of your doings and because of the abominations which you committed. Therefore, your land is a desolation, an astonishment, a curse …… as it is this day (Jeremiah 45:22).

As the days and years passed, hope grew dimmer, and faith seemed to slip away. Would God ever return to them?  Would they ever know His love and mercy again? Were His promises lost forever?

While it seemed so far away, the Persian king, Cyrus, overthrew Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon in 539 B.C. Soon thereafter, Cyrus issued a decree that the exiles should return to Jerusalem and rebuild the house of their God (Ezra 1). He returned the articles taken from the Temple and supplied them with goods and materials to get started. Zerubbabel was commissioned to lead the effort and began the work in 538 B.C. (Ezra 2,3). After some opposition arose from some Samaritans and others, the work was stopped for a time. Through the urging of Haggai and Zechariah, the Temple was completed (Ezra 6:14,15). Later, in 457 B.C., the scribe Ezra returned from Persia to lead a restoration of worship among the people. Thanks be to God, both efforts were certainly significant in attending to the wounds inflicted by Nebuchadnezzar, but the work was yet incomplete. The spiritual renewal was short-lived, and the city wall was shattered and lay in rubble. The tears and fears were still present.

[ Please allow a special note of clarification here. We described the circumstances in and around Jerusalem between 586 and 538 B.C. along with the return of Zerubbabel and Ezra. It is not in the scope of these present studies to examine them (although, God willing, we should do so later). Instead, we have chosen to study the work of Nehemiah and draw from his ministry, which follows in 444 B.C.]

While the circumstances may have been quite different, the halls of history have heard such cries many times over in the past 2600 years. Nations, cities, and individual people have woefully lamented those same feelings of guilt and hopelessness in the wake of sin and spiritual apathy. Those, or similar, questions have plagued the minds and souls of many of God’s people in trying circumstances and the burdens have been hard to bear.

Yes, even in our day, many of the foundational values of our heritage and fundamental truths of our faith have come under siege. As we noted in an earlier study (“What in the World is Going On?”  OTOW – June, 2021), we face international conflict and individual confusion fueled by the arrogance of leadership and antagonism to Lordship (Psalm 2:1,2). Many of us, not unlike those in Jerusalem, stand on the verge of tears and grieve at what we see about us.

However, as we empathize with those sitting amidst the rubble of their city and the desolation of their homeland, we must remember that God has not forsaken His people. His mercy endures forever!

God has every reason and right to bring judgment upon us, to deal with our sins and spiritual apathy as a nation and to call us back to Himself by whatever means He chooses. Hopefully, we will do well to reflect on these sacred writings and recall how the Lord God brought repentance, reconstruction, renewal, and rejoicing to those grieving people of Judah. Let us pray, “Visit us again, O Lord; save Your people and bless Your inheritance”. 

With the dawning of 444 B.C., some more astounding events took place by the hand of God. Let us take heart and be of good cheer as we draw from the well of Nehemiah.

Fr. Andrew

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Outline:

“Coming Home”

Ezra and Nehemiah

Jeremiah’s Prophecy Jeremiah 29:10-14

Destruction of Jerusalem (586 B.C.)                          Jeremiah 52

Decree of Cyrus, King of Persia (538 B.C.)               Ezra 1:1-4

(See also Isaiah 44:28 & 45:1 – spoken by Isaiah about 150 years before Cyrus lived.)

Deportation                                                                             Restoration