Nazarene Israelite Two House Congregation of Port Elizabeth

Important lessons to learn from the life and times of Nehemiah.

True to Elohim’s word, He brought the Assyrians and Babylonians to chastise the rebellious houses of Israel and Judah. The Assyrians deported the 10 tribe house of Israel during the years 718 – 721 BCE and eventually scattered them throughout the then known world, as is witnessed in 2 Kings 17: 21 – 23, in this way: ‘When He (YHVH) had torn Israel from the house of David, they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. Then Jeroboam drove Israel away from following YHVH, and made them commit a great sin. (22) And the sons of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they did not depart from them,  (23)until YHVH removed Israel from His sight, as He spoke through all His servants the prophets. So Israel was carried away into exile from their own land to Assyria until this day.’A few centuries later, during the years 605 – 586 BCE Elohim used the Babylonians to destroy the city of Jerusalem including the Temple that King Solomon built and deported Judah to Babylon, because she persisted in her unfaithfulness to Elohim’s covenant. Elohim chastised Judah with 70 years of captivity in Babylon as may be read from 2 Kings 25. Whilst the Jews were in captivity, world leadership changed hands from the Babylonians to the Persians, as may be read from Daniel 5.

Although most of the book of Nehemiah was obtained from his personal diaries and therefore written from his personal perspective, both the Hebrew and Christian customs agree that Ezra was the Author. Even though the books of Ezra and Nehemiah are separate in most Christian Bibles, they have once been joined together in a single book, as currently in the Hebrew Scriptures.  The book of Ezra begins where king Cyrus of Persia decreed to return Judah to Jerusalem to rebuild the house of Elohim in the year 539 BCE and records the reestablishment of Judah’s national calendar of feasts and sacrifices. At that time the Persian empire ruled the entire near East from India to Ethiopia.Rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem posed an obvious threat to the Persian administration and only a close confidant of the king could be trusted with such a daunting task. At this time Nehemiah was the king’s cupbearer and therefore also his closest confidant. In ancient times a cupbearer was an officer of high rank, whose duties included serving wine at the king’s table.  In those days the office of king was in constant danger of conspiracies and plots to overthrow his administration, and the person serving drinks at a king’s table had to be completely trustworthy. He had to guard against people trying to poison the king and his duties included drinking some of the wine, before serving it.  Like Joseph and Daniel, Nehemiah attained a significant position in the palace, a position in which he developed the characteristics which Elohim could use, to lead the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls, despite Persian control over the city. A major theme of the book of Nehemiah is around the obedience of Nehemiah,which is noticeably documented throughout the book. Elohim clearly worked through the obedience of Nehemiah. Another theme throughout the book is opposition to Judah’s rebuilding of Jerusalem: Judah’s enemies wanted to intimidate them into preventing them from rebuilding the city. But in spite of stiff opposition from both within and outside, they completed the walls of Jerusalem in only 52 days. 

Before continuing with the account of Nehemiah’s life, it is perhaps important to note that Queen Esther was Artaxerxes’s stepmother and could possibly have influenced him to look favorably upon Nehemiah and the Jews.  It is also important for the reader of the book of Nehemiah to understand the time line of chapters 1 to 12 during 445BCE, followed by a gap of 20 years after Chapter 12 and before chapter 13. In addition Nehemiah actually served two governorships in Jerusalem, the first during 445 – 433 BCE and a second possibly commencing 424BCE extending to about 410BCE. Reading from Nehemiah 1: 1 – 3, we discover why Nehemiah decided to go to Jerusalem, as follows: ‘The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it happened in the month of Chislev (Kislev), in the twentieth year, while I was in Susa the capitol, (2) that Hanani, one of my brothers, and some men from Judah came; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped and had survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem. (3) And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire.”’Nehemiah tells the reader that at the time when the news about his countrymen reached him, he was the cupbearer to the king.  At that time, he knew that Ezra the scribe departed to Jerusalem with just short of 50,000 Jews to rebuild Jerusalem, 15 years earlier. He also heard that powerful enemies were hindering the reconstruction of the city and there was a possibility that Jerusalem might never be rebuilt again.

Upon hearing the bad news, Nehemiah mourned, fasted and prayed before YHVH the Elohim of heaven.  In his prayer Nehemiah reminded YHVH about the promises that He made to Moses, as we read from verses 5 – 11 of Nehemiah 1, in this way: ‘And I said, “I beseech Thee, O YHVH Elohim of heaven, the great and awesome Elohim, who preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, (6) let Thine ear now be attentive and Thine eyes open to hear the prayer of Thy servant which I am praying before Thee now, day and night, on behalf of the sons of Israel Thy Servants, confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have sinned against Thee; I and my father’s house have sinned. (7) We have acted very corruptly against Thee and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which Thou didst command Thy servant Moses. (8) Remember the word which Thou didst command Thy servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful I will scatter you among the peoples; (9) but if you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though those of you who have been scattered were in the most remote part of the heavens, I will gather them from there and will bring them to the place where I have chosen to cause My name to dwell.’ (10) And they are Thy servants and Thy people whom Thou didst redeem by Thy great power and Thy strong hand. (11) O YHVH, I beseech Thee, may Thine ear be attentive to the prayer of Thy servant and the prayer of Thy servants who delight to revere Thy name, and make Thy servant successful today, and grant him compassion before this man.”’ This prayer of Nehemiah sounds like a prayer that we the remnant of the lost ten tribes who are returning to the way of Elohim, should be praying at this time!

About four months later during the month of Nisan, Nehemiah recorded what we read from chapter 2:  1, in this way: ‘And it came about in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, that wine was before him, and I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence.’ When asked by the king why he was sad, Nehemiah explained the reason for his sorrow, adding that he needed to go to Jerusalem to help with the reconstruction work being done there.  We read the kings response in verse 6 of Nehemiah 2, as follows: ‘Then the king said to me, the queen sitting beside him, “How long will your journey be, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me, and I gave him a definite time.’ Nehemiah’s journey would take him through countries hostile to Judah, so he requested that the king give him letters transferring some of the king’s authority to Nehemiah, thus allowing him to pass through these countries, without any trouble. On the way to Jerusalem, these letters would be inspected for Nehemiah’s passage. In addition to the letters King Artaxerxes send captains of the army and horsemen with Nehemiah for his protection.  The king also gave Nehemiah a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest to allow Nehemiah to cut down trees for lumber needed to build the Temple.

So Nehemiah and his entourage left for Jerusalem about a thousand miles away, as the new governor. He arrived in the devastated city of Jerusalem a little over two months later. Three days after his arrival, Nehemiah arose from his sleep during the night and went to inspect the walls of Jerusalem that were broken down and its gates which were destroyed by fire. After he inspected the state of affairs, Elohim inspired him to put together a plan for the reconstruction of the fortifications of the city. The next morning Nehemiah approached the officials, as recorded in verses 17 & 18, in this way: ‘Then I said to them, “You see the bad situation we are in, that Jerusalem is desolate and its gates burned by fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem that we may no longer be a reproach.” (18) And I told them how the hand of my Elohim had been favorable to me, and also about the king’s words which he had spoken to me. Then they said, “Let us arise and build.” So they put their hands to the good work.’We see further from verses 19& 20, that the opposition did not give them any respite, as follows: ‘But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard it, they mocked us and despised us and said, “What is this thing you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”(20) So I answered them and said to them, “The Elohim of heaven will give us success; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no portion, right, or memorial in Jerusalem.”’

As the project leader Nehemiah allocated duties to his helpers, which included the High Priest and the priests; they build the Sheep Gate, consecrated the same and hung its doors, build and consecrated the wall to the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel. They were assisted by Zaccur the son of Imri and the sons of Hassenaah in rebuilding the Fish Gate; laid its beam and hung its doors.  In the rest of chapter 3, Nehemiah assigned the rebuilding of the various parts of the walls of Jerusalem to the Jewish families who returned to Jerusalem with Ezra to rebuild the city. We see from chapter 4 that those opposed to the rebuilding of the walls, continued to ridicule the builders throughout the building process. Eventually they conspired together to fight against Jerusalem to put an end to the rebuilding project.  However we see from verse 9 that Nehemiah and his team prayed to our Elohim and set up a guard against their adversaries, day and night.  We read from verses 21 – 23 of Chapter 4 how Nehemiah both led and worked with his team, in this way: ‘So we carried on the work with half of them holding spears from dawn until the stars appeared. (22) At that time I also said to the people, “Let each man with his servant spend the night within Jerusalem so that they may be a guard for us by night and a laborer by day.” (23) So neither I, my brothers, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us removed our clothes, even took his weapon even to water.’

The problem facing Nehemiah and his team did not end there, for there was also a famine in the land at the time and some of the people had to mortgage their fields, vineyards and houses for food. They also had to borrow money in order to pay tax to the king and their children were forced to be slaves. This angered Nehemiah and as we read from verses 7 – 11 of Chapter 5, ‘And I consulted with myself, and contended with the nobles and the rulers and said to them, “You are exacting usury, each from his brother!” Therefore, I held a great assembly against them. (8) And I said to them, “We according to our ability have redeemed our Jewish brothers who were sold to the nations; now would you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us?” Then they were silent and could not find a word to say. (9) Again I said, “The thing which you are doing is not good; should you not walk in the fear of our Elohim because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies?(10) And likewise I, my brothers and my servants, are lending them money and grain. Please let us leave off this usury. (11) Please give back to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money and of the grain, the wine, and the oil that you are exacting from them.”’The response from the nobles and rulers were positive as is recorded in verse 12, as follows: ‘Then they said, “We will give it back and will require nothing from them; we will do exactly as you say.”’ Knowing the minds of men, Nehemiah got the priests to take an oath from the rulers and the nobles to ensure that they do as promised. In addition we see that he personally fed a hundred and fifty of his countrymen at his table, as well as those who came from the surrounding nations. In verse 18 he mentions the food and wine that was prepared for these guests daily, adding that for all this, he did not demand the governor’s food allowance. In other words he personally contributed to the wellbeing of his people – no wonder he had the full cooperation of his workforce.

Once the wall was rebuilt, Nehemiah’s enemies sent him a message to come and meet them in the plain of One. But Nehemiah knowing that they were planning to harm him, send a message back, saying that he could not come down to them, as he was busy working.  His enemies continued to send messages and each time Nehemiah sent them the same answer back. Next his enemies tried to implicate Nehemiah to his Persian overlords by implying that he had rebellious motives for wanting to rebuild Jerusalem. Nehemiah responded to this disinformation, by denying their charges and at the same time asking Elohim to strengthen his hands.  Next Nehemiah’s enemies hired a man to scare him into entering the Temple so that he may sin and that they may have an evil report against him and so accuse him.  But, Nehemiah did not fall for their tricks and the wall around the city was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month of Elul, in only fifty-two days. If Nehemiah showed fear he could have discouraged his workforce and by entering the Temple, he would have been disobedient to Torah, as only the priests and the Levites were permitted to enter the Temple.

Nehemiah did not take credit for all the work and knew that it was accomplished by help from Elohim, as we read from verses 16 of Chapter 6, in this way: ‘And it came about when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations surrounding us saw it, they lost their confidence; for they recognized that this work had been accomplished with the help of our Elohim.’Next Nehemiah turned his attention to reviving the spiritual foundation of the city, under the spiritual leadership of Ezra  as we read from Nehemiah 7: 5, 65 and 73, as follows: ‘Then my Elohim put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials, and the people to be enrolled by genealogies. Then I found the book of genealogy of those who came up first in which I found the following record: (verses 6 – 73 is a list of the people who returned from Persia to Jerusalem with Ezra in 538BCE.) (65) And the governor said to them that they should not eat from the most holy things until a priest arose with Urim and Thummim. (73) Now the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all Israel, lived in their cities. And when the seventh month came, the sons of Israel were in their cities.’  We see that the spiritual revival mentioned earlier started with the exposition of Elohim’s word. On the first day of the seventh month (Tishri) the Feast of Trumpets was kept. But we see that like we and our Jewish Brothers of today do,  the second day of the month was also kept, when the heads of household, the priests, and the Levites were gathered to Ezra the scribe that they may gain insight into the words of the law.  They found written in the law that they should also observe the feast of booths during Tishri, so the people made booths for themselves and they kept the Feast of Booths for seven days, followed by the Last Great Day on the eight day in accordance with the ordinance.

Once again the Jewish nation started growing spiritually by keeping Elohim’s Feast days and walking according to His Torah.  Starting in chapter 9, we see that on the twenty-fourth day of Tishri the sons of Israel assembled with fasting, in sackcloth and with dirt upon them. The people separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquity of their fathers. From verses 4 – 9 of Chapter 9, we read a long confession by the Levites in the context of the recitation of Elohim’s mighty redemptive acts on Israel’s behalf. At the end of the confession they made a covenant agreement to continue to serve YHVH our Elohim, as we read from verse 38, as follows: “Now because of all this we are making an agreement in writing; and on the sealed document are the names of our leaders, our Levites and our priests.” Nehemiah was the first person to sign the document and his example served as a lasting inspiration for Elohim’s people. After the physical task of rebuilding the walls and restructuring society, the city had to be repopulated.  Those who lived outside the city, surrendered their comfortable lives outside the city, to come and live in the city. We read from verse 2 of Nehemiah 11, ‘And the people blessed all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.’With the city once more repopulated, Nehemiah went back Persia.

However, Nehemiah no sooner left Jerusalem, when a power struggle took place. Eliashib, the priest appointed over the chambers of the house of Elohim, being related to Tobiah, Nehemiah’s worst enemy and an ally of the Samaritans, prepared a room for him to live in. As a result of this bad influence the Jews began socializing with the Samaritans again; they stopped paying tithes and keeping the Sabbath. Immediately upon hearing this Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem, as we read from Nehemiah 13: 6 – 12, in this way: ‘But during all this time I was not in Jerusalem, for the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had gone to the king. After some time, however, I asked leave from the king, (7) and I came to Jerusalem and learned about the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, by preparing a room for him in the courts of the house of Elohim. (8) And it was very displeasing to me, so I threw all of Tobiah’s household goods out of the room. (9) Then I gave an order and they cleansed the rooms; and I returned there the utensils of the house of Elohim with the grain offerings and the frankincense. (10) I also discovered that the portions of the Levites had not been given them, so that the Levites and the singers who performed the service had gone away, each to his own field. (11) So I reprimanded the officials and said, “Why is the house of Elohim forsaken?” Then I gathered them together and restored them to their posts. (12)All Judah then brought the tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses.’

When Jeremiah returned to Jerusalem, he also noticed that some in Judah were treading wine presses on the Sabbath and loaded their donkeys with wine, grapes, figs and all kinds of produce and brought them into the city.So he admonished them on the day they sold the produce. We see further how he reprimanded the priests for allowing these evils to occur on the Sabbath, as recorded in verses 16 – 19 of Nehemiah 13, ‘Also men of Tyre were living there who imported fish and all kinds of merchandise, and sold them to the sons of Judah on the Sabbath, even in Jerusalem. (17)Then I reprimanded the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil thing you are doing, by profaning the Sabbath day?” (18)Did not your fathers do the same so that our Elohim brought on us, and on this city, all this trouble? Yet you are adding to the wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.” (19) And it came about that just as it grew dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut and that they should not open them until after the Sabbath. Then I stationed some of my servants at the gates that no load should enter on the Sabbath day.’Verse 19 is one of the testimonies that the Sabbath starts in the evening.  We continue in verse 22, where Nehemiah wrote: ‘And I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves and come as gatekeepers to sanctify the Sabbath day. For this also remember me, O my Elohim, and have compassion on me according to the greatness of Thy lovingkindness.’From the action that Nehemiah took to stop his countrymen from breaking the Sabbath, we understand that he fully understood the principle taught by Rav Yaa’cov in James 2: 24; i.e.’that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone.’

Nehemiah had one more problem to resolve: he discovered that some of the Jews married woman from Asdod, Ammon and Moab, and their children could only speak in the language of their mother’s, but could not speak Hebrew at all. Nehemiah severely reprimanded these Jews and even manhandled them, quoting from the Torah, as we read from verses 25 – 27: “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take of their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. (26) Did not Solomon king of Israel sin regarding these things? Yet among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was loved by his Elohim, and Elohim made him king over Israel; nevertheless the foreign women caused even him to sin. (27) Do we then hear about you that you have committed all this great evil by acting unfaithfully against our Elohim by marrying foreign women?”We see from verse 28 that even one of the sons of the high priest, was married to Sanballat the Horonite’s daughter, so Nehemiah drove him out praying, as is recorded in verses 29 – 31:‘Remember them, O my Elohim, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites. (30) Thus I purified them from everything foreign and appointed duties for the priests and the Levites, each in His task, (31) and I arranged for the supply of wood at appointed times and for first fruits. Remember me, O my Elohim, for good.’

We see that after 70 years in captivity our Jewish Brothers returned to the Promised Land to worship YHVH our Elohim, as He promised. Those of us called at this time should like Nehemiah put in every effort as potential leaders in the coming Kingdom Of Elohim, to hold up the Torah as a mirror for those amongst us, who stumble at times. In addition we need to practice what we preach, by being fully Torah obedient ourselves, since we the remnant of the lost ten tribes will soon be taken back to the land of Israel to be ruled by Yahshua our Messiah, the root and offspring of David.HalleluYah!