Nehemiah was a Jewish man living in captivity under the rule of the ancient empire of Persia. He held a high position in the royal court, serving the Persian king.
One day, when Nehemiah asked his brother and some visitors about Jerusalem, God’s holy city, he received terrible news. The wall around the city was broken down and the gates had been burned with fire. Nehemiah cried when he heard this report. Back then, cities without walls could be attacked at any time. No walls meant no protection or peace.
Nehemiah mourned, fasted, and prayed for four months.
The king was hosting a banquet, and we can imagine everyone was happy…except Nehemiah. The king noticed his sad face and asked what was the matter. Nehemiah was suddenly frightened. If a person displeased the king, they could be in big trouble!
Nehemiah explained what had become of Jerusalem, the city of his ancestors. The king asked for Nehemiah’s request.
After a quick, silent prayer, (see Nehemiah 2:4) Nehemiah asked for a leave of absence so he could rebuild the city walls. God answered Nehemiah’s prayers – the king appointed him governor of Judah – the area around Jerusalem – and even provided a special military escort for the long journey. Nehemiah’s plan was wise: the Bible records many families who participated in the building project. Each family would work on the section of wall that was right in front of their own house. Naturally, they would be highly motivated to fortify the space in front of where they lived. Brilliant!
There were many difficulties during the rebuilding project, like discouragement, conflict, and wicked enemies who wanted to stop the work. Nehemiah never gave up – he constantly prayed and then acted to combat these obstacles. With God’s overruling, the work was completed in only 52 days!
But it wasn’t just the walls that needed rebuilding – the people had fallen away from obeying God’s Law. Nehemiah gathered everyone together to hear Ezra, the scribe, read the Law that God had given Moses so long ago. The people paid close attention, (see Nehemiah 8:3) lifted their hands toward heaven, and then bowed down and worshiped God with their faces to the ground. (See 8:6) They cried when they realized they had been so disobedient and sinful. (see Nehemiah 8:9)
The Levites praised God to the people. (see Nehemiah 9:6, Berean Standard Bible) They said,“You alone are the LORD. You created the heavens, the highest heavens with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all things, and the host of heaven worships You.“ They continued, reminding the people of their history and all that God had done for them. (see Nehemiah 9:7-37) The people made a promise to God that they would obey His Law. (see Nehemiah 10:29)
So, who was Nehemiah? A faithful man of determination who organized and supervised the rebuilding project of the broken walls of Jerusalem. He stayed in Jerusalem for 12 years, improving the lives of the people in many ways. Through his leadership, the people were led back to a proper worship of God.
When we have an opportunity to serve God, let’s combine prayer with planning and take action like Nehemiah did. No matter the circumstances, let’s never give up doing God’s will!
This video is from Christian Questions Podcast. For more information please go to https://christianquestions.com
