Podcast Introduction

Today is History Tuesday and we’ll begin the book of Nehemiah. Our reading will be chapters 1-4.

Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Levi Meir Clancy on Unsplash

Comments on Nehemiah 1-4

See if you agree with this statement: What matters to God should matter to us. 

When the book of Nehemiah was written, about a thousand years had passed since God had used Moses to lead the people out of their Egyptian captivity. A lot had happened in the passing years. There had been the time of the judges, but then the people begged to have a king, like the surrounding lands were, so God appointed Saul as their first king. To say the least, he turned out to be a disappointment, just as God had warned the people he would be. 

Then there was David, who certainly had his share of failures, but God called him a man after His own heart. After David was his son, Solomon, who built a Temple for the people to have a place to worship God. Then a long succession of David's descendants followed Solomon, some of whom were godly men, some of whom were evil men who did not follow God. Eventually, because the people had turned their backs on God to worship false gods, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob allowed Jerusalem to be conquered by Babylon. The Temple was completely destroyed, as was most of the city and its walls. The people of Jerusalem and the surrounding area were taken captive to Babylon, where they remained for 70 years.

After these 70 years, the people were given the chance to go home. But most had never been to Jerusalem. Babylon was their home, and only a small number of them chose to go to their homeland, about 50,000 out of about two or three million.

We read in the book of Ezra how they rebuilt the temple. Nehemiah wrote his book about fifteen years after the period spoken of by Ezra. So in doing the math, it had been nearly 100 years since the return to the Promised Land by those who had been captive in Babylon. And the destruction of Jerusalem had taken place about 150 years earlier. But the walls of Jerusalem had still not been rebuilt. 

Nehemiah had never been to Jerusalem. He lived in the capital city of the Persians, Shushan, in what is now Iran. But he loved God, and he knew that Jerusalem was important to God. 

When he learned that Jerusalem's walls had not been rebuilt, and that the people were struggling, Nehemiah was heartbroken. And He didn't just feel bad about the situation, he did what he could do. He fasted and he prayed. And when he prayed, he came with an attitude of  humility. He confessed the sins of himself, his family and the people. And he reminded God of His promise that if His people would return to Him, He would restore them. And one more thing. He asked God to bless him, that he might have favor with the king, because he was the king's cupbearer.

The bottom line is that Nehemiah was not satisfied just to feel bad about the situation in Jerusalem. No. He humbly wanted to be used by God to do something about it. 

What a marvelous example for us, beloved. Shouldn’t we have hearts that are tender to what God cares about? We need to be willing for God to move us to action, as Nehemiah was. God found in him someone who was deeply moved and altogether willing to do what was necessary.

Oh, beloved, that we would be that kind of people. Look around you. Chances are very good that if you ask, God will show you where He can use you to make a difference.

Today's Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 1-2 NASB; Ch. 3-4 CEB

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The Team

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