In our morning services, we’ve just finished working our way through the book of Nehemiah. In light of that, Stephen was asked to write an overview of the book for the Messenger Magazine (RPCI youth magazine that has recently gone online-only). You can read it below or on the Messenger website:
In the aftermath of Covid, the theme of rebuilding is at the forefront of many people’s minds. Nations around the world are wondering how they can rebuild their economies after the events of the last two years. Business owners are trying to rebuild their businesses after lockdowns, and many people are wondering if friendships can be rebuilt after not seeing the other person for a year or more.
For churches, too, the minds of many will be on rebuilding – whether in terms of fractured relationships as people have disagreed over restrictions, numerical decline as those worshipping in our churches before covid have now moved elsewhere, stopped worshipping anywhere, or are now simply no longer physically able to be present.
So the challenges of rebuilding our lives and our churches in the wake of Covid are enough in themselves to make us turn to the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, which are all about rebuilding. But far more profound than recovering from Covid is that need to rebuild in the face if the longer-term decline of the church of Jesus Christ in the UK. To fight back against compromise, distraction, defeatism and loss of purpose. And such rebuilding is at the very heart of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.
There’s a bit of debate as to whether Nehemiah should be regarded as a separate book, or just as the final part of the book of Ezra. Even if we choose to consider the book of Nehemiah separately, it’s important to remember that the process of rebuilding had already started and stopped a number of times before Nehemiah arrived. Nehemiah is actually the third person to come back to Jerusalem to lead the work of rebuilding – which in itself is a reminder that God’s work doesn’t begin and end with us.
In 587BC, the nation of Judah had been taken into exile in Babylon for their sin (other deportations took place in 605 and 582). In 538BC, a man called Zerubbabel had come back with some other exiles and they had rebuilt the altar – and then after much opposition – and with over two decades in between – rebuilt the temple (you can read about that in Ezra chapters 1-6). The rebuilding of the temple in 515BC came about after encouragement by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah.
Then, 13 years before Nehemiah shows up, Ezra had led a second wave of returning exiles. By that time, the people had again fallen into sin, and so Ezra had preached God’s word and led them in repentance. We read about that in Ezra 7 through 10 (Ezra chapter 7 is the first mention of Ezra in the book – the events of the first six chapters took place 80 years before he arrived in Jerusalem!). The prophet Malachi probably ministered in Jerusalem between the time of Zerubbabel and Ezra.
Nehemiah’s story begins when he’s serving the Persian king Artaxerxes. His brother returns from Judah and Nehemiah hears that the returned exiles are ‘in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are destroyed by fire’ (1:3). Nehemiah responds by weeping, fasting and praying. As the old Scottish preacher Alexander Maclaren once commented: ‘No man will do worthy work at rebuilding the walls who has not wept over the ruins’.
Nehemiah’s weeping was undoubtedly not simply over the state of Jerusalem, but over ‘the dismal failure of the remnant to carry out the purpose of their return’ (Maclaren). This failure stemmed not so much from a deliberate refusal to do what they knew they should, but from a spirit of defeatism – which can so easily infect our churches and sap our strength. Those in Jerusalem only saw the obstacles – Nehemiah saw them too, but he also knew the power of God.
After praying about it for some months, Nehemiah took an opportunity that arose to ask the king’s permission to go to Jerusalem and begin the work of rebuilding. The rest of chapters 2-6 describe the process of rebuilding, and the opposition that Nehemiah faced from the ‘unholy Trinity’ of Tobiah, Sanballat and Geshem. Despite this, and despite efforts even from some of their own people to undermine the work, the wall was finished in fifty-two days. This was much to the dismay of their enemies, who ‘perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God’.
If chapters 1-6 describe the physical rebuilding of the city, chapters 7-13 describe the spiritual rebuilding of the people. We see in these chapters how the greatest threat to the prosperity of God’s people comes not from their enemies, but from their own sin. Chapters 8-11 describe a time of Reformation and Revival where the people ask Ezra to read from the Book of the Law of Moses. As God’s word is read and explained the people weep at how far short they’ve fallen, joyfully make changes to their lives based on what they’ve heard, confess their sins and make a solemn covenant with God. Some of the people also willing chose to go and live in Jerusalem – putting the interests of God’s people above their own, even when it comes to where to set up home.
The book ends disappointingly, however. 12 years after the period of rebuilding and their covenant with God, Nehemiah returns to Jerusalem after some time away to find the people systematically breaking their covenant commitments. Although Nehemiah shows courageous leadership in the face of compromise and calls the people back to being who they say they are, you get the sense that his final reforms won’t be any more successful than others in bringing about permanent in change. In that way, the end of the book of Nehemiah points us forward to Jesus Christ, a leader who has the power to bring true and permanent change – not just to our outward behaviour, but to our hearts.
What does God teach us in the book?
- Like every part of the Bible, the book of Nehemiah ultimately points us to Jesus Christ. As Nehemiah left a glittering career to return to Jerusalem and wept over the state of the city, he points us forward to one who would give up far more (Phil 2:6-8), weep over the same city (Luke 19:41), but go further than Nehemiah and not just risk his life but actually give up his life for his people.
- The book of Nehemiah also shows that there’s nothing greater we could devote our lives to than seeing the church of Jesus Christ built up. Yes, it will involve sacrifice and opposition, and there will be many things that could discourage us. But doing so will result in much joy (8:10, 12:43) as we follow in the footsteps of the one who ‘loved the church and gave himself up for her’ (Eph 5:25).
- Nehemiah also repeatedly highlights areas where we’ll be tempted to become like the world around us: Intermarrying with them (10:30; 13:23-29), buying from them on the Sabbath (10:31; 13:15-22), and failing to give to God’s work (10:32-29; 13:10-14). The terrible consequences that a believer marrying an unbeliever will tend to have on any children resulting from the marriage is particularly highlighted (13:24).
- In the characters of Nehemiah and Ezra we also see the state (represented by Nehemiah) working for the good of the church (represented by Ezra). There is no concept that the state should attempt to be neutral when it comes to God’s law.
- In chapter 10 we see a time of Reformation and Revival culminating in the people covenanting themselves to God. In our own day we should expect to see Reformation and Revival leading to a recommitment to the covenant these islands have already made to God (The Solemn League & Covenant of 1643).
- The book ends as it begins by pointing us to Jesus Christ. When Nehemiah returns to Jerusalem, he finds that the people have fallen away from their covenant commitments in his absence. This points us forward to the return of one greater than Nehemiah, and the question: ‘When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?’ (Luke 18:8)
- This disappointing end to the book – even though the people are back in the Promised Land, with the temple and walls rebuilt, worship restored and their enemies subdued – shows us that we need Jesus, not just outward Reformation.