Nehemiah: A diary of disaster

 

                Imagine that you were given the task of writing a report for God’s Old Testament people as we have encountered them up to this point.  How would they do?

                What mark would you give them for effort?  Every now and then they have declared their intention to do their best, but those intentions have never lasted that long!  They would get a very low mark for effort.

                What mark would you give them for behaviour?  Here are some words used to describe them—arrogant, stiff-necked, refused to listen, rebellious, disobedient and stubborn (see Nehemiah 9).  Imagine a child you know having all those things on their report!  They would get a very low mark for behaviour.

                What mark would you give them for learning?  They failed to remember, time and time they made the same mistakes, and they do not pay attention (again see Nehemiah 9).  It seems that they have learnt nothing over the long years of their history.  They would get a very low mark for learning.

                What a great disappointment they have been, how they have failed!

                They were repeatedly warned, and eventually they were suspended (sent into exile), but God did not give up on them—in his great mercy he did not put an end to them or abandon them, for the LORD is gracious and merciful (9:31).

Background

                In the last chapter we saw that the people of Judah were sent in to exile in Babylon.  What happened then?

                Well, the exile lasted around fifty years.  Then when Cyrus II conquered the Babylonians he issued edicts saying that the Jewish exiles could return and rebuild their temple.  Not all took advantage of this—although they had been forcefully taken into exile they had been well treated by the Babylonians.

                The first and main group of exiles to return left a year or so after Cyrus’ edict.  They were led by Zerubabbel, grandson of King Jehoiachin (see 2 Kings 24-25).  They set about restoring the temple.

                Seventy-five years later Ezra, a priest and a scribe, who has been described by many scholars as a kind of “secretary of state for Jewish affairs” in Babylon, was sent by the then Persian king ‘to enquire about Judah and Jerusalem with regards to the Law of your God’ (Ezra 7:14).

                Then 13 years later (445 BC) comes Nehemiah.[3] 

 

God the builder (chapters 1-6)

                Presumably Nehemiah had grown up as part of the exile community in Babylon.  When we meet him in chapter 1 he is a high ranking official in the court of the Persian King.  The book that bears his name contains his memoir—it reads like a diary.

                As we read through these chapters we can see that Nehemiah is a man of prayer, he is a great leader, and he certainly has the gift of administration.  He is also a man with a burden.  I mean this in the positive sense—where you may share God’s concern for a particular issue, for example you may have a burden for the youth of your town, for new residents in our land, or for global missions—God has put something of his concern for these things on your heart.

                Nehemiah’s concern was to do with Jerusalem—a city that he may not yet have visited.  Jerusalem was so much a part of God’s Old Testament plans and purposes.  When he heard of the state of that city (1:3) he was distraught.  For some days he mourned, fasted and prayed.

                We can see the content of his prayer in verses 5-11.  Like all Bible prayers it begins by telling God about God, it is only when focus on God is that we see our problems in their correct perspective.  ‘Only when we remind ourselves about him can we pray with due reverence, proper seriousness, correct self-awareness and knowledgeable faith.’[4]

                ‘O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commands’—all through the Old Testament we have seen God’s faithfulness to his promises, but the people haven’t kept their side of the bargain.

                For Nehemiah the walls of Jerusalem (which are central to this book) are a reminder of God’s covenant with Abraham—the promise that the land of Israel and the city of Jerusalem will be the impregnable home of God’s faithful people.[5] 

                Nehemiah reminds God of his instructions given through Moses, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my name’ (1:8-9 see Duet. 30:4-10).  Nehemiah takes God’s word seriously and sets about trying to bring the people back to God.

At the end of chapter 1 we read that Nehemiah is cup bearer to the king, he tasted the kings wine before the king drank it encase it was poisoned.  It is the sort of job that you can’t look depressed on—if you do the king might think that there is something in the drink for him!  However, Nehemiah’s concern for Jerusalem was making him feel sad and it showed.  The king asked, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill?  This can be nothing but sadness of heart.”(2:2)[6]

                ‘I was very much afraid, but said to the king, “May the king live for ever!  Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?’ (2:2-3).

                The king then asked Nehemiah what it was that he wanted.  Nehemiah basically wanted everything that was needed to rebuild the walls.

                Nehemiah then went off to Jerusalem with all of the resources that God had given him through the king.  He is seen to be a great organiser—the unity and effectiveness with which the people work is impressive.  This is truly a group effort—involving rulers and priests, sons and daughters, perfumers and goldsmiths.  God’s people co-operating to fulfil a greater goal—if only this had been the story in the rest of the Old Testament!

                Not that the whole venture was plain sailing.  There was opposition and there were the attacks of their enemies.  Nevertheless the walls were completed in fifty-two days.  This was astounding and people took note: ‘When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realised that this work had been done with the help of our God’ (6:16).  God had done this—God the builder!

All looks well (chapters 7-12)

At the end of chapter 7 the people are secure in the promised land.  God has restored his people.  The question that remains however is ‘will the newly settled people be faithful to God as he has been faithful to them?’

In chapter 8 Ezra the priest reads and explains the Law of Moses to the assembled community.  As the stand and listen they hear of how God made a covenant with them, how he had rescued them from slavery in Egypt, and had given them rules to live by that they might please him and prosper.  They were stunned by what they heard—it seems that many of them had not heard the word of the LORD for a long time, possibly never.  The solemn assembly turned into a demonstration of humility, joy and tears.  They then celebrate the feast of Tabernacles.  In their turning back to God there is a sense of elation as they remember the abundance and goodness that is found in him.  

In chapter 9 the Levites lead the people in an act of public confession.  This chapter reads like an Old Testament overview.  They are told of God being the creator of the heavens and the earth, choosing Abram and promising him descendants and the promised land, giving the Law at Sinai, and proving for them (Genesis and Exodus in nine verses!!).

How had their forefathers responded to God’s actions?  They became arrogant and stiff-necked, and did not obey your commands.  They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you preformed among them.  They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery (16-17).  Remember the low marks we gave them for behaviour and learning at the start of the chapter.  In the face of their unfaithfulness God remained faithful: But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love.  Therefore you did not desert them . . . (17).

The Levites continued.  God had led them and fed them in the wilderness and given them the promised land.  How had they responded?  They . . . were disobedient and rebellious . . . (26).

Then we read of the cycle that was so evident in the book of Judges:  God hands them over to their enemies who oppress them, they cry out, in his compassion God sends them a deliverer, however as soon as they are at rest they again do what was evil in God’s sight (27-28). 

Despite many warnings they continued in their ways and so they were sent into exile (29-30).  However, because of his great mercy God had not put an end to them or abandoned them, for you are a gracious and merciful God (30).

The people were cut to the heart when they heard of the sins of their forefathers.  They call out to God to save them once more (remember they are still under foreign control) and they make a binging contract promising to keep the Law of Moses.  In chapter 11 Jerusalem is resettled.  In chapter 12 the walls are dedicated amid much rejoicing, the ‘sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away’ (43).

All looks well!  If the book of Nehemiah were to end at this point we might call it ‘the diary of delight’.  And if we were to write another report for them we could say ‘their behaviour and effort is greatly improved.’

Diary of Disaster (chapter 13)

                By the beginning of chapter 13 things may look well, but in this, the last chapter things turn horribly wrong.  It is now twelve years that Nehemiah has been in Jerusalem.  True to his word he goes back to King Artaxerxes who had given him leave in the first place. 

What happens when Nehemiah is away?  The people systematically go back on each of the promises that they had signed as a binding agreement.  Nehemiah records their sins with distressing detail.  You can almost hear the frustration and disappointment.  The diary of delight has turned into a diary of disaster!

                Israel’s history ends on a dismal note!  Go back to our report and we see that they still get low marks for effort, behaviour, and learning.  Indeed they have failed terribly.  The walls may have been rebuilt, but the people haven’t.

Conclusion

                We’ve reached the end of our Old Testament overview.  It ends in tragedy.  We have seen again and again how God has been faithful—he has added promise upon promise, he has persisted with his people, he has shown himself to be full of grace and compassion.  But his people have repeatedly rebelled against him.

                 The Bible would have the feel of an unfinished work if it ended here.  We still have not found the one who will crush the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15), the king from the tribe of Judah who will have the obedience of the nations (Genesis 49:10),[7] the Son of David whose throne will be established forever (2 Samuel 7:13).[8]  We still are left waiting for the new covenant that will change the hearts of God’s people and the new nation that will be a blessing to all peoples.

                As for those promises to Abraham!  If God is going to reverse the effects of the Fall and keep his promises he is going to have to deal with the problem of sin once and for all.  And so the scene is set for Jesus to step into history.  The story will continue . . .!!! 

---

[1] Title taken from Full of Promise.

[2] The Samaritans on being refused the opportunity to collaborate, began to oppose the reconstruction.  As a result the work ceased for about fifteen years.  That it restarted again was largely due to the ministry of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah (see Haggai 2:3-4 and Zechariah 4:9). 

[3] There is some debate concerning the dating of Ezra and Nehemiah—which came first.  I have given the traditional view.  For a justification of the traditional view see Motyer, Understanding the Old Testament, p.178.

[4] Motyer, The story of the Old Testament, p.175.

[5] Full of Promise, p. 69.

[6] David Jackman points out that the kings logic goes like this: ‘You are my cup-bearer, you are privileged, for I am the greatest king ever—so why are you not full of joy?’

[7] This prophesy was in part fulfilled by King David, but pointed beyond him to Jesus, who fulfils it fully.

[8] This prophesy was in part fulfilled by Solomon, but points beyond him to Jesus, who fulfils it fully.