Nehemiah and The Rebuilding

The once beautiful temple of King Solomon was destroyed and the city of Jerusalem was taken captive by the Babylonians for a number of years. The people of Jerusalem had allowed the adversary to enter as a result of the works of their own flesh. After their release, there was a rebuilding that needed to take place. But what would be required of those who would do the rebuilding? 

Nehemiah was one who was grieved by the wall of Jerusalem having been burned down and broken. He recognized what was lost, the impact of it, and what was still at stake. The Lord placed it in his heart to rebuild. In his sorrow, he prayed and fasted constantly before the Lord, reminding the Lord of His word. This was not because the Lord had forgotten but because the Lord’s word does not return to Him void (Isaiah 55:11).

Nehemiah 1:8-10 NKJV

“Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations; 9 but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.’ 10 Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand. 11 O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.

For I was the king’s cupbearer.”

As he states in verse 11, Nehemiah was a cupbearer. A cupbearer was a respected official in charge of serving the king. It was the primary responsibility of the cupbearer to serve wine at the royal table. Cupbearers had to guard the cup and would taste the drink before serving it to ensure that it was safe. A cupbearer had to be trustworthy; a person of good character. He had the king’s confidence and had the ability to exert influence in the royal court. Nehemiah’s prayer was an indication of what was in his heart. He did not ask the Lord to send someone else to do the work and make the problem better. Instead, he asks the Lord to use his position. He had the willingness to be used and fulfill the need. Nehemiah’s ways were pleasing to the Lord so He granted him favor with the king (Proverbs 16:7).

Nehemiah 2:4-6

4 Then the king said to me, “What do you request?”

So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5 And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.”

6 Then the king said to me (the queen also sitting beside him), “How long will your journey be? And when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.

Rebuilding by no means came easy, trouble was thrown their way up until the wall was finished. The adversary wanted to inhibit the rebuilding– the adversary seeks to destroy anything that the Lord is truly in. For this reason they could not be passive in this work but had to be armed while rebuilding. With one hand they held their weapons and with the other, they continued their work. It was essential to be led by the Lord in this process. When you earnestly do the Lord’s work being led by Him and being armed with the Word of God, you will prevail against the odds before you (Isaiah 45:2, Joshua 1:7-9). 

Nehemiah 4:15-18 NKJV

 15 And it happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had brought their plot to nothing, that all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work. 16 So it was, from that time on, that half of my servants worked at construction, while the other half held the spears, the shields, the bows, and wore armor; and the leaders [b]were behind all the house of Judah. 17 Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon. 18 Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built. And the one who sounded the trumpet was beside me.

They also had to be vigilant to not allow the adversary to cause strife from within. The adversary did not succeed in stopping the work of God by way of attack from outsiders. However, the work dwindled when the people were divided and not working together. Instead of placing their faith in the Lord for provision, they took matters into their hands (Matthew 6:33). There were those who wanted to profit from the struggle of others which was against the law of Moses (Exodus 22:25). This allowed the enemy to get in and cause a distraction. The Lord’s work cannot be complete if our focus is placed elsewhere.

Nehemiah 5:9-12 NKJV

9 Then I said, “What you are doing is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies? 10 I also, with my brethren and my servants, am lending them money and grain. Please, let us stop this usury! 11 Restore now to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, also a hundredth of the money and the grain, the new wine and the oil, that you have charged them.”

12 So they said, “We will restore it, and will require nothing from them; we will do as you say.”

Nehemiah also served as a great example of selflessness, putting the work of the Lord and the needs of others before his own personal interests. Nehemiah did what was righteous because he lived by a different standard (Phillipians 2:3), truly fearing the Lord. 

Nehemiah 5:15 NKJV

15 But the former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people, and took from them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver. Yes, even their servants bore rule over the people, but I did not do so, because of the fear of God.

Finally, after much hard work, the wall is finished (though additional work would follow). Nehemiah and the laborers faced warfare, conflict from within, and were challenged in various ways. However, none of their labor was in vain. The Lord used them to build something that was greater than themselves. It only required being willing, being armed, and remaining focused.