SEVERAL, years after Ezra the priest had gone up from Babylon to Jerusalem, and had set in order the service of God in relation to the temple, and in other ways pressed the authority of Scripture, another remarkable man was raised up to care for Jerusalem and His people. It was Nehemiah. He was the king’s cup-bearer in the palace of Shushan. His heart was much set on the welfare of God’s people, which is always a mark of a soul being under divine energy. Seeing some of his brethren, he inquired concerning the Jews and Jerusalem. He is told they are in great affliction and reproach, that the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and the gates burned with fire. This intelligence deeply affected this man of God. He wept, mourned, fasted, and prayed. He pleads with God for His redeemed people, and counts upon the God of heaven to prosper him, and to give him mercy in the sight of the king (chap. 2). Though his mind was specially set upon repairing the wall, yet the Spirit of Christ was remarkably manifest in his judging, feeling, and acting, in reference to the people, according to God. In their affliction he was really afflicted.
God answers prayer. He finds favor in the sight of the king. A time of absence is granted, and he goes to Jerusalem, though, however, under the guardianship and help of the Gentile king (chapters 2:1-9). Arriving at Jerusalem, after viewing the real state of things, he communicated to the rulers his desire to build the wall of the city, and their ready response is,” “Let us rise up and build.” No sooner is this known than adversaries arise. Sanballat and Tobiah are first grieved that a man is come to seek the welfare of the children of Israel, and then despised them and laughed them to scorn. No doubt the desire of Nehemiah that the people should be established in separation and security from the heathen greatly incensed these enemies of the Lord. It always does. (Chap. 2:10-19.) The next chapter shows them all busily building the wall. One thing is to be observed about it. It is this. In an evil time, because of previous departure and ruin, there must always be weakness, and more or less of irregularity, too. In a primary and normal state, everything is orderly and complete in arrangement; but when a few only are struggling for the rights of God and the authority of Scripture, there will not only be adversaries, but the great question being one of love and care for the things of God, there must necessarily be a lack of due order. Accordingly, we see here the high priest and priests, the rulers of the people, and even their daughters, engaged in building this wall. Those who were, however, known as “nobles,” sad to say, put not their necks to the work of the Lord. (chapters 3:1, 5, 12.)
Adversaries again sought to hinder them. They were wroth, and manifested great indignation when they heard of the building of the wall, mocked the Jews, and said, What do these feeble Jews? &c. But Nehemiah and his brethren made God their refuge, as faith always does. So they built the wall, for the people had a mind to work. (chapters 4:1-6.)
The adversaries again tried to stop these faithful servants of God. Having despised, they now seek to fight. Still, the people of God made Him their refuge, and set a watch against these men day and night, and built the wall with one hand, while holding a weapon of defense in the other. At this time they find a serious occasion for self-judgment, for how could they expect to prosper in God’s service and overcome their enemies, if they themselves were acting contrary to God’s mind? There was a charge of brother opposing brother. This was very serious. It was solemnly judged, and restoration was made by the erring brothers. It was well settled, and that too in the presence of all the congregation, and so unanimously, that “all the people said Amen, and praised the Lord.” From that time, Nehemiah was appointed governor in the land of Judah.
But this is not all. The adversaries now try another plan. Having openly sought to withstand them and failed, they now seek to overcome Nehemiah by deception. Nehemiah, however, goes forward, and patiently and perseveringly resists every inducement to leave the work of the Lord; so that their adversaries were much cast down, for they perceived that this work was wrought of God. Some, however, as is usually the case, seemed carried away. (chapters 6:1-18.)
The wall being built, the doors set up, and the porters, singers, and Levites being appointed, and good order established, Nehemiah gathered together the nobles, rulers, and people, that they might be reckoned by genealogy. (chapters 7:1-5.) Some among the priests, because they could not find their genealogy, were put from the priesthood as polluted, and not allowed to eat of the most holy things. (chapters 7:64, 65.) The census of the congregation was then taken, also the number of the servants, singing men and women, horses, camels, treasures of gold and silver, and priests’ garments.
In the next chapter we see them “gathered together as one man,” and they sent for Ezra to teach them the Scriptures. They own the authority of the word. Some wept when they heard it, but they were told to hold their peace; for the day is holy, to “eat the fat and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared; neither be ye sorry, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Having discovered in the book of the law that God had instituted a feast of tabernacles, they kept it, according to the manner, with very great gladness; for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun had not the children of Israel done so. (chapters 8)
We next see the children of Israel assembled with fasting, and sackcloth and earth upon them, and they separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers. One-fourth part of the day they read the book of the law of the Lord their God, and another fourth part of the day they confessed, and worshipped the Lord their God. Their confession and prayer, as recorded in the ninth chapter, is most touching, and they entered into a covenant and signed it, and entered into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s law which was given by Moses. Alas! how little did they know themselves! They solemnly took a place of thorough separation from the Gentile, stood firmly for maintaining the sanctity of the Sabbath, and many other ordinances, pledging themselves also not to forsake the house of their God. (Chap. 10.) How little they knew their own weakness!
There is something very humiliating in a time of such revival and blessing, to find the power of the Gentile king shewing itself in reference to their arrangements. (chapters 11:23, 24.) It must have made the faithful feel that they were not only a remnant, but reaping the bitter fruits of previous sins; just as it is with the faithful now. But the wall was dedicated. The Levites, priests, singers, and princes of Judah assembled together, and offered great sacrifices and rejoiced; for “God had made them rejoice with great joy.” (chapters 12:27-43).
Still they read the book of the law; but, sad to say, that while Nehemiah was absent from Jerusalem, Eliashib the priest, who was allied to Tobiah, one of the great enemies of the work, acted very unfaithfully—he prepared a great chamber for Tobiah in the court of the house of God. This was terrible. But when Nehemiah returned and heard of it, he contended with the rulers, cast all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber, cleansed the chambers, and used them again for the offerings for the Levites. He also appointed men that were counted faithful over the treasuries. He firmly, too, withstood the inroads made on the observance of the Sabbath day, and dealt very decidedly with those who intermarried with the heathen. Another terrible failure at last came out. We have seen how the priest acted towards wicked Tobiah; now, sad to say, it came out that the son of the high priest married the daughter of the other great adversary to the work, Sanballat. Lord, what is man! No sooner is there reviving and pouring out of blessing from the Lord, than ways indicative of terrible declension show themselves. Nehemiah, however, was faithful to God. Speaking of this son of the high priest, he says, “Therefore I chased him sore.” “Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites.” (chapters 13:28, 29.)