A man heard the sad news that the city of his ancestors was completely unprotected – its walls were dismantled, and its gates were burned. It did not bother him much: he had a great and comfortable job – he was the king's cupbearer. It was high time for him to ignore the news and return to his luxurious life. However, the situation turned out to be different: the man left the palace and faced incredible challenges on his way back. The name of this man is Nehemiah, and his story is one of the Bible's most outstanding examples of leadership, faith, and perseverance.
A Cupbearer's Broken Heart
Nehemiah was a respected and influential official – the king's cupbearer. It was a prestigious position with a decent salary, and Nehemiah enjoyed his status. One day, the king ordered Nehemiah to prepare for dinner, but the official could not rejoice because terrible news awaited him. In Jerusalem, the city of his ancestors was in chaos – its walls and gates were destroyed. Although the citizens managed to rebuild the temple, their city remained vulnerable and unprotected. It was a shame for every Jew because the enemies had the opportunity to do whatever they wanted to the unprotected Jewish community.
Nehemiah was overwhelmed with grief and sorrow. He told God about the horrors that the Jewish community was experiencing and asked for his help. While in prayer, God gave Nehemiah an idea – he should ask the king for permission to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the city's walls. A few days later, the king noticed the unusual sadness on Nehemiah's face and asked him about it. It was dangerous for Nehemiah to tell the king about the situation in Jerusalem, but he had no choice and asked the king for permission to return to Jerusalem. God granted him this petition, and the king even gave him letters to the governors of Judea and a decree that allowed him to take the wood from the royal forests for the wall-building. Nehemiah always attributed his successes to God's favor. Thus, the cupbearer went to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem with the support of the Persian king and with the support of his faith in God.
Nehemiah had been praying and fasting. When the king noticed his sadness and asked him what was wrong, Nehemiah prayed a silent prayer — and then asked for permission to rebuild the city of his ancestors.
A City Ready to be Built
Nehemiah came to Jerusalem and, without giving the governor and city authorities any information about his plans, secretly studied the destroyed walls and gates. Having completed his survey, Nehemiah called the authorities and community elders and, pointing out the deplorable state of the city walls, told them that it was time to rebuild them. Nehemiah said to the people: "You see that the city is in ruins, and the gates are burned with fire; come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and let us not be ashamed of it anymore." Nehemiah told the people about the support of the Persian king for his idea. Having said this, Nehemiah called the people to action: "Let us start rebuilding, for it's good," and the Jews enthusiastically agreed. Nehemiah was a brilliant community organizer. He divided the community into groups and assigned responsibility for specific sections of the walls to family elders. Under the leadership of Nehemiah, the Jewish community showed an incredibly strong spirit and began to rebuild the city.
Mockery, Threats, and Sabotage
However, the walls of the city, despite the efforts of Nehemiah and the Jews, were visible to the enemies of the city. The local enemies tried to distract the Jews from construction and sabotage construction work. The enemies of Jerusalem were Sanballat, the Horonite, and Geshem the Arab. They used three main tactics to stop the construction of the walls. First, they mocked at Nehemiah and said that building the walls of Jerusalem was a foolish idea and that if foxes got on top of this low and weak wall, they would tear it down. Second, the enemies threatened and conspired to kill Nehemiah. Third, when the walls began to be built and the enemies' plans failed, the enemies began to threaten the Jews with violence and murder in order to stop the construction.
Nehemiah answered these threats by strengthening the security of the city under construction. He organized a militia to guard the Jewish community and Nehemiah's work teams. He took care of the construction workers and soldiers so that they continued to build the walls of Jerusalem, armed and protected. He also took special measures to ensure the safety of the Jews working on the walls – he ordered the trumpeter to sound the alarm so that Nehemiah and the soldiers could quickly respond to the threat and protect the Jews. In difficult moments of danger, the Jews remembered the power and greatness of God, so the enemies of Jerusalem could not destroy the city or intimidate its residents.
Nehemiah organized the workers into builders and guards. Half worked, half watched. Many who built did so with a tool in one hand and a weapon in the other, ready to fight at the sound of the trumpet.
Standing Firm Against Every Trick
Sanballat and his followers were frustrated that their threats of murder and violence were not having the desired effect. Therefore, they decided to use other methods – they planned to lure Nehemiah out of the city to discuss the wall-building project to sabotage its construction. However, Nehemiah quickly realized their machinations and told them that he would not come to negotiations with the enemies of Jerusalem. He expressed his feelings in the following words: "I am doing a great work and cannot come down; why should the work stop while I leave it to come down to you?" Sanballat and his followers made this offer several times, but Nehemiah remained firm. In addition to threats, mockery, and attempts to lure Nehemiah out of the city, the enemies of Jerusalem spread rumors that Nehemiah was planning to declare himself king of Jerusalem and accused him of treason to the Persian king. Sanballat even hired an assassin to kill Nehemiah when he was in the temple. Nehemiah was not intimidated and did not feel that he was in any danger. He knew that everything was happening with the blessing of God.
One of the main problems facing Nehemiah in the implementation of the project was not the external enemies of Jerusalem but the internal ones. The rich Jews began to harass the poor ones, demanding from them interest on loans and even children to work for them. This policy of exploiting the Jews of the city by the wealthy ones was contrary to the interests of the Jewish community. Nehemiah was furious at the behavior of the exploiters and ordered all Jews to return what was taken from poor Jews. Nehemiah was a fair and just leader who drew a line under the policy of exploiting his own people.
Fifty-Two Days
Despite all the obstacles, the construction of the walls of Jerusalem was completed in a relatively short time. The construction took fifty-two days. Given the difficulties of the project, the time seems to be very short, but all the Jews, including the enemies of the city, could realize how mighty and fearless Nehemiah was. When the enemies saw the finished walls of their city, they were overwhelmed with fear and could barely comprehend what had happened. The construction of the walls of Jerusalem, this great and seemingly impossible work, was completed by Jews with the help of God. The enemies of the Jews, who disdained the efforts of the Jews and the strength of Nehemiah, were overwhelmed with awe at the sight of the completed wall and the might of God.
The Law Read to the People
It was time to celebrate the construction of the walls of Jerusalem. Ezra, the scribe, called a meeting of all the Jews and read the Book of the Law to the people. The Jews gathered in Jerusalem to hear the words of God, and the scroll of the Law was opened to them. The people stood in reverence as they listened to the Law of the Lord, which Ezra proclaimed. When the Law was read and the people learned what great sins they committed, the Jews cried. However, the leaders of the Jews urged the people to stop mourning and have a holiday. "Do not mourn or weep," they said to the Jews, "for this day is a holiday before the Lord . . . For the joy of the Lord shall be your strength!"
The Jews remembered the good and powerful God, and, despite the enemies around them, they held a holiday in Jerusalem. By calling the Jews to this holiday, Ezra and Nehemiah showed the people that the Law of the Lord was not only a set of restrictions and punishments but also a source of joy. The people had joy and faith in their strength to overcome all the troubles that they would face in the future.
