NEHEMIAH 1-7
This leads us to the section about Nehemiah, who's an Israelite official serving in the Persian government (Nehemiah 1-7). When he hears about the ruined state of Jerusalem's walls, he prays and is given permission from the
Persian king Artaxerxes to go and rebuild the walls. The king even gives him an armed escort and extra resources. After arriving and beginning the building project, he too faces opposition from the people who were already living around Jerusalem. We once again face a tension In the story. The con-temporary prophet Zechariah said that the now Jerusalem of God's Kingdom would be a city without walls, surrounded by God's presence and joined by people from all nations (Zechariah 2:3-11). Nehemiah seems to operate with the opposite vision. He informs the people surrounding Jerusalem that they have "no part" in the city (Nehemiah 2:19-20), which provokes them to hostility. While Nehemiah carries out his vision for the city with integrity and bravely protects the city with armed guards, we are left wondering if this whole conflict could have been handled differently.
NEHEMIAH 8-13
The conclusion to the book comes in two movements, the first positive (Nehemiah 8-12) and the other negative (Nehemiah 13). Ezra and Nehemiah combine forces to bring about spiritual renewal among the people. They gather the former exiles for a great festival where they read and teach the Torah to all the people for seven days. Next. they celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles to remember God's faithfulness from the exodus and wilderness journeys. After this, the people offer a confession of their sins as well as the sins of their ancestors, vowing to renew their covenant with God and to follow all the commands of the Torah. They finish with a great celebration over the finished walls of Jerusalem that echoes the celebration of the temple earlier in the book.
We're thinking that perhaps this will be the turning point in the story but it's not. The book ends with a huge downer (Nehemiah 13). Nehemiah tours around the city and finds that the people have not fulfilled their covenant vows. Zerubbabel's work is undone as the temple is neglected and staffed by unqualified people. Ezra's work, too, is compromised, as Nehemiah discovers that people are violating the Torah and working on the Sabbath. Even his own work on the walls is spoiled. as people are setting up markets by the walls and gates to work on the Sabbath. Nehemiah goes on a rampage, beating people, pulling out their hair, and yelling that they have to obey the commands of the Torah. His last recorded words are a prayer asking that God remembers him with favor, that at least he tried...
This is a strange ending, yet we feel prepared for it. All those anti-climactic disappointing moments have been intentionally woven into the book's design. And this ad raises the question: what does this book contribute to the storyline of the Bible?
The book started out by raising our hopes in the prophetic promises of the Messiah, the temple, and the Kingdom of God, but then none of it happens. Even though Israel is back in their land, their spiritual state seems unchanged from before the exile. While Ezra and Nehemiah try their best. their political and social reforms don't change the core issues in the people's hearts. This is the very same need that Jeremiah and Ezekiel highlighted in their poetry. Israel is in need of a holistic transformation of their hearts if they are ever going to love and obey their God.
While the book ends on a downer, we are forced to keep reading to find out how God is going to fulfill his great covenant promises.
This leads us to the section about Nehemiah, who's an Israelite official serving in the Persian government (Nehemiah 1-7). When he hears about the ruined state of Jerusalem's walls, he prays and is given permission from the
Persian king Artaxerxes to go and rebuild the walls. The king even gives him an armed escort and extra resources. After arriving and beginning the building project, he too faces opposition from the people who were already living around Jerusalem. We once again face a tension In the story. The con-temporary prophet Zechariah said that the now Jerusalem of God's Kingdom would be a city without walls, surrounded by God's presence and joined by people from all nations (Zechariah 2:3-11). Nehemiah seems to operate with the opposite vision. He informs the people surrounding Jerusalem that they have "no part" in the city (Nehemiah 2:19-20), which provokes them to hostility. While Nehemiah carries out his vision for the city with integrity and bravely protects the city with armed guards, we are left wondering if this whole conflict could have been handled differently.
NEHEMIAH 8-13
The conclusion to the book comes in two movements, the first positive (Nehemiah 8-12) and the other negative (Nehemiah 13). Ezra and Nehemiah combine forces to bring about spiritual renewal among the people. They gather the former exiles for a great festival where they read and teach the Torah to all the people for seven days. Next. they celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles to remember God's faithfulness from the exodus and wilderness journeys. After this, the people offer a confession of their sins as well as the sins of their ancestors, vowing to renew their covenant with God and to follow all the commands of the Torah. They finish with a great celebration over the finished walls of Jerusalem that echoes the celebration of the temple earlier in the book.
We're thinking that perhaps this will be the turning point in the story but it's not. The book ends with a huge downer (Nehemiah 13). Nehemiah tours around the city and finds that the people have not fulfilled their covenant vows. Zerubbabel's work is undone as the temple is neglected and staffed by unqualified people. Ezra's work, too, is compromised, as Nehemiah discovers that people are violating the Torah and working on the Sabbath. Even his own work on the walls is spoiled. as people are setting up markets by the walls and gates to work on the Sabbath. Nehemiah goes on a rampage, beating people, pulling out their hair, and yelling that they have to obey the commands of the Torah. His last recorded words are a prayer asking that God remembers him with favor, that at least he tried...
This is a strange ending, yet we feel prepared for it. All those anti-climactic disappointing moments have been intentionally woven into the book's design. And this ad raises the question: what does this book contribute to the storyline of the Bible?
The book started out by raising our hopes in the prophetic promises of the Messiah, the temple, and the Kingdom of God, but then none of it happens. Even though Israel is back in their land, their spiritual state seems unchanged from before the exile. While Ezra and Nehemiah try their best. their political and social reforms don't change the core issues in the people's hearts. This is the very same need that Jeremiah and Ezekiel highlighted in their poetry. Israel is in need of a holistic transformation of their hearts if they are ever going to love and obey their God.
While the book ends on a downer, we are forced to keep reading to find out how God is going to fulfill his great covenant promises.