Nehemiah
Nehemiah, a servant of the king, learned of the Jews' affliction and the broken wall of Jerusalem, prompting him to pray and seek God's mercy. He was granted permission by King Artaxerxes to travel to Judea and rebuild the city, and upon arriving, he secretly inspected the walls and rallied the Jews to join him in the rebuilding effort. Despite ridicule and opposition from Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem, the Jews worked diligently to rebuild the gates and walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah also addressed the suffering of the people due to famine and poverty, and he rebuked the nobles for exacting usury and selling the people into slavery. The wall was completed in 52 days, and the surrounding nations were afraid when they heard of its completion. Nehemiah then gathered the people to enroll them and found a book of the census, and the people celebrated the holy day of the Lord by reading the law and making tabernacles. The Israelites made a covenant to follow God's laws and regulations, and they contributed financially to the upkeep of the temple. The book concludes with Nehemiah addressing issues of purity and obedience, including the separation of foreigners, the restoration of the house of God, and the observance of the Sabbath.
Chapter 1
Nehemiah, a servant of the king, learns from his brother Hanani that the Jews who remained in Jerusalem after the captivity are in great affliction and the city's wall has been broken apart. Upon hearing this, Nehemiah weeps, fasts, and prays to God, confessing the sins of the Israelites, including his own, and asking for mercy and forgiveness. He reminds God of the promise made to Moses that if the Israelites return to God and keep His precepts, He will gather them from wherever they have been dispersed. Nehemiah asks God to hear his prayer and grant him mercy before the king, as he is the king's cupbearer.
Chapter 2
Nehemiah, a cupbearer to King Artaxerxes, was visibly sad in the king's presence, prompting the king to ask the reason for his sorrow. Nehemiah explained that he was mourning the desolate state of Jerusalem, and the king granted him permission to travel to Judea to rebuild the city. The king also provided Nehemiah with letters to the governors of the region and to the keeper of the king's forest, allowing him to gather materials for the rebuilding project. Upon arriving in Jerusalem, Nehemiah secretly inspected the city's walls and gates at night, then rallied the Jews to join him in rebuilding the walls, but their efforts were met with ridicule and opposition from Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem.
Chapter 3
The priests, led by Eliashib, and various other groups of people, including the men of Jericho, the sons of Hassenaah, and the Tekoites, worked together to rebuild the gates and walls of Jerusalem. Each group was responsible for a specific section of the wall, and they worked diligently to complete their assigned tasks. The nobles of Tekoa, however, refused to participate in the work. The chapter lists the names of the individuals and groups who contributed to the rebuilding effort, along with the specific sections of the wall they worked on.
Chapter 4
Sanballat and Tobiah ridiculed the Jews for rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem, questioning their ability to complete the task and suggesting that even a fox could easily breach it. The Jews prayed for God's protection and continued building, stationing guards on the wall day and night. When their enemies gathered to attack, the Jews prepared for battle, with some working on the wall while others stood guard, and God ultimately defeated their enemies' plans.
Chapter 5
The people of Judah were suffering greatly due to famine and poverty, and some were forced to sell their children into slavery or mortgage their lands to pay taxes. Nehemiah, upon hearing their outcry, rebuked the nobles and magistrates for exacting usury from their brothers and selling them into slavery. He called for the nobles to restore the people's lands and forgive their debts, and they agreed to do so. Nehemiah also chose not to take his yearly allowance as governor, instead using his resources to support the people and the work on the wall.
Chapter 6
Sanballat and Geshem invited Nehemiah to meet with them, but Nehemiah declined, recognizing their intentions to harm him. Sanballat then sent a letter accusing Nehemiah of planning to rebel against the king and become a king himself, but Nehemiah denied these claims. A prophet named Shemaiah, who was secretly working for Tobiah and Sanballat, also tried to deceive Nehemiah, but Nehemiah saw through the plot. Despite these attempts to intimidate him, Nehemiah completed the wall in 52 days, and the surrounding nations were afraid when they heard of its completion.
Chapter 7
Nehemiah instructed the gatekeepers to close the gates of Jerusalem until the sun was hot and stationed guards from the inhabitants of the city. The city was large but had few people and many unbuilt houses. Nehemiah gathered the nobles, magistrates, and common people to enroll them and found a book of the census of those who first returned from captivity. The census listed the number of men from various families and tribes, including priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singing men, and temple servants. The total number of people was 42,360, aside from their servants, and they had horses, mules, camels, and donkeys. The leaders of the families and the people gave to the treasury of the work, donating gold, silver, and priestly garments.
Chapter 8
The people of Israel gathered in the street before the water gate, and Ezra the priest brought the book of the law of Moses to read to them. Ezra read the law openly from morning until midday, and the people listened attentively, standing up when the book was opened. The Levites helped the people understand the law, and when they realized their sins, they wept, but Nehemiah and Ezra told them to rejoice and celebrate the holy day of the Lord. The people then made tabernacles and lived in them for seven days, as instructed in the law, and there was great rejoicing.
Chapter 9
The Israelites gathered to fast and confess their sins, and the Levites led them in a prayer of praise and thanksgiving to God. They acknowledged God's creation of the world, His covenant with Abraham, and His deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt. They also confessed their ancestors' disobedience and God's subsequent punishment, but also His mercy and forgiveness. The Israelites then acknowledged their own disobedience and the consequences they faced, including being ruled by foreign kings, and they vowed to form a new covenant with God, signing it with their leaders, Levites, and priests.
Chapter 10
The Israelites, led by Nehemiah, made a covenant to follow God's laws and regulations, including not intermarrying with non-Jews, keeping the Sabbath, and releasing debts every seven years. They also agreed to contribute financially to the upkeep of the temple, including providing for the priests and Levites, and to bring offerings of first-fruits and tithes. The people, including the priests, Levites, and other leaders, pledged to uphold these commitments and to support the temple and its ministers.
Chapter 11
The leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem, while the rest of the people cast lots to choose who would live in Jerusalem and who would live in other cities. The people who volunteered to live in Jerusalem were blessed, and the leaders of the province, including those from Judah, Benjamin, the priests, Levites, and temple servants, are listed. The chapter also lists the inhabitants of Jerusalem, including the sons of Judah and Benjamin, the priests, Levites, and temple servants, and their numbers. Additionally, the chapter mentions the inhabitants of other cities in Judah and Benjamin, including the Levites who were apportioned to live among them.
Chapter 12
The priests and Levites who returned with Zerubbabel and Jeshua are listed, along with their descendants and the leaders of the families. The Levites were responsible for the hymns and were led by Jeshua, Binnui, and Kadmiel. The priests and Levites were cleansed and the people, gates, and wall were purified for the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem. Two great choirs were appointed to give praise, one led by Ezra and the other by Nehemiah, and they marched around the wall, singing and playing instruments. The people rejoiced and made great sacrifices, and the leaders were enrolled to oversee the storehouses and bring in offerings for the priests and Levites.
Chapter 13
The people of Israel read from the book of Moses and discovered that the Ammonites and Moabites were not allowed to enter the church of God. As a result, they separated every foreigner from Israel. Nehemiah later discovered that Eliashib, the priest, had made a large storeroom for Tobiah in the house of God, which he considered evil. Nehemiah cast out Tobiah's vessels and restored the house of God to its former state. He also ensured that the Levites received their portions and that the people of Judah brought their tithes to the storehouses. Nehemiah then addressed the issue of people working on the Sabbath, including merchants and those who sold fish, and he put the nobles of Judah under oath to keep the Sabbath holy. Additionally, Nehemiah dealt with the issue of Jews marrying foreign women, including the son of Joiada, the high priest, and he cleansed the priesthood and Levites from all foreigners.
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