Why was Nehemiah sad in the king’s presence? What did the king give him permission to do?

He was told by some of his people who returned from the Land of Israel about the state of the city of Jerusalem. the Temple was rebuilt but the city was burned with fire, its walls were in ruins, and nothing was able to protect it from harm. The king gave Nehemiah permission to go back and rebuild the walls of the city and to get resources from other provinces and rulers that were under Persian control.

When Nehemiah got back to Jerusalem, what did he find? How long did it take to rebuild the city walls?

He found the city in the way his people had described. He went on a secret mission during the cover of darkness to see all of it. When he talked with the people there, they helped and began to rebuild the gates and walls. It took them only 52 days to finish it. That’s it. 52 DAYS!

What obstacles did Nehemiah and the Jews face in building the walls?

There were some rulers within the province, hornites, ashdodites, ammonites, arabs, all enemies of the Jewish people and resisters to God’s plan. They tried to threaten Nehemiah and the Jews, jeering at them, plotting to bring an army and defeat them. There was an assassination attempt on the life of Nehemiah and there were threats within the people of Israel with the poor being oppressed.

When the walls were finished, how did the people celebrate? Should this have given them hope?

After the walls were finished, the people got together and had Ezra preach and remind them of the Law. They celebrated with the Feast of Booths that was meant to remind them of God’s faithfulness to keep them in the exile of the desert and bring them into the promised land. The people made confession of all their sins and made an effort to turn and repent from them. There was a renewed covenant that the people made an oath to keep the Law, and the Priests, Levites, the leaders and all the people dedicated the wall of Jerusalem to God. This would have been a very hopeful moment. Deuteronomy 30 was all coming true it seemed.

In what ways were the people still disobeying, even after all of God’s goodness to them?

Nehemiah takes a tour (if you will) of the city in chapter 13 and he finds the people committing the very same sins, breaking the covenant, and disobeying the law that sent them into exile to begin with. There were people breaking the Sabbath, there were Priests and Levites disobeying and neglecting their responsibilities in the temple, and there were men of Israel that kept going after idolatry by marrying more foreign women. All the things that Ezra and Nehemiah worked so hard to fix were unraveling.

What does the book of Nehemiah teach us about God and Christ?

It teaches us that God’s good hand was on Nehemiah and God was faithful to restore his people back in the land with a rebuilt city and rebuilt walls. It points us to God’s providence, that he is working for his people’s salvation through his people’s efforts and sometimes despite them. God is full of covenant faithfulness and steadfast love and will bring about salvation for his people. Though it did not happen in the life of Nehemiah, God would give his people a new heart to love him and keep his commandments, all because of the person and work of Jesus. Praise God for Christ! He has obeyed where we have not.