Nehemiah 1:3, "And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire."
In 445 B.C. Nehemiah, the king's cupbearer, received a disturbing report about the city of Jerusalem and explained this to king Artaxerxes. "And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence. Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid, And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire? Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it," (Nehemiah 2:1-5.) Artaxerxes agreed and sent Nehemiah to Jerusalem as governor to oversee the work that needed to be completed.
The rebuilding of the wall and the city took nearly fifty years during which time Nehemiah met with great opposition from the surrounding nations. The opposition became so great that the men worked on the wall with one hand while bearing a sword in other.
Nehemiah began rebuilding the wall in 445 B.C. The rebuilding of the wall and the city was completed in 396 B.C. forty-nine years later. According to the prophesy of Daniel, the wall was completed during troublous times, "The street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times," (Daniel 9:25.)
Nehemiah 12:27, "And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings, and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps."
Through the words of Nehemiah we see an account of a prophetic time in the history of Israel when the dispersed Jews began rebuilding what Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed. It was completed after seventy years of captivity during a time of trouble, fulfilling the prophesies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel.
After the wall was completed, Nehemiah read from the book of Moses and they celebrated the feast of booths, Sukkot. According to the commandment of David the psalmists were set upon the wall to praise the LORD for all that He had done, "for this day is holy unto our LORD: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength," (8:10.)
This book reveals the hope of the Jewish nation and shows the hand of the Lord prospering and strengthening them in all that they set their heart to when they follow His commandments. May God continue to reveal His right arm of strength to the nation of Israel during these troublous times.
