Dear RTB’ers,
Nehemiah, one of Carol’s and my favorite books – that due to a sermon series from our church back in Virginia before we were married. The sermons were delivered by the pastor who married us. Memories…!!
…Hanani, one of my brothers, came with certain men from Judah. And … they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.” (v. 3) Both STS and my Study Bible put Ezra’s and Nehemiah’s travels to Jerusalem from Babylon some sixty and seventy years, respectively, after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC. So Nehemiah’s travel begins after Ezra has been in Jerusalem a decade or more. We saw a few days ago that the temple had been rebuilt and daily offerings were being made. Ezra had been appointed by the Lord to teach the people His ways. So, progress…?? However, the description offered by those who had “escaped” were displeasing and left Nehemiah troubled. His prayer asks only for “success” and “mercy” in the sight of the king (Neh. 1:11). Verse 3 quoted above provides the setting for the rest of the book – the wall and the gates. We’ll see tomorrow how God begins to answer Nehemiah’s prayer.
Blessings.
See also: September 20 (2023) / Nehemiah 1-4.