The next portion of Nehemiah’s account, summarizing chapters 3 and 4.
June 16, 2012
As I read through Nehemiah, I can’t help but think back to Ezra. The two books take place in the same period of time and cover two halves of the same story. Ezra comes to Jerusalem to give the people internal structure by re-teaching the Law to them as the Temple is being rebuilt, while Nehemiah helps teach the people to face threats from their Samaritan neighbors as the walls of Jerusalem rise again.
Having announced his intent to repair Jerusalem’s walls, Nehemiah begins with the support of the people; while he no doubt controls or influences the overall design, the actual work is done by the people of the city. Rather than focus on one section at a time, the labor proceeds all at once; each wall section and gate is built by the people living in that area of Jerusalem. The interesting part is that Nehemiah didn’t force anyone into helping him; the Jews recognized their need for physical protection, and “the people had a mind to work.” The labor wasn’t done by just the commoners, either; the priests and nobility pitched in as well, making it a truly united effort.
When the Samaritans hear tell of it, they are less than pleased; a united and defendable Jerusalem means a threat to their domination and intimidation of the Jews. Even in the midst of their foul mood, though, they somehow find humor in the situation, mocking the efforts of the Jews and plotting to ambush them with their army before the walls were even halfway completed. Thanks to some countrymen who live further north, Nehemiah gets wind of the scheme, taking precautions. Thanks to this incident, the Jews become organized not only as a labor force, but as a sort of militia to defend their homeland again.
Earlier this evening, I used this chapter as a sort of devotional for Father’s Day; I commented that fathers should be like Nehemiah in chapter 4 – being ready to encourage and build up within, but also vigilant against threats from without (and sometimes within, like Ezra). I thanked my father for being both for his family and setting the example for his sons.
In the next chapter, we’ll see how Nehemiah deals with internal conflict (economics and community strife), and the oppositional threat taking a more subtle turn. Until then, good night, and happy Father’s Day!