The Walls Rebuilt & the People Revived

Ezra, a priest, and Nehemiah, the king of Persia's cupbearer, returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the broken and burned city walls and to lead a spiritual revival among the people.

Nehemiah, an important Jewish official in the Persian government almost a century after nearly 50,000 Jews had returned to Jerusalem, had a visit from his brother, Hanani. Nehemiah asked his brother about the situation in Jerusalem and learned that the exile returnees in Judah were distressed, suffering appalling conditions. The walls of Jerusalem were still in ruins, and the gates were ashes.

The news grieved Nehemiah greatly, so he prayed that God would give him success with a request for the king. The king asked, “Why the long face, Nehemiah?” Nehemiah told the king about the disgraceful conditions of Jerusalem. “What do you want?” the king asked. Seeing the opportunity, Nehemiah prayed a quick prayer and then asked to be sent to rebuild the city. The king not only sent him but gave letters of safe passage and orders for expensive materials!

When Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem, the first thing he did was to investigate the situation. Then, he called the people together and challenged them to the task. As one man, the people replied, “We’re with you. Let’s start rebuilding now!”

Just as with the rebuilding of the temple, they had opposition right from the start. When the neighboring people saw the repairs going well and gaps being closed, they were angry and stirred up all the more trouble. But Nehemiah and his team prayed to the LORD, posted guards, and kept on working. They finished the wall in only 52 days! Realizing that God made it happen, the surrounding enemies cowered in fear and felt impotent before this people whose God was at work for them.

The walls were finished just before the seventh month in which God’s people were to celebrate three holy days to the LORD: Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles. On the first day of the month (the Feast of Trumpets), Ezra and 13 others ascended a wooden stage that had been built by the Water Gate, just south of the temple. From there, they read the Law to the people who stood and listened attentively for hours. The people responded with, “Amen! Amen!” and then bowed low to the ground and worshiped the LORD, weeping. Nehemiah, the governor, got up and told them, “Don’t cry. Today is a sacred day of rejoicing!”

Three weeks later, after all the feasts, the people assembled again, this time fasting and dressed in burlap with dust on their heads as signs of repentance. They confessed their sins and the wrongdoings of their forefathers. They listened to the Word of God and then spent time in confession and worship. They had come to realize who the LORD God really is—great, mighty, awesome, holy, loving, yet a just judge, the giver of life, covenant maker and keeper, and so much more! They realized they had been wrong and had suffered for it, but now God had brought them back to the land. How wonderful!

It’s true they were a small nation and still under the rule of another. But they were in the land, worshiping the God who placed them there according to His promises. In His city and with the temple ready, they were anticipating the coming of Messiah, the Son of David, who would deliver them once and for all.