Chapter Twenty-one

The week of June 10


Rebuilding the Walls

For 93 years following the initial return to Judah, the exiles continued to return. They usually followed a particular person who had orders from the king to refurbish an area, like the temple or the broken-down walls. Two of these leaders are documented in books of the Old Testament.

PP 291-4  With Artaxerxes as King of Persia a noted teacher of the Law, Ezra received permission to take an entourage to Judah. Artaxerxes had favor on him and granted him ability to bring people who would be profitable to him as well as silver and gold from the royal treasury to rebuild the temple artifacts. So Ezra departed. Why do pagan kings continue to bless God’s people to leave for home?

Ezra completed the temple but found culture intruding into the resident people as they were marrying pagan spouses and worshipped their gods. Ezra's demonstrative, repentant prayer led the people of Israel to repent. When family life becomes compromised, the people leave God.

Pp 294-5  Thirteen years later Nehemiah, the king's cupbearer was in Susa (where Esther had been). While the temple was replenished, the wall surrounding the city was broken down, leaving Jerusalem's inhabitants vulnerable to marauding bands. Nehemiah wept, mourned, fasted, and prayed. He pled with God, confessed his sins, and asked for success in approaching the king. Nehemiah, like Ezra, received permission and a blessing with finances and authority to complete the travel and project.

Pp 295-9  After arriving in Jerusalem, Nehemiah surveyed the perimeter of the city and then challenged the Jewish leaders to take responsibility to rebuild the wall. Rivaling authorities Sanballet and Tobiah were threatened by this Jewish initiative and set out to undermine it. In response Nehemiah prayed and set a guard.

Nehemiah encouraged the people and divided the work with proximity to where people lived. They built in rotating shifts, each with a weapon at their side, ready to respond at the sound of the trumpet. Amidst the threats, smear campaign and hard work, the wall was completed in 52 days, a stupendous feat. God did his part in protecting and the people did their part of persevering in hard work. Why does it take both of these parts to make things happen?

Pp 299-301 As the giant gates were hung, the people gathered to celebrate and hear the reading of the Law from Ezra. The people were touched by the reading of the forgotten Law and began weeping. Nehemiah encouraged them to rejoice because of the position God had for them. Mourning was turned into rejoicing. Now the people were truly home, with their temple and the safety of the rebuilt walls.

Pp 301-4  Malachi was called by God to be the last prophet of that era. He challenged those living in Jerusalem to live holy, pure lives; by being faithful and not divorcing their wives. Don't rob God of tithes and offerings. A person will come in the spirit of Elijah to bring holiness to the people. But it would be four silent centuries before this happened.

How are the physical rebuilding of the Temple and walls a symbolic parallel to the spiritual removal of rubble and rebuilding of our lives in Christ. What needs to be removed and renewed in your own life?