Nehemiah Arrives in Jerusalem with Authority to. Rebuild the Walls of the City. Nehemiah 2:1-20

Transcription

1 1 Commentary by Ron Thomas Questions by John C. Sewell Nehemiah Arrives in Jerusalem with Authority to Rebuild the Walls of the City Nehemiah 2:1-20

2 2 Text: Nehemiah 2:1-20, Nehemiah Arrives in Jerusalem with Authority to Rebuild the Walls of the City 1. 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. 2. 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, 3. 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 father s sepulchers, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire? 4. Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5. 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 sepulchers, that I may build it. 6. And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time. 7. Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah; 8. And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.

3 Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them the king s letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me. 10. When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel. 11. So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days. 12. And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon. 13. And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire. 14. Then I went on to the gate of the fountain, and to the king s pool: but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass. 15. Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and entered by the gate of the valley, and so returned. 16. And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work. 17. Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach. 17. Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king s words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work. 19. But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?

4 Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem. Introduction: I. Nehemiah s concern for his homeland and the people in his homeland brought a facial countenance upon him that would not go unnoticed by the king. II. This chapter (chapter 2) concerns Nehemiah in the presence of the king. Commentary: Nehemiah 2:1-8, 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 father s sepulchers, 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 sepulchers, that I may build it. And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time. Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah; And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king s forest, that he may give me timber to make

5 5 beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me. I. Nehemiah before the King. A. Nehemiah, the cupbearer. Nehemiah 2:1, 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. 1. Nehemiah must have had some form of occupation when he did not serve the king on particular days. 2. A Persian king had numerous cupbearers, each of whom probably discharged the office in his turn (Barnes, E- Sword). 3. Thus, when he was told of the circumstances of the people in the homeland (Nehemiah 1:1-3, The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace, That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. 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.) he was doing something, though we do not know what it was. 4. Four months later, he goes before the king as the cupbearer that day.

6 6 a. A question that arises regarding this is: If the cupbearer was a trusted confidant, why the infrequency of visits. b. Uncertain, but perhaps, the trust associated with the position brought about additional work in which the king would associate with his subject. c. Another possibility might be that on this particular occasion, when Nehemiah knew he was going to make his request, his countenance changed. d. However, on previous occasions in which he was before the king, he made no request of the king. e. Thus, no heavy heart if you will. 5. King Artaxerxes. Thought to be Artaxerxes Longimanus, who reigned from about B.C. B. Nehemiah s request. Nehemiah 2:2-8, 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 father s sepulchers, 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 sepulchers, that I may build it. And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey

7 7 be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time. Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah; And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me. 1. His sad countenance before the king. a. In Ezra 4:17, the king put a stop to the rebuilding that was going on at that time. (Ezra 4:17, They sent the king an answer unto Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their companions that dwell in Samaria, and unto the rest beyond the river, Peace, and at such a time.) b. This is estimated to have been in 458 B.C. Now, about 13 years later, Nehemiah stands before the king with a look of depression. c. When the king inquires of Nehemiah, Nehemiah s fear had foundation. d. Regardless of one s personal problems, the king s servants were expected to keep their feelings hidden and to display a cheerful countenance before him (Yamauchi, p. 684). 2. The king invites him to make a request.

8 Nehemiah asks for permission to go to Judah with the king s authority. a. He wanted to rebuild the city and the walls. b. Nehemiah stood before both the king and queen. 1) Some translations will give some sense of a woman from the king s harem, possibly the king s favorite. 2) Some suggestions as to the identify of the queen range from Esther, Damaspia, Atossa, to simply one unknown. c. The king asked for the duration of the trip. 1) Nehemiah gave him a time frame. 2) Nehemiah appears to have stayed at Jerusalem twelve years from his first arrival (Nehemiah 5:14, cb); but he can scarcely have mentioned so long a term to the king. Probably his leave of absence was prolonged from time to time (Barnes, E-Sword). d. He asked for letters sanctioning the trip with the king s authority (giving him some protection) and a request for building materials. Nehemiah 2:9-16, Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them the king s letters. Now the king had sent captains of

9 9 the army and horsemen with me. When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel. So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days. And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon. And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire. Then I went on to the gate of the fountain, and to the king s pool: but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass. Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and entered by the gate of the valley, and so returned. And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work. II. Nehemiah Travels to Jerusalem. A. Opposition. Nehemiah 2:9-10, Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them the king s letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me. When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel. 1. As verse 10 illustrates the reason he needed the king s authority was that Nehemiah s (entourage) had to be escorted and brought safely to its destination, Jerusalem. 2. Sanballat (the chief political opponent of Nehemiah) and Tobiah (related to Jewish ideology by marriage and one who was in continual opposition to Nehemiah as well) stood

10 10 opposed to Nehemiah and, presumably, those who worked and lived in the area before Nehemiah arrived. 3. The reason Sanballat and Tobiah were very much disturbed was not basically religious but political. The authority of the Samaritan governor in particular was threatened by Nehemiah s arrival (Yamauchi, p. 688). B. Arrival in Jerusalem. Nehemiah 2:11-16, So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days. And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon. And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire. Then I went on to the gate of the fountain, and to the king s pool: but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass. Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and entered by the gate of the valley, and so returned. And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work. 1. Nehemiah was there for three days. The three-day respite was customary. 2. Nehemiah was probably quite aware of Sanballat s intentions and those of the loyalists in the city. Thus, quiet movement to stir up as little dust as possible would seem quite reasonable. 3. His intentions were probably clear to only a few who had come along with him (though this is uncertain); it appears that not even Ezra knew of his intention.

11 Nehemiah surveys the condition of the wall and, no doubt, views the condition of Jerusalem as well. a. According to Yamauchi, Jerusalem was attacked from the north (when attacks came) and probably little survived there that could be restored, whereas, on the southern end (where Nehemiah was making his identifying remarks), much could be restored. 5. Archaeologist Kathryn Kenyon regarding excavation of Jerusalem s wall ( ) made the following remark: The tumble of stones uncovered by our Trench 1 is a vivid sample of the ruinous state of the eastern side of Jerusalem that balked Nehemiah s donkey. The event shows that the sight of this cascade of stones persuaded Nehemiah that he could not attempt to restore the quarter of Jerusalem on the eastern slope of the eastern ridge, or the wall that enclosed it (Yamauchi, p. 690). Nehemiah 2:17-20, Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king s words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work. But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king? Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem. III. Nehemiah makes his plan known to the officials of Jerusalem. A. Nehemiah tells the officials his mission.

12 The walls and Jerusalem had been lying in a destroyed state for about 140 years. 2. Probably four generations of people (maybe more) have seen the pile of rubble and resigned themselves to its existence in this state forever. 3. Yet, the current existence of the wall, Nehemiah said, brought reproach upon the people and (probably) upon God. Nehemiah exhorts, Let us build the wall. 4. This illustrates leadership. B. Opposition. a. It is not a mere matter of asserting and the people following. b. Nehemiah was a man in leadership (sent by the king) and the people were in need of leadership. c. Even though Ezra was there and exercised leadership in spiritual matters, not all people responded as they should. d. Perhaps Nehemiah inspired the element that dragged. 1. Nehemiah identifies those opposes to the work he sets forth to accomplish. 2. Those in opposition interpreted it as rebellion to the king (of course, they were wrong). 3. Nehemiah s response to this mockery was three-fold; viz.,

13 13 a. God will prosper us. b. We will arise and build. c. You enemies have no right or heritage in this matter. 4. The attitude of Nehemiah seemed not to be one of discouragement. He did not honor them even by denying their foolish accusation (Zerr, vol. 2, p. 313). 5. Geshem s name is recorded in history as the king of Qedar (a powerful north Arabian confederacy).

14 14 Questions Nehemiah 2: How much time elapsed between Nehemiah 1:1 and Nehemiah 2:1? What months of our calendar correspond to Kislev and Nisan? To what do the twentieth year of Nehemiah 1:1 and 2:1 refer? 2. Was Nehemiah a bartender? If not, what is the difference between a cupbearer and a bartender? 3. King Artaxerxes noticed something was different about Nehemiah on this occasion. What was different? What had caused this difference? 4. How did Nehemiah feel when King Artaxerxes asked him about his sad countenance? What has caused you to feel as Nehemiah felt?

15 What was Nehemiah s concern? When and under what circumstances did this devastation occur? 6. What did Nehemiah do first when the King asked him, What is it you want? When you face a serious challenge, what do you do first? Answer thoughtfully. 7. What request did Nehemiah make of the king? 8. Who was the queen who sat beside the king on this occasion?

16 Nehemiah was concerned about the city where his fathers were buried? Why was this the case? Are you concerned about where your ancestors are buried? Why or why not? 10. The king granted Nehemiah s request and asked him how long he would be gone? What was Nehemiah s answer to this query? 11. What letters did the king write at Nehemiah s request? What did these letters order? 12. Exactly what is meant by the term Trans-Euphrates? 13. Nehemiah journeyed with a military escort. Of what did this escort consist?

17 Exactly who were Sanballat, Gesham and Tobiah? Who were the Horonites, Arabs and Ammonites? Why were they disturbed that Nehemiah had arrived? Why did this upset them? 15. Why did Nehemiah wait three days before reconnoitering? How many men went with him? How many walked? How many rode mounts? 16. How many knew Nehemiah s plans for Jerusalem? How hard was it to keep a secret of this magnitude? 17. Define and locate the Valley Gate, Jackal Well, Dung Gate, Fountain Gate and the King s Pool.

18 When Nehemiah s mount could not get through on his planned route, exactly what did he do? 19. Why did Nehemiah make this inspection at night? How could they see at night? 20. With whom did Nehemiah conference? When was this meeting held? What did Nehemiah propose? What was the decision reached by this conference? 21. Was Nehemiah disgraced? Have you ever been disgraced? How did Nehemiah deal with his disgrace? How did you deal with your disgrace?

19 What were the first techniques used by Nehemiah s enemies to thwart his work? 23. What was Nehemiah s response to his enemies charges?