Nehemiah described the reconstruction of the walls starting with the Sheep Gate near the city's northeast corner moving counterclockwise. This record honors those who by building helped reestablish Israel in the Promised Land in harmony with God's will (cf., e.g., Isa. 52:11-12).
Eliashib (v. 1) was evidently the grandson of Jeshua (12:10; Ezra 3:2). Construction was an act of consecration because this was a project that God had ordained.
Archaeologists are currently studying the exact location of the wall at many places as well as that of towers and gates. There is debate among them regarding various sites as well as the total extent of the wall. Those who hold to a smaller city are "minimalists"36and those who believe the walls extended farther out are "maximalists."37
"This chapter is one of the most important in the Old Testament for determining the topography of Jerusalem. Though some locations are clear, others are not. Opinions differ widely about whether the wall enclosed the southwest hill today called Mount Zion' (the Maximalist view) or only the original settlement--including the temple area--of the southwest hill of Ophel (the Minimalist view)."38
According to the maximalist view the two and one-half mile wall would have enclosed about 220 acres. According to the minimalist view the wall would have been two miles long and enclosed about 90 acres. The hill of Ophel (lit. swelling or bulge) was the site between the temple area and the City of David. This is the area that Solomon had broadened and filled in when he built the temple.
I think there is better support for the maximalist position.
Any attempt to fulfill God's desires will almost certainly draw opposition from God's enemies.
"The real test of a leader is how he or she faces crises and reacts to opposition. This chapter recounts several forms of opposition and how Nehemiah confronted them."39
The Jews' enemies used ridicule (vv. 1-6) as well as armed resistance (v. 8) to oppose the work. A better translation of the Hebrew word rendered "wealthy"(v. 2) is "army."
"The Hebrew root mllis occasionally used in the OT to denote the fading or withering of a plant (Isa. 16:8; 24:7; etc.). It is also used of people without any hope (Isa. 19:8; Hos. 4:3). It is employed here in Nehemiah [translated "feeble,"v. 2] to ridicule the Jews."40
Nehemiah based his imprecatory prayer (vv. 4-5) on God's promise that He would bless those who blessed Abraham's descendants and curse those who cursed them (Gen. 12:1-3).
"God's people should always regard prayer not as a last resort but as our primary weapon against opposition."41
We should probably understand Nehemiah's request that God would not forgive their sin (v. 5) as referring to their sin of opposing the builders, not all their sins.
"The iniquities and sins were committed by sneering at the work God had commanded. The prayer was thus not vindictive because the Jews were insulted, but because God's work was ridiculed."42
"To understand such violent language, we need to appreciate fully the sense of the divine purpose at work, so that opposition is not seen in human terms but as opposition to God himself."43
Furthermore, God had already pronounced judgment on Israel's enemies, so Nehemiah was praying according to God's will that He would deliver Jerusalem from her enemies (Josh. 1:5). Finally, Nehemiah was asking God to take vengeance, which is His work, not the work of Nehemiah or other believers (cf. Deut. 32:35; Rom. 12:19).44
Nehemiah and the people's responses to opposition--prayer, continued work, and self-defense (v. 9)--are the proper ones whenever an enemy seeks to stop the building of what God has commanded (e.g., His church, cf. Matt. 16:18).
With the added opposition of the Ashdodites, the residents of a formerly Philistine town (v. 7), the Jews' enemies surrounded them on all sides: north, south, east, and west. Josephus wrote, "They slew many of the Jews."45
The workers became discouraged by their own fatigue, the immensity of their task, and the threats of their enemies (vv. 10-12). Nehemiah responded by increasing security, focusing their attention again on God, and reminding them of their duty to protect their families and property (vv. 13-14).46His approach proved effective (vv. 15-16).
The Jews were willing to make temporary sacrifices and endure some discomfort to finish the work God had given them to do (vv. 17-23). In this they are a model for all of us who serve God.
This chapter evidently describes a situation that prevailed for more than the 52 days the wall was under construction (cf. v. 14). The writer probably included it in the text here because it was another situation that threatened to block the fulfillment of God's will.
"Up to this point Nehemiah's challenges as a spiritual leader focused primarily on those outside of Judah. But before the walls were finally rebuilt, he encountered the most difficult and intense kind of problem almost every spiritual leader has to face sometime--problems within."47
The underlying problem this chapter chronicles sprang from pride. Instead of putting God's interests first and seeking the welfare of their brethren, the Jews were putting their own interests first and taking advantage of their brethren (cf. Matt. 22:37-39). The Mosaic Law forbade Israelites from charging interest when they made loans to fellow Jews (Exod. 22:25; Lev. 25:35-38). Evidently Nehemiah and some of his fellow Jews had paid money to certain Gentiles in Babylonia who owned Jewish slaves to liberate those Israelites so they could return to Judah (v. 8). How inconsistent it was then for the Jews in Jerusalem to enslave them again. Evidently the people of the land were criticizing the Jews for enslaving their brethren (v. 9). Nehemiah himself seems to have made loans to the poorer Jews in Judah, though he did not say he charged them interest (v. 10). Now he called for a stop not only to usury (charging exorbitant interest) but also to lending. He believed the "haves"should give, not lend, to the "have nots"out of love for God and their brethren. Nehemiah spoke out against social injustice. The people agreed to do as Nehemiah asked (v. 12). The "hundredth part"(v. 11) was the interest rate that, if calculated on a monthly basis, would amount to 12 percent per year.
Nehemiah's unselfish example for the welfare of the community should be a challenge to any leader of God's people (vv. 14-19). The plans of God and the welfare of His people were most important to him.
"One cannot be certain that Nehemiah was originally given a twelve-year appointment as governor by Artaxerxes (2:6). Perhaps his original appointment was for a briefer period, but was extended to twelve years."48
The people the governor ruled would have provided his food allowance (v. 14). Rather than taking advantage of his opportunity to acquire real estate, Nehemiah gave his attention to rebuilding the wall (v. 16). He also provided for the needs of over 150 Jews who worked on the wall out of his own pocket (vv. 17-18).
"According to the Persian custom, as governor of Judah Nehemiah had to entertain a number of people at his table."49
As Paul later did, Nehemiah gave up what was legitimately his due to provide a good example for those he led (cf. 1 Cor. 9; 2 Thess. 3:8).50
"Leadership means going further than those one is leading."51
Nehemiah asked God to reward him for what he had done (v. 19). This is not an improper request since God has promised to bless those who put Him first (Deut. 28:1-14; cf. Matt. 6:33; Mark 10:29-30).
"The invocation of God's favour is not so much a plea for a reward as an emphatic way of claiming that he [Nehemiah] has acted in good faith and from right motives. It is a statement of confidence that God is judge, and judges favourably those who sincerely seek to do his will."52
The formula "Remember me, O my God . . ."(also in 13:14, 22, and 31) has some parallels in Egyptian literature of this period.53
Nehemiah recorded three separate plots the Jews' enemies instigated to frustrate his effective leadership.
The builders finished the walls only 52 days after construction had begun (v. 15). "Elul"is late August and early September. Israel's enemies viewed their rapid progress as evidence that God had helped the workers (v. 16).
"The best answer to opposition is to keep working and fulfill God's will; thus others will see God's power."58
The writer mentioned another detracting ploy the enemy instigated. By doing so, he suggested that this additional problem may have plagued Nehemiah throughout the whole process of rebuilding the wall. As I mentioned before, Tobiah's name implies that he was a Jew. He had intermarried with Jews who had returned to the land and evidently participated in the restoration projects, though he himself did not approve of the restoration. His marital and social ties with the princes of the restoration community resulted in their commending him to Nehemiah. In short, Nehemiah suffered from pressure that Tobiah and Nehemiah's colleagues brought on him. This powerful Jew who did not share God's desires for His people had considerable influence with many of the restoration leaders.
Sometimes powerful brethren who have influential supporters create the Christian leader's most difficult problems. Often they really want to see something other than God's will accomplished.
Note the following lessons in leadership from Nehemiah 1-6. A leader must be a person of prayer (ch. 1), have a vision (2:1-3), and be a wise planner (2:4-8). He must inspire his followers (2:11-20), organize his task (ch. 3), and combine faith and common sense (ch. 4). He needs to be compassionate (5:1-13), possess personal integrity (5:14-19), be absolutely impartial (ch. 5), and display a sense of mission (ch. 6).
Having finished the walls Nehemiah took steps to insure that the city would remain secure by appointing guards. Now temple worship could flourish (7:1). The gatekeepers usually guarded the temple entrance, but Nehemiah posted them at the city gates because of the imminent danger there. The "faithful man"(7:2) was Hanaiah, not Hanani, though he too was, of course, reliable. To minimize the threat of potential invaders, Nehemiah ordered that the gates of Jerusalem be open only during the busiest hours of the day (7:3). People had not been living in Jerusalem because it was vulnerable to attack (7:4). The small population rendered it more vulnerable than it would have been with the city full of people. Nehemiah later proposed a plan that would increase the population and consequently the security of Jerusalem (11:1-2).
