NEHEMIAH: BUILDING A LIFE OF SERVICE

Transcription

1 96 NEHEMIAH: BUILDING A LIFE OF SERVICE

2 Serving God Serving God is more than a Sunday morning activity; it s an all-encompassing lifestyle. But what exactly does that look like? In the Old Testament, Nehemiah provides a great example of the struggles and rewards of serving God. He was called to lead the Jewish people to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. They served together in this great task, even as they encountered opposition and ridicule from enemies. They did far more than build a wall. As they served and rebuilt the wall, God rebuilt them! We can serve God and others in a variety of ways, but in Nehemiah we see the principles by which we can serve no matter what our work entails. Our work for God will have its ups and downs, but we gain so much as we serve. A lifestyle of service includes the work of God in us. Read on and let the example of Nehemiah help you build a life of service. SAM S. RAINER III Sam serves as senior pastor at West Bradenton Baptist Church in Bradenton, Florida. He is also the president of Rainer Research and co-founder of Rainer Publishing. Sam has a wonderful wife, three fun children, one crazy dog, and a cat his daughter insists on keeping. Sam is the co-author of Essential Church? Reclaiming a Generation of Dropouts. 97

3 GET INTO THE STUDY 5 minutes GUIDE: Over the next six weeks we will see how Nehemiah led in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Invite members to turn to page 3 in the Personal Study Guide (PSG) and review session titles. LEADER PACK: Display Item 6: Nehemiah: Building a Life of Service to introduce the theme of this study and the focus of each session. SESSION 1 PRAY The Point Pour out your heart to God in prayer. The Bible Meets Life Problems surround us, but certain needs often grab our attention. We feel compelled to step in, help, and serve. Many times we think we know what to do, so we jump in and do it. Other times, we may have a burning desire to do something, but we re hindered by not knowing what to do. In both cases, however, the place to start is by looking to God. Before we act, we are to pray. The Passage Nehemiah 1:1-11 DISCUSS: Draw attention to the picture on PSG page 98 and ask Question #1: When have you been stopped in your tracks by a news story? GUIDE: Reinforce The Point on PSG page 99: Pour out your heart to God in prayer. The Setting Beginning around 538 BC many Jews who had been exiled to Babylon were allowed to return to Jerusalem to restore what the Babylonians had destroyed. Their plan was to rebuild the temple and the city. They eventually finished the temple but for decades the absence of walls and gates left Jerusalem not only defenseless but also the object of ridicule. Around 445 BC, when Nehemiah heard about the conditions in Jerusalem, he was greatly distressed and desired to change the situation. 98 Session 1

4 Nehemiah 1:1-3 1 The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah: During the month of Chislev in the twentieth year, when I was in the fortress city of Susa, 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, arrived with men from Judah, and I questioned them about Jerusalem and the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile. 3 They said to me, The remnant in the province, who survived the exile, are in great trouble and disgrace. Jerusalem s wall has been broken down, and its gates have been burned. STUDY THE BIBLE Nehemiah 1: minutes GUIDE: Refer group members to The Bible Meets Life on PSG page 106. Point out the author s recollection of the blinking red light on his office phone announcing every new voice mail, and how he put tape over the light to cover up the annoyance. KEY WORDS: The exile (v. 2) While 10,000 Jews were relocated to Babylon beginning in 597 BC, this probably refers to Jews who returned to Jerusalem beginning in 538 BC to rebuild the city. Verse 1. Everyday life has a way of creating routines that can insulate us from what s going on in the world. We must be intentional if we want to stay informed about our surroundings. This was true for Nehemiah. The Book of Nehemiah is a collection of the memoirs of Nehemiah. Not much is known about his background except that his father was Hacaliah. Nehemiah was a Jew whose name means Yah (or the Lord) comforts. (Yah is short for Yahweh, the covenant name of God.) 1 Over one hundred years before Nehemiah, many Jews had been taken captive after the city of Jerusalem was destroyed. They were relocated to Babylon, the capital of the Babylonian Empire, where many were given positions of responsibility. They and their descendants served through decades of battle between the Babylonians, the Medes, the Persians, and the Egyptians that eventually saw the domination of the Persian Empire. The events recorded in Nehemiah s memoirs began during the month of Chislev in the twentieth year. For about twenty years Artaxerxes I had been king of Persia, thus the date was approximately BC. Chislev was the ninth month of the Jewish calendar by common reckoning, corresponding to our period of November/December. The events of this opening chapter occurred in the fortress city of Susa. Over fifty years earlier King Darius SAY: Wouldn t it be great if messages from God came with a blinking red light? SUMMARIZE: Before reading the passage, set the context by summarizing the information in The Setting on page 98. READ: Read or ask a volunteer to read Nehemiah 1:1-3. SUMMARIZE: Refer to Bible Commentary 1 to provide more historical context for the events recorded in the Book of Nehemiah. SUGGESTED USE WEEK OF JULY 22 99

5 THE POINT Pour out your heart to God in prayer. GUIDE: Use KEY WORDS on page 99 (PSG, p. 100) to provide insight on the phrase the exile. GUIDE: Refer members to DIGGING DEEPER on PSG page 101 and the article titled Nehemiah: A Historical Setting (PSG, pp ) to provide an in-depth context of Nehemiah. SUMMARIZE: Use Bible Commentary 2 to provide background information about the Jewish remnant who returned to Jerusalem after the exile. LEADER PACK: Display Item 7: Timeline of the Jews Return from Exile. Use as a tool to point out significant dates for the historical context of Nehemiah. of Persia had built a palace in this city, which is in modernday Iran about 150 miles north of the Persian Gulf. Because it was the king s palace it had to be protected, thus it was built as a fortress. The Persian King Xerxes (referred to as Ahasuerus in Esth. 1:1) first made Susa his winter residence. Verse 2. At that time a man named Hanani, whom Nehemiah identified as my brother (Neh. 7:2.), came to Susa with some other men. While he was a Jew and thus would have been considered family in a broad sense, Hanani could have been Nehemiah s actual blood brother. Since the men had just come from Judah, Nehemiah was eager to hear about what was happening in his homeland, so he questioned them about the people in the land and about the city of Jerusalem. 2 Before the destruction of Jerusalem, the Babylonians took roughly 10,000 prominent Jews captive and relocated them to Babylon. God instructed His people to settle in their new land and to seek its welfare (Jer. 29:1 7). Many of them prospered in the thriving city. For the many poor Jews who remained in Judah, however, things were different. Famine and destruction were the norm, making life very difficult. Beginning around 538 BC, the Persian king allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem to restore the temple and the city. The Book of Ezra details several of these trips in which about 50,000 Jews ultimately returned to their homeland. They finally rebuilt the temple but the city itself was not completely restored. When Nehemiah inquired about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, he could have been referring to the poor people or their descendants who had remained in Judah after the Jewish deportation to Babylon. More likely, however, he was asking about the Jews and their descendants who had returned to Jerusalem from Babylon during the previous decades. Though it was some 900 miles away in a place he never visited, Nehemiah was concerned about the Jews welfare and the condition of the land where his ancestors had lived the promised land God had given to the Hebrew people almost a thousand years earlier. 3 Verse 3. The news Nehemiah heard about the province of Judah was not good. A remnant is something leftover the remains. Nehemiah heard that the Jewish people still in the region were experiencing great trouble and disgrace. 100 Session 1

6 From the Book of Ezra we discover that life was difficult for the remnant who went to Jerusalem to help restore the city. Their trouble came largely from the people who had been living in the land, many of whom had been relocated there by the Assyrians after they conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 BC. These enemies (Ezra 4:1) saw the Jewish people as a threat to their influence and control of the area, thus they opposed the rebuilding of the temple and the city. When subversion didn t work, they turned to threats that made the Jews afraid to build (v. 4), to bribes to the local officials seeking to frustrate their plans (v. 5), and to a letter to King Artaxerxes that was full of false claims that the Jews had a rebellious intent in their rebuilding efforts (v. 7). The king believed their lies and issued a decree for the work to stop. The enemies of the Jews forcibly stopped the building and may have used the king s decree to order the destruction of anything that had previously been done. No work occurred for almost sixteen years until finally the temple rebuilding began and King Darius issued a proclamation of official support for the project. The bad news continued as Nehemiah heard about Jerusalem s wall, which was broken down and the city s gates, which had been burned down. It is unknown if Nehemiah was referring to the initial destruction of the city by Nebuchadnezzar s army in 587 BC, but he would seemingly have known about the ruin of the city over one hundred years earlier. Because of his later reaction, it seems this may refer to the destruction that could have resulted following King Artaxerxes s cease and desist order. The ruined condition of the walls and gates had apparently remained unchanged for many decades even though the temple eventually had been rebuilt. The degraded condition of the wall and its gates was a disgrace to the Jews and a dishonor to the Lord. Nehemiah 1:4-7 4 When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for a number of days, fasting and praying before the God of the heavens. 5 I said, Lord, the God of the heavens, the great and aweinspiring God who keeps his gracious covenant with those who love him and keep his commands, SUMMARIZE: Use Bible Commentary 3 to describe the situation Judah. The walls of Jerusalem had not yet been rebuilt and the people lived in danger from their enemies. GUIDE: Refer group members to PSG page 101 to discover how to pray for those in need: Ask specific questions; don t assume. Listen carefully; don t jump to conclusions. DISCUSS: Question #2 (PSG, p. 102): What obstacles hinder us from recognizing needs of others? (Alternate: What can we do to become more aware of the needs around us?) TRANSITION: Next we will see Nehemiah s response to the news he received about the situation in Jerusalem. STUDY THE BIBLE Nehemiah 1: minutes READ: Read or ask a volunteer to read Nehemiah 1:

7 THE POINT Pour out your heart to God in prayer. GUIDE: Refer group members to PSG page 102 and ask a volunteer to read Psalm 137:1, a lament written when the Jews returned from Babylonian exile to their homeland. SUMMARIZE: Use Bible Commentary 4 to show how Nehemiah responded to the situation in Jerusalem. SUMMARIZE: Use Bible Commentary 5 on this page and page 103 to explain the key phrases used in verse 5: repetition of the phrase, the God of the heavens. great and awe-inspiring God. gracious, from the Hebrew chesed. SUMMARIZE: Use Bible Commentary 6 on page 103 to clarify the part of Nehemiah s prayer where he confessed the people s sin as well as his own sins and those of his family: I confess the sins we have committed against you. Both I and my father s family have sinned. 6 let your eyes be open and your ears be attentive to hear your servant s prayer that I now pray to you day and night for your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins we have committed against you. Both I and my father s family have sinned. 7 We have acted corruptly toward you and have not kept the commands, statutes, and ordinances you gave your servant Moses. 4 Verse 4. Bad news has a way of moving us. Often, when we experience such news we are tempted to move away from God. Nehemiah, on the other hand, moved toward God. When he heard about the condition of the wall and gates at Jerusalem, Nehemiah sat down and wept. He was overwhelmed, thus tears were a natural response for his grief. Since the situation of Jerusalem had apparently been a reality for many years, we might wonder why Nehemiah responded as he did. Perhaps God at that time had pricked Nehemiah s heart to the condition of his homeland because the Lord planned to use him to rectify the situation. Whatever the case Nehemiah mourned for a number of days, probably in a place where he could be alone with no one else but the Lord, the God of the heavens. Nehemiah either did not want to eat or he intentionally refused food so he could seek God s will. Often in the Bible we see the connection between fasting and praying as God s people sought wisdom and strength in the midst of an uncertain and/or overwhelming situation. 5 Verse 5. Beginning in this verse we get insights into Nehemiah s prayer to the God of the heavens. Abraham first used this designation (Gen. 24:7), but others including King Cyrus of Persia also used it (2 Chron. 36:23). Nehemiah recognized God as great and awe-inspiring. Nehemiah evidently knew about God s power and the fear or respect He was to be shown. These were genuine words of praise and worship to the God whom Nehemiah likely had worshiped throughout his whole life. Nehemiah then acknowledged the covenant nature of God. A covenant was an agreement or bond between two parties. God s special relationship with His people, the 102 Session 1

8 Jews, was defined by graciousness. The Hebrew word used to describe this graciousness is chesed, which in the Old Testament is often translated mercy, kindness, steadfast love, or lovingkindness. This word emphasizes God s faithfulness and devotion to those in covenant with Him despite the fact they did nothing to deserve His love and favor. God s requirement in this covenant was that His people would love Him and would keep his commands His law that He gave for the good of His people. Verse 6. The prayer continued as Nehemiah asked God to be open and attentive to the request he was making. He had no doubt God knew of the distressing situation. Still he presented himself as God s servant coming to his Master on behalf of the Israelites, who were also God s servants. 6 While God had been faithful in keeping His responsibility in the covenant, the people of Israel had not done what was required of them. They had broken the covenant when they disobeyed God s commands. Their sins were the reason God removed them from the promised land, and the reason the people of Judah had been exiles in a foreign land for decades. While his ancestors committed these sins over one hundred years before, Nehemiah identified with them and confessed his own sins as well as those of his family (his father s family). Verse 7. Nehemiah noted that he and his fellow Jews had themselves acted corruptly toward God. This phrase could be translated acted wickedly or offended. It was what the Jewish people had done throughout their history as they disobeyed God s commands, statutes, and ordinances. In Psalm 119 these words seem to be synonymous, referring to the laws God gave to Moses found in the Books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. These laws gave instruction for how God s people were to live in relationship to Him and other people. GUIDE: Refer group members to PSG page 103, where it describes how Nehemiah s prayer speaks to our own approach to prayer. Nehemiah s prayer can help us if we remember as we pray in times of distress that: Prayer is all about God, not us. Confession realigns our priorities. Life should be an ongoing conversation with God. DISCUSS: Question #3 (PSG, p. 103): Why is confession of sin an important part of prayer? (Alternate: What captures your attention about Nehemiah s prayer?) TRANSITION: Next we will see how Nehemiah appealed to God based on His promises. Nehemiah 1: Please remember what you commanded your servant Moses: If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples. 9 But if you return to me and carefully observe my commands, even though your exiles were banished to the STUDY THE BIBLE Nehemiah 1: minutes READ: Ask a volunteer to read Nehemiah 1:

9 THE POINT Pour out your heart to God in prayer. SUMMARIZE: Use Bible Commentary 7 on this page and page 105 to provide further explanation to Nehemiah s prayer, a reflection on God s word to Moses: If the people were unfaithful, God would scatter them. If the people would return and be faithful to observe His commands, He would gather the exiles back to Jerusalem. Note the conditional nature of God s promises throughout this passage. OPTIONAL ACTIVITY: The Bible is full of promises that God has made to His people, including those of us who serve Him today. Ask group members to write down as many biblical promises as they can think of in the next few minutes. Then ask them to share their responses with the group. Which of these promises speaks to your current needs? farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place where I chose to have my name dwell. 10 They are your servants and your people. You redeemed them by your great power and strong hand. 11 Please, Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant and to that of your servants who delight to revere your name. Give your servant success today, and grant him compassion in the presence of this man. At the time, I was the king s cupbearer. KEY WORD: Cupbearer (v. 11) This trusted servant chose and tasted the wine for a king to protect him from being poisoned. He was expected to be cheerful and encouraging in the king s presence. 7 Verse 8. After declaring God s sovereignty and confessing his (and his people s) sin, Nehemiah requested God s guidance. Nehemiah was evidently a student of the Scriptures he recalled words God gave to Moses centuries earlier and asked God to remember those words. Nehemiah first rehearsed the warning God commanded Moses to speak to the Israelites (see Deut. 4:25 27; 28:64) of what would happen if the people were unfaithful to Him. Faithfulness was essential in the covenant between God and His people. God had been faithful in the covenant He had made with His people but the Jewish people had not. Thus God had been just and faithful to His word to scatter the Jewish people among the nations. This was precisely what happened over a century earlier when the Jews went into exile in Babylon for seventy years. Verse 9. God foresaw the unfaithfulness of the Jewish people. Even so, this disobedience did not necessarily spell the end of their relationship with God. Because of His merciful and forgiving nature, God also promised restoration and blessing for the people if they would return to Him. This involved turning away from the sin they had engaged in and turning back to God. This is the essence of the New Testament concept of repentance. Returning to God, however, meant more than just saying they were sorry for their wrongs. It was also essential for them to carefully observe and obey God s commands. 104 Session 1

10 The conditional nature of God s promise is emphasized in the word if. If they repented and obeyed God once again, then He would restore them. No matter if they had been banished or exiled to the ends of the earth, God promised to gather them and bring them back to Judah and Jerusalem the place that had been synonymous with God s presence (and His name) on earth. Verse 10. Just as Moses in his day had interceded to God on behalf of the Hebrew people when they sinned, so Nehemiah interceded with God on behalf of the Jewish people. Nehemiah used similar words to those of Moses in Deuteronomy 9:25 29, referring to the Jews as God s servants and His people whom He had redeemed by His great power and strong hand. Certainly this referred to the exodus from Egypt when God did amazing things to rescue His people from the slavery and oppression they endured. 8 Verse 11. Nehemiah didn t have to beg God to listen to him. Instead his words reflected a humble servant who recognized his unworthiness to approach his Master. Evidently other Jews who were also praying for God to work for His glory and His people s good in the restoration of Jerusalem. Nehemiah described these others as God s servants who delight to revere or fear His name, which means they wanted to honor God. In the time he had been grieving and praying, Nehemiah must have been considering what he might do about the condition of Jerusalem. He obviously had devised a plan and he asked God for success today. Nehemiah sought God s compassion, a word that pictures a mother s loving encouragement and nurture, as he was about to enter the presence of a very influential person. As we will soon discover, this man refers to King Artaxerxes. While the king was perhaps the most powerful man in the world at the time, still he was just a man who was subject to the God of creation. Nehemiah had access to the ruler because he was the king s cupbearer. To serve in this somewhat hazardous position was a high honor. He protected the king by tasting his wine to ensure it hadn t been poisoned. He also served as an unofficial confidante to the king, providing support, encouragement, and perhaps even offering advice to the monarch. When Nehemiah didn t know what to do, he poured out his heart to God in prayer and waited for God s guidance. After receiving God s direction, he continued to pray for God s support as he stepped out to put God s plan into action. SUMMARIZE: Use Bible Commentary 8 to provide explanation to the conclusion of Nehemiah s prayer. DISCUSS: Question #4 (PSG, p. 105): When has prayer prepared you for something important in your life? GUIDE: Use KEY WORD on page 104 (PSG, p. 104) to provide insight on the word cupbearer. DISCUSS: Question #5 (PSG, p. 106): What can we learn from Nehemiah about making requests of God? (Alternate: What are the benefits of focusing on the attributes of God when we pray?) DO: Invite volunteers to turn to PSG page 106 and respond to the activity My Prayer Life. Ask volunteers to share their responses. 105

11 THE POINT Pour out your heart to God in prayer. LIVE IT OUT 5 minutes GUIDE: Emphasize The Point: Pour out your heart to God in prayer. REVIEW: Review Live It Out (PSG, p. 107); (see text to the right). Encourage each group member to follow through this week with at least one of the applications. LIVE IT OUT God does not have an in-box that gets full. Your prayers do not annoy Him the way a phone s blinking red message light might annoy us. You cannot tire God with your prayers. In fact, He wants you to pour out yourself to Him. Below are some ways you can do this. > > Pray. Follow Nehemiah s example in your prayers. Surrender to Christ s lordship and in obedience to His will. Confess sin. Ask God to give you the guidance to do what He wants you to do. > > Read. Prayer is never detached from God s Word. You cannot pray well without reading the Bible. You cannot read the Bible well without praying. Pray about what you read. First, ask God to open your eyes to the wonderful truths in His Word. Second, commit in prayer to follow what He shows you in His Word. > > Write. Write a handwritten note to encourage someone after praying for him or her. WRAP IT UP GUIDE: Remind group members that we can pour out our hearts to God in prayer in times of desperation. Throughout the rest of this study we will discover the many ways God was at work answering Nehemiah s prayers. Encourage group members to recall times when God has answered their prayers. PRAY: Father, thank You for loving us and hearing our prayers in our times of need. 106 SESSION 1

12 ILLUSTRATOR PHOTO/ G.B. HOWELL/ DAYTON ART INSTITUTE (35/32/65) Relief depicting a Persian cup bearer. The stepped form decoration in the top third of this fragment shows that it came from a stairway that probably adorned the banquet halls of either King Darius the Great or his son Xerxes I. The full relief depicts a large procession of soldiers or dignitaries carrying offerings to the victorious Persian king. Nehemiah was personal attendant and advisor to the most powerful man in the world in his time. We know from Scripture that Nehemiah was the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes, the first of several Persian kings by that name, a man who ruled BC. Nehemiah was surrounded by luxury in the winter palace at Susa. A problem existed, however. Jews returning from exile had rebuilt and dedicated the temple at Jerusalem in 515 BC. Nehemiah was astonished, though, to find the walls around Jerusalem were still in ruins 70 years later. After praying and fasting, Nehemiah believed God was leading him to risk his life on a dangerous journey to rebuild Jerusalem s walls and gates. Susa was an important administrative capital located at one end of the 1,600 mile-long road which ran from Sardis (in modern Turkey) to Susa (in modern western Iran). Gold, silver, ebony, ivory, gems, bronze, jewels, and various types of stones were imported for decorating the palace. Fine carpets covered the floors, which were red-polished lime plaster or a brick and stone pavement. Cedar beams from Lebanon rested atop the massive columns and supported other timbers along with matting sealed by mud plaster for the ceiling. Nehemiah may have poured wine for Artaxerxes from a gold or silver trumpet-shaped horn with the metal head of a lion or other animal inserted at a right angle. Such vessels were common in the palaces of ancient Persia. Not only would Nehemiah have lived among wealth, but he also probably possessed personal wealth. Nehemiah gave up the riches of Susa for the pull of the Lord. He spent most of his life training and then working as a staff member of a king. He left the wealth and privileges of serving Artaxerxes, though, to serve the Almighty. Like Esther, who lived in the palace of Susa during the reign of Xerxes I, Artaxerxes father, Nehemiah also came into the kingdom for such a time as this (Esth. 4:14). Nehemiah s sacrifice still inspires us to pray, give, go, and surrender to a higher calling. The excerpt above is from the article Nehemiah s Life in the Palace (Spring 2009), which relates to this session. More Biblical Illustrator articles are available that relate to this session. See page 7 about Biblical Illustrator. Get expert insights on weekly studies through the Ministry Grid. MinistryGrid.com/web/BibleStudiesForLife 107

13 NEHEMIAH: A HISTORICAL SETTING BY KEVIN C. PEACOCK All people are affected by the course of history. In turn, people affect history s course some more than others. Nehemiah, a cupbearer to the king of Persia, lived in a historically significant time and was used by God to dramatically affect Israel s history. Nehemiah was certainly a man for his time. Life in the Exile When the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem in 586 BC, 1 Judah s political independence had vanished and the Davidic monarchy had all but disappeared (2 Kings 24:15 16). Many citizens were exiled to Babylon (v. 14), while others fled to Egypt and surrounding areas (25:26). The holy city was in ruins, and the temple had been burned and plundered (vv. 9 17). Communities of Israelites formed during the exile in Babylon 108 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE A symbol of Persia s growing influence, this amulet, part of a counterweight necklace, is inscribed with the name of Darius (the First). Egypt came under the rule of the Persian Empire. ILLUSTRATOR PHOTO/ G.B. HOWELL/ LOUVRE MUSEUM (35/7/78)

14 ILLUSTRATOR PHOTO/ LOUISE KOHL SMITH (32/21/11) and in Egypt (Jer. 43:1 7; 44:1). The Babylonian exilic communities were located mainly between Babylon and Nippur (Ezek. 1:1; 3:15). Conditions in Babylon were favorable for many deportees. They were able to maintain fairly normal lives, their Jewish identity and worship of God. Some acquired their own businesses and houses (Jer. 29:4 9). Some rose to prominence in the royal court (Dan. 1:3 7). 2 As a result, many exiles did not want to return to Judah (Ezra 8:15 20). We have little information of the population that remained in Judah. Some continued to worship at the altar of the ruined temple (Jer. 41:4 5). This group was comprised mostly of the poorest of the land (2 Kings 25:12, CSB) plus some refugee Israelites who drifted back to their homeland (Jer. 40:11 12). In spite of the Babylonians inflicting harsh treatment and forced labor conditions, these persons were still able to eke out a meager existence (Lam. 5:2 5,11 13). Foreign peoples moved into the land Edomites and Arabians from the south, Ammonites from the east, Samaritans from the north, and the Phoenicians into the west. Judah eventually became a society of foreign peoples living among and intermixing with Jews. Intermarriage with pagans became a serious problem (Ezra 10:18 44; Neh. 13:23 28). Children grew up without religious guidance, and many lost the ability to speak Hebrew and read from the Scriptures (Neh. 13:24). Aramaic became the common language of the people of the Diaspora, and knowledge of God s law was limited. 3 The Persian Period Cyrus II the Great Babylon s King Nebuchadnezzar died in 562. Just over two decades later (539), the Persians defeated the Babylonian Empire. Persia s King Cyrus extended the Medo-Persian Empire from the Aegean Sea to India in less than ten years. A wise and humane leader seeking loyal subjects, Cyrus sought to uphold human dignity. He brought as little destruction as possible on a city, not allowing his soldiers to loot, rape, or terrorize the conquered people. His main policy for rule was return to normalcy. 4 To do this, he allowed the conquered peoples to rebuild and reestablish their worship systems, including temples and gods the Babylonians had destroyed or taken. 5 He Half-Moon Bay at Izmir, on the Aegean Sea. During his reign, Cyrus the Great extended the Babylonian Empire from the Aegean eastward to India. allowed deported peoples to return to their homelands. With the Edict of Cyrus (539), the Jewish exiles could return home and rebuild their temple (Ezra 1:2 4; 6:3 5; 2 Chron. 36:23). Cyrus thus won great respect from his subjects and solidified his reign. Sheshbazzar, prince of Judah, led the first group of exiles back to Judah, returning some temple vessels. Appointed governor of Yehud (the Persian province of Judah), he began rebuilding the temple around (Ezra 1:7 11; 5:14 16). Zerubbabel continued the building project until work ceased because of local opposition (3:7 4:5). The work lay unfinished for over a decade until the reign of Darius. 6 The Jews born and raised in exile faced opposition from many who had remained in Judah (Ezek. 11:14 16). Those who continued to worship at the temple ruins probably felt no need for a new altar or temple. Having possessed the land for a significant length of time (a generation or two), they considered it theirs and were reticent to share (33:24). The people of Samaria, pagan foreigners who had intermarried with Israelites, offered to help with the rebuilding project (2 Kings 17:29; Ezra 4:1 2). Their rejected offer (Ezra 4:3) may have contributed to later BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 109

15 tensions. While the returnees found land, built homes, and reestablished themselves in Judah, the land was devastated by a series of droughts and crop failures (Hag. 1:10 11; 2:16 17). 7 Thus work on the temple came to a halt. Cambyses II ( ) Persia s next ruler added Egypt to the empire, making the Persian Empire the greatest the world had ever known and making him the first Persian ruler over Egypt. Throughout his reign the returned exiles faced ongoing opposition in rebuilding (Ezra 4:5; Hag. 1:2 4). Darius I the Great ( ) The best-known ruler of Persia brought the empire to its pinnacle. He organized it into twenty regional provinces or satrapies, each governed by a satrap (Dan. 6:1 4; Ezra 7:21; Neh. 2:7). The fifth satrapy, called Beyond the River, included Yehud. Local governors (such as later Nehemiah) served under the satrap. Darius built a sophisticated road system and developed postal delivery to advance his government throughout the empire. Starting a war with the Greeks, he expanded into the west, sought to strengthen his control of Asia Minor, and moved into Macedonia. Though he was able to punish Athens and Sparta, he was unable to subdue the Greeks. 8 Dating to the reign of Artaxerxes I ( BC), this contract concerns transactions of property in the city of Shatir, in Babylon s Nippur region. Zerubbabel, a descendant of David (1 Chron. 3:19), was appointed governor (Hag. 2:21). Haggai and Zechariah encouraged him to rebuild the temple (Ezra 5:1 2; 6:14; Hag. 1 2; Zech. 4:1 14), resuming the work eighteen years after the Cyrus Decree (520). Darius ordered the satrap and people to leave the workers alone and to pay for the building project with local tax revenues (Ezra 5:3; 6:1 13). The Bible does not mention Zerubbabel at the completion or dedication of the temple in 515 (6:14 18). 9 Xerxes I Ahasuerus ( ) Though prominent in the Book of Esther, Xerxes lost power over Greece when the Greeks defeated his naval fleet in the Straits of Salamis (480). Xerxes did not trouble himself with Judah s problems, but Diaspora Jews became his concern in the Esther story. Malachi s ministry likely took place during Xerxes reign, several decades after the temple was rebuilt. Malachi encountered problems similar to those Nehemiah faced: mixed-faith marriages (Mal. 2:11 15), failure to tithe (3:8 10), contemptible worship and corrupt priests (1:6 2:9), and social problems (3:5). 10 Artaxerxes I ( ) Persia s next ruler faced much unrest during his reign. The Greeks had defeated the Persian army at Memphis in Egypt (459). Artaxerxes knew that a strong Jewish community in and around Israel would serve as a buffer and would hinder Greek advancement especially from Egypt. Artaxerxes thus sent Ezra to Judah (458) immediately after the fall of Memphis and strongly supported him. 11 When Artaxerxes made a treaty with the Greeks (449) he had no need for a buffer zone, so he ceased the generous privileges to Yehud. 12 Apparently, in the roughly sixty years after its completion, the temple had fallen into disrepair, and the people had abandoned sacrificial law. Artaxerxes BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE

16 sent Ezra in 458 to Judah to repair and renovate the temple and reestablish the sacrificial system. A priest and scribe, Ezra was to train the Jewish people in the Mosaic law (Ezra 7:6 8,11), establishing it as the law of the community. Those claiming the privileges as Jews in Persian society had to accept the obligations of their religion. Artaxerxes authorized Ezra to demand help from local officials and to appoint judges in the land (vv ). Sometime early in Artaxerxes reign the people tried to rebuild Jerusalem s walls. Their enemies accused them of fortifying for rebellion, and Artaxerxes ordered the builders to stop. The opposition intervened forcefully (4:7 23), and they apparently destroyed anything that had been repaired. News of this destruction spurred Nehemiah to resume the building project (Neh. 1:3; 2:5-8). As the king s cupbearer Nehemiah held strong influence (1:11). God moved Artaxerxes to allow Nehemiah to return (2:8). Thus Nehemiah arrived in Judah about seventy years after the temple rededication and thirteen years after Ezra began his ministry (445). He had Artaxerxes authority to rebuild the walls and serve as local governor over a depressed and defeated community that was morally and spiritually anemic. Nehemiah faced major opposition from Sanballat, governor of Samaria (2:10), who probably sensed he was losing influence over Judah. Despite the opposition, the workers completed the wall in fifty-two days (6:15). Nehemiah spent twelve years in Jerusalem as governor, returning to Artaxerxes around 433, then returning to govern Jerusalem a second time (13:6 7). Nehemiah brought significant social and religious reforms during his two administrations (5:1 19; 13:15 31). With Nehemiah s ministry the history of the Old Testament came to a close. I 1. All dates given will be BC. 2. Allen P. Ross, Exile, in New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis, gen. ed. Willem A. VanGemeren (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1997), 4: Edwin Yamauchi, Ezra Nehemiah in The Expositor s Bible Commentary, vol. 4 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1988), 568, 570; Charles F. Pfeiffer, Old Testament History (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1973), Pfeiffer, Old Testament History, Josephus, The Antiquities of the Jews in The Works of Josephus: Complete and Unabridged, trans. William Whiston (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1987), (p. 286). 6. Jack Finegan, Handbook of Biblical Chronology: Principles of Time Reckoning in the Ancient World and Problems of Chronology in the Bible, rev. ed. (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1998), Robert L. Cate, These Sought a Country: A History of Israel in Old Testament Times (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1985), Thomas Brisco, Holman Bible Atlas (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1998), Rex Mason, Zerubbabel in New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis, gen. ed. Willem A. VanGemeren (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1997), 4: Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., Malachi: God s Unchanging Love (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1984), Tremper Longman III, History of Israel 7: Persian Period, in Dictionary of the Old Testament: Historical Books, ed. Bill T. Arnold and H. G. M. Williamson (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2005), Iain Provan, V. Philips Long, and Tremper Longman III, A Biblical History of Israel (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2003), Ezra returned to Jerusalem in Artaxerxes seventh year (Ezra 7:1,7). This is supposedly Artaxerxes I, so the date would be 458. Nehemiah arrived in Artaxerxes twentieth year (Neh. 2:1), 13 years after Ezra (445). Nehemiah served in Jerusalem until 433, Artaxerxes 32nd year (Neh. 5:14). He built the city wall, celebrated the Feast of Booths (8:13 18) and dedicated the city wall with Ezra (12:27 43). Although some scholars debate if Ezra and Nehemiah indeed served side by side, none of the arguments against the traditional order and chronology are compelling. For a further explanation, see Derek Kidner, Ezra and Nehemiah: An Introduction and Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1979), This excerpt is of an article by Kevin C. Peacock that originally appeared in the Spring 2009 issue of Biblical Illustrator magazine. Each quarter Biblical Illustrator offers in-depth articles and information that support our weekly Bible study lessons. You can subscribe to Biblical Illustrator by going to biblicalillustrator, by using your church s quarterly literature order form, or by calling BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 111