Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.

Nehemiah

Introduction

In the fifth century BC, many Judeans were returning from exile to the southern part of the land of Israel. They faced great difficulties: their capital city and temple had been destroyed, foreigners had moved in, and they were no longer ruled by their own king. But the books of Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah insist that God’s people can still fulfill his purpose. They must form a unique society centered on the worship of God in a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem. (These books are really one long book, telling a continuous story; one can see, for example, how the end of 2 Chronicles overlaps with the beginning of Ezra.)

The final part of Chronicles–Ezra–Nehemiah relates the experiences of the returned exiles. The memoirs of Nehemiah, a leader of the second generation of returned Judeans, is incorporated into the history, telling how he directed the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls. Included here is a description of a great covenant renewal ceremony led by Ezra and Nehemiah.

An important theme of the entire history—which can appropriately be called a temple history—is that pure worship is offered on God’s terms, not ours. God has chosen Israel to welcome the nations into true worship. Through all the ups and downs of history he is working to bring this purpose to fulfillment.