Nehemiah 1

I. THE FORTIFICATION OF JERUSALEM CHS. 1-7

"The first seven chapters of Nehemiah as well as Nehemiah 12:31 to Nehemiah 13:31 are written in the first person. This, as well as all or part of Nehemiah 11 and the rest of Nehemiah 12, constitutes what is called the Nehemiah Memoirs. As such it offers an extensive look into the life and heart of an outstanding servant of God that is unique to the Old Testament." [Note: Mervin Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, p. 168.]

A. The Return under Nehemiah chs. 1-2

The focus of restoration activities in Nehemiah is on the walls of Jerusalem. In Ezra it was the altar of burnt offerings and especially the temple in Jerusalem.

"The orientation of Nehemiah is more civil and secular than that of Ezra, but it is also written from the priestly point of view." [Note: Howard F. Vos, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, p. 80.]

The walls of the city had lain in ruins since 586 B.C. At that time Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, breached them, entered Jerusalem, burned the temple, carried most of the remaining Jews off to Babylon, and knocked the walls down. Consequently the few Jews who remained could not defend themselves (2 Kings 25:1-11). The returned exiles had attempted to rebuild the walls in or shortly after 458 B.C., but that project failed because of local opposition (Ezra 4:12; Ezra 4:23).

The returned exiles had received permission to return to their land and to reestablish their unique national institutions as much as possible. Therefore, they needed to rebuild the city walls to defend themselves against anyone who might want to interfere with, and to interrupt, their way of life.