How did Nehemias support his appeal to rebuild Jerusalem?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

He obtained the king’s leave, letters and timber provision, then surveyed the walls and told the community about God’s favor and the king’s words.

Chapter breakdown

In the month of Nisan, during the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, Nehemias served wine before the monarch as royal cupbearer. Seeing sadness on his face, the king observed that Nehemias was not sick and asked what sorrow troubled his heart. Seized with great fear, Nehemias replied with royal blessing and explained that his countenance was mournful because the city containing the burial places of his fathers lay desolate, with its gates consumed by fire.

When Artaxerxes asked what request he wished to make, Nehemias offered a prayer to the God of heaven and petitioned to be sent to Judea to rebuild the city of his fathers' sepulchres. The king, with the queen seated beside him, inquired how long the journey would take and when he would return. Nehemias proposed a timeframe, and the king granted his departure. Nehemias further requested imperial letters to the governors beyond the river to ensure safe passage, as well as a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the royal forest, to supply timber for the gates of the tower of the house, the city walls, and his own residence. The king granted these requests, which Nehemias attributed to the favorable hand of God upon him.

Equipped with the royal letters and accompanied by imperial captains of soldiers and horsemen, Nehemias traveled to the governors beyond the river. News of his mission reached Sanaballat the Horonite and Tobias the Ammonite servant, who were deeply grieved that someone had arrived seeking the welfare of the children of Israel. Upon reaching Jerusalem, Nehemias remained for three days.

During the night, Nehemias went out secretly with a few companions, having told no one what God had placed in his heart to accomplish for Jerusalem. Riding his sole mount, he exited through the valley gate, rode past the dragon fountain, and examined the dung gate, inspecting the broken sections of the wall and the burned gates. Moving toward the fountain gate and the royal aqueduct, he found the passage too obstructed for his beast to pass. He then went up along the torrent to view the wall before returning through the valley gate. The civic leaders and priests remained entirely unaware of his nocturnal survey.

Following this inspection, Nehemias spoke to them, pointing out the affliction of Jerusalem with its desolate ruins and burned gates. He urged them to rebuild the walls so they would no longer endure reproach, recounting how God's hand had favored him and sharing the encouraging words of the king. Moved by his testimony, the community resolved to rise up and build, strengthening their hands for the work. When Sanaballat, Tobias, and Gossem the Arabian heard of this resolution, they mocked the builders and accused them of rebelling against the Persian king. Nehemias answered firmly that the God of heaven would grant them success as His servants, declaring that the adversaries held no share, legal right, or memorial in Jerusalem.

The story inside

When Artaxerxes asked about his sorrow, Nehemias explained the ruined city and prayed before requesting leave to rebuild. With the queen beside him, the king asked about the journey; Nehemias fixed a time. He requested letters for passage and timber, and traveled with captains and horsemen sent by the king. In Jerusalem he stayed three days, then inspected the damaged walls at night with few men before telling the leaders his plan. He urged rebuilding to end their reproach and reported the king’s words. The people’s hands were strengthened. He answered the adversaries’ rebellion accusation with a declaration of divine help and denial of their claims in Jerusalem.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The requests named passage letters, timber uses and a return time.
2
The night survey preceded disclosure to the local leaders.
3
Nehemias’s public appeal connected the damaged city with the king’s words and God’s favor.

Test your recall

How did Nehemias’s account of royal support help his appeal to rebuild?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 49042–49045
And the king said to me: Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou dost not appear to be sick? this is not without cause, but some evil, I know not what, is in thy heart. And I was seized with an exceeding great fear:
Lines 49055–49057
And I said to the king: If it seem good to the king, and if thy servant hath found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldst send me into Judea to the city of the sepulchre of my father, and I will build it.
Lines 49086–49089
And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, and before the dragon fountain, and to the dung gate, and I viewed the wall of Jerusalem which was broken down, and the gates thereof which were consumed with fire.
Lines 49115–49117
And I answered them, and said to them: The God of heaven he helpeth us, and we are his servants: let us rise up and build: but you have no part, nor justice, nor remembrance in Jerusalem.