Bio – Abraham

c. 5^th century BC

Like Daniel, Nehemiah was another Hebrew who managed to thrive in exile, rising to the position of cupbearer to the Persian king, Artaxerxes I—a role of significant importance. Clearly Nehemiah was a man of keen intelligence, reliability and loyalty to have acquired such status and trust from the king despite the fact that he was a foreigner and a devout Jew.

When Nehemiah learned from his brother that the city of Jerusalem was still in disrepair, and that the exiles who had returned to it were demoralised and inactive, he was heartbroken and broke down in tears, turning to God in prayer. When the king asked him the cause of his sadness, Nehemiah explained the situation and asked to be permitted to return to Jerusalem to help his people. Artaxerxes graciously agreed to let him leave, and even provided him with an escort and supplies for the task ahead.

The first thing that Nehemiah did upon his arrival was to undertake an inspection of the city walls. He was shocked to see how bad the situation was, and the very next morning he called the leaders of the people to him, insisting that they immediately begin work on rebuilding the walls.

Nehemiah organised work groups, ensuring that everyone was involved. Though work began straight away, they were met with opposition—their neighbours, the Samaritans, did not want them to fortify the city, and tried to make life difficult for them, even resorting to threatening an attack. But Nehemiah remained steadfast and undeterred. He arranged the men into two groups, making sure that all were armed, and that half the men kept guard whilst the others worked. In fifty-two gruelling days, the huge task was completed, the walls were rebuilt and the city protected.

Together with Ezra, the priest, Nehemiah was responsible for restoring order to Jerusalem and bringing the people closer to God.

Nehemiah was an intelligent and driven man. He was extremely devout with strong values, which he maintained not only in a foreign land, but even when under attack, showing great courage and perseverance. He knew that the exiles in Jerusalem were doing God’s work, and he wholeheartedly placed his trust in the Lord to protect them from their enemies. He never wavered in his faith, and understood the power of prayer.

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