Nehemiah-Champion of the Lord

            Nehemiah was the cupbearer for the king of Persia during the captivity of the Jews.  Many Jews had returned to the Promised Land, but they were in disarray.  The walls of Jerusalem, which were needful for the city to be defensible, were in shambles.  They had never been rebuilt when the Jews returned at first, and the people in the city were living in the midst of the rubble.  When Nehemiah heard this, he wept, fasted, and prayed before God, confessing his peoples’ sins, and begging God to fulfill His promises to Israel, so that the people may live in safety again.  Then the king asked Nehemiah one day why he was sad, because he looked upset.  Nehemiah prayed silently as he explained the matter to the king.  The king asked him what he needed, and Nehemiah listed the supplies.  The king then commissioned him to go rebuild the wall.

            In the process of rebuilding the wall, and later ruling as governor of Judah, he ran into a lot of obstacles.  Enemies, upset people among the Jews, despair and threats, even sin among the rulers of the people.  Nehemiah confronted each of them without fear, because he feared God.  The wall was rebuilt in 52 days, and he ruled the people wisely in godliness as the governor.  He was a champion because he overcame every obstacle set in his way because of his fear of God, and did exactly what God intended, rebuilding the wall, rebuilding the people, and ruling them in godliness and peace.  This is a tough duty, but Nehemiah did it well.

            He impacted the course of history because prior to his administration, the Jews were feeble and still living in sin, but Nehemiah led them to strength and righteousness.  He was yet another stepping stone of the Jews on History’s march to the Messiah.  Daniel prophesied specifically concerning the rebuilding of the wall and its relation to the coming of Messiah.  (Daniel 9:25)