Topical Bible: God: Rebuilding the Walls of Jerusalem

◄ God: Rebuilding the Walls of Jerusalem ►

Jump to: Nave's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

The rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem is a significant event in the history of Israel, symbolizing not only the physical restoration of the city but also the spiritual renewal of the Jewish people. This event is primarily chronicled in the Book of Nehemiah, which details the efforts led by Nehemiah, a Jewish cupbearer to the Persian king Artaxerxes, who was moved by God to restore the walls of Jerusalem.

Historical Context

Following the Babylonian exile, many Jews were living in diaspora, and Jerusalem lay in ruins. The city’s walls, which had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC, left the city vulnerable to attack and its people in disgrace. The rebuilding of the walls was crucial for the protection and re-establishment of Jerusalem as a center of Jewish life and worship.

Nehemiah’s Mission

Nehemiah, upon hearing of the desolation of Jerusalem, was deeply troubled. In Nehemiah 1:4 , he states, "When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven." Nehemiah’s response was one of prayer and fasting, seeking God’s guidance and favor.

God granted Nehemiah favor with King Artaxerxes, who not only permitted him to return to Jerusalem but also provided him with letters of safe passage and resources for the rebuilding project (Nehemiah 2:7-8). This divine intervention highlights God’s sovereignty and His role in the restoration of His people.

The Rebuilding Process

Upon his arrival in Jerusalem, Nehemiah faced opposition from local officials, including Sanballat and Tobiah, who mocked and ridiculed the efforts (Nehemiah 2:19). Despite this, Nehemiah remained steadfast, rallying the people to work with the declaration, "The God of heaven will give us success. We His servants will start rebuilding" (Nehemiah 2:20).

The rebuilding of the walls was a communal effort, with families and groups assigned specific sections to repair. Nehemiah 3 provides a detailed account of the various individuals and groups who participated in the work, demonstrating the unity and dedication of the people under Nehemiah’s leadership.

Challenges and Perseverance

Throughout the rebuilding process, Nehemiah and the people faced significant challenges, including threats of attack. In response, Nehemiah implemented practical measures, such as posting guards and having workers carry weapons while they built (Nehemiah 4:16-18). Nehemiah’s leadership and reliance on God’s protection were crucial in overcoming these obstacles.

The work was completed in an astonishing 52 days, a testament to the determination of the people and the providence of God. Nehemiah 6:15-16 records, "So the wall was completed in fifty-two days, on the twenty-fifth of Elul. When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God."

Spiritual Renewal

The rebuilding of the walls was accompanied by a spiritual revival among the people. Nehemiah 8 describes how Ezra the scribe read the Law to the assembly, leading to a renewed commitment to God’s commandments. The people celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles and confessed their sins, reaffirming their covenant with God (Nehemiah 9-10).

Significance

The rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem under Nehemiah’s leadership is a powerful narrative of faith, perseverance, and divine intervention. It underscores the importance of communal effort, prayer, and reliance on God in overcoming adversity. This event not only restored the physical security of Jerusalem but also revitalized the spiritual life of the Jewish community, setting the stage for future generations to continue in their covenant relationship with God.

Nave's Topical Index

Nehemiah 6:16
And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was worked of our God.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

A Man of Opportunity
... God's children are not only to pray in faith, but to work with diligent ... of sacred
enterprises today as in the time of the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls. ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 52 a man of.htm

Overcoming Great Difficulties
... Arabians and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the rebuilding of the walls
of Jerusalem ... But we prayed to our God and set a watch as a protection ...
/.../sherman/the childrens bible/overcoming great difficulties.htm

The Builders on the Wall
... requiring the inhabitants to co-operate with him in rebuilding the walls of the ... reproach
among the heathen"their religion dishonored, their God blasphemed ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 53 the builders on.htm

Book 11 Footnotes
... of fulfilling his old vow for the rebuilding of Jerusalem ... laws, and so the blessing
of God is forfeited ... came with his commission to build the walls of Jerusalem ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/book 11 footnotes.htm

A Reformer's Schooling
... The men who have been raised up to do great work for God and men, have always to
begin by ... No man will do worthy work at rebuilding the walls who has not ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/a reformers schooling.htm

The Restoration.
... (3) The rebuilding of the walls (Neh ... 150 years since Isaiah in his prophesies called
Cyrus by name and predicted that he should restore God's captive people ...
/.../tidwell/the bible period by period/chapter xvi the restoration.htm

"The Prophets of God Helping Them"
... had made the inquiry to allow the rebuilding of the ... God saw that His people were
in need of being ... Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 46 the prophets of.htm

The Two Guards, Praying and Watching
... Nehemiah, and the Jews with him, were rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. ... did in this
emergency: "Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 38 1892/the two guards praying and.htm

Hillis -- God the Unwearied Guide
... upon its gates, the fall of the walls, all the ... And think you if God's winds can
transform a spray and ... Man's hand unequal to the task of rebuilding Jerusalem? ...
/.../various/the worlds great sermons volume 10/hillis god the unwearied.htm

Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther.
... (7) God's use of friends and enemies in forwarding his purposes. ... I. The Rebuilding
of the Wall, Chs.1-7. ... 2. The work on the walls and its hindrance, 3-7. II. ...
/.../the way of salvation in the lutheran church/chapter xi ezra nehemiah and.htm