Introduction
• Nehemiah faced many obstacles on his quest to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. A lesser man would have crumbled under the weight of the responsibilities. His victory over the enemies of Israel is a lesson in spiritual and moral courage, dedication, and an unwavering commitment to accomplish the task God gave him.
• I’m Brent and this is episode 25 of The Bible Unplugged. We continue to explore the life and challenges of Nehemiah who took on the monumental task of not only rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem but renewing the faith and dedication of the people of Israel.
• Please take a minute to look at the show notes for this episode at PowerLoveandMiracles.com under the Podcast tab. While you are there, please subscribe to receive notifications of future episodes.
Who was Nehemiah?
• As we discussed in the last episode, Nehemiah was the cupbearer to the Artaxerxes. That role gave Nehemiah frequent meetings with the king. The king trusted Nehemiah to keep him from being poisoned and to provide wise counsel to the king.
• While many of the people we read about during the exile went by their Persian names, Nehemiah kept his Jewish name. The Book of Nehemiah uses two titles: mashqa, which means cupbearer and tirshatha, translates governor. Some commentators think that tirshatha was Nehemiah’s Persian name, but that word denotes his governmental function, not his name.
How did Nehemiah lead?
• Nehemiah had a unique leadership style: he was forceful and decisive in the way he handled challenges and problems. God used this forcefulness to accomplish a seemingly insurmountable task.
• The sheer scale and complexity of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem required a leader who knew how to acquire resources, organize labor, and solve problems.
• Nehemiah divided the workload among the many families and groups in Jerusalem. This kept the massive project from overwhelming the people and help them focus on a smaller responsibility. The Book of Nehemiah chapter 3 gives a detailed list of assignments for each part of the wall and the various gates.
• The organized threats from Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem, discussed previously, posed a political, personal, and physical challenge to Nehemiah and the people. Nehemiah alleviated the fear of attack during construction by posting guards at vulnerable points in the wall and encouraging workers to carry weapons as they worked. Nehemiah overcame the psychological warfare from his opponents by encouraging the people to remember the Lord their God and to fight for their families and homes. This is in the Book of Nehemiah chapter 4.
• Threats to the project didn’t just come from outside enemies. There was internal dissent and argument about the rebuilding project.
• In Chapter 5 we see Nehemiah getting angry at the wealthy leaders that charged high interest rates to the people who needed to buy food and care for their families. His rhetoric was so forceful that the leaders, in Chapter 5 verse 15, “held their peace, and found never a word.” When Nehemiah finished his verbal scourging the leadership promised to restore what had been extorted and take care of the people.
• We see the ultimate use of Nehemiah’s force in Chapter 13 when he lost his temper over the men of Israel marrying women from enemy tribes. In a previous episode we found Ezra confronting the same problem, but with a much calmer style. Ezra grieved and pulled his hair out over his dismay. Nehemiah didn’t pull his own hair. In Chapter 13 verse 25 Nehemiah “contended with them, and cursed them, and struck certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God to stop intermarrying.
• When his enemies tried to intimidate and distract Nehemiah, he stayed focused on his tasks. His enemies tried to lure him away from the project, but Nehemiah said in chapter 6, “I am doing a great work, so that I can't come down. Why should the work cease, while I leave it, and come down to you?”
• The enemies tried out right lies. They threatened to tell the Persians that Nehemiah wanted to overthrow their previous captors and establish Nehemiah as the new King of Judah. Nehemiah wasn’t deterred. He replied to them, saying, “There are no such things done as you say, but you imagine them out of your own heart." 9For they all would have made us afraid, saying, "Their hands will be weakened from the work, that it not be done. But now, [God], strengthen my hands."
• Nehemiah’s strength of character and his strong personality were just what Israel needed to accomplish the rebuilding project.
What we learn from this
• Nehemiah faced his opposition head on without feeling threatened. He had a singular focus and dedication to do God’s will. When we face challenges that seem insurmountable, remember that God is on your side and that your enemies aren’t nearly as powerful as they look.
• Nehemiah was very organized and proactive. We need to use that same focus when we accomplish what God calls us to do.
• We will always have detractors who try to keep us from trusting God. Remember that people like that need to tear you down so they can feel good about themselves. Don’t fall into that trap.
What do we do with this?
• The Bible has a lot to teach us about facing difficulties.
• When you feel anxious, afraid or uncertain about the future, take time to focus instead on what God has done for you in the past. Ask God to reveal your hidden strengths that will help you when times are hard.
• Faith and practical action are necessary to follow God’s will. When you are not sure how to accomplish a task or challenge, ask someone who shows strong faith and strength to help you learn and grow in your spiritual journey. Asking for help and wise counsel is a compliment to those who are worthy to be asked.
• Don’t hesitate to follow the path God has for you. I have heard a lot of people say they are afraid to follow what God is leading them to do. Some say that because they lack confidence or ability. God may call you to a large task but will equip you to meet the challenge. James chapter one verse five says, “if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach; and it will be given to him.
The conclusion
• And, as you know, the music in the background means I have run out of time for this episode, but there’s more.
• I hope this has been helpful. If so, give this podcast a high rating and share it with others.
• In the next episode we will look at how God used Nehemiah’s unique personality to overcome the challenges and obstacles to completing the task God laid before him.
• My prayer for you is that you will see that your God-given personality and abilities are useful in his kingdom and for other people as well.
• Have a blessed week.
The disclaimers
• Just to let you know
• All opinions are my own. If you agree, keep listening. If you don’t… keep listening, there may be some good stuff here.
• All Bible quotations come from the World English Bible which is a public domain work.
• Our show theme song is “Awesome Call” by Kevin MacLeod and is available under a Creative Commons license.
• The content of this podcast is copyrighted 2025 by J. Brent Eaton
• This has been a Power Love and Miracles production.
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