Nehemiah 2 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study
Nehemiah 2 Short Summary:
Nehemiah 2 documents Nehemiah’s journey from Susa, the capital of the Persian Empire, to Jerusalem. Along his journey, he made a few enemies, two are specifically named, Sanballat and Tobiah. After arriving in Jerusalem and inspecting the crumbling walls, Nehemiah inspired the Jews to rebuild them.
Nehemiah 2 Summary
WHEN:
538-537 BC – Cyrus the Great of Persia frees the Jews from their Babylonian captivity.
516 BC – The rebuilding of the Temple is completed in Jerusalem.
457 BC – Ezra arrives in Jerusalem.
445-444 BC – Nehemiah arrives in Jerusalem.
KEY CHARACTERS:
Jews – The descendants of Israel who were repopulating the land of Judah after returning to it following 70 years of captivity in Babylonia. They spent many decades rebuilding Jerusalem.
Nehemiah – A descendant of the tribes of Israel, a Jew, who was the cupbearer of the King of Persia.
Artaxerxes Longimanus – King of Persia from 464-424 BC
Sanballat and Tobiah – Enemies of Nehemiah and the Jews who opposed the rebuilding of Jerusalem.
WHERE:
Susa – The capital of the Persian Empire.
Jerusalem – The capital of the Kingdom of Judah and the location of God’s Temple.
OUTLINE:
NEHEMIAH ASKS ARTAXERXES FOR PERMISSION TO GO TO JERUSALEM (2:1-8):
These events took place about 4 months after Nehemiah received news about the sad state of Jerusalem from Hanani (1:2, Chislev = Nov/Dec, Nisan = Mar/Apr).
Nehemiah was working as the king’s cupbearer when Artaxerxes noticed he seemed a bit sad.
After being asked the reason, Nehemiah told the king he couldn’t help but be sad because the great city of his people, Jerusalem, was in ruins.
The king granted Nehemiah leave to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the city. He also gave him permission to harvest timbers from the royal forest to use in rebuilding the gates, walls, and houses of Jerusalem.
NEHEMIAH AND THE WALLS OF JERUSALEM (2:9-18):
Nehemiah travelled to Jerusalem with the king’s blessing and a guard of officers and horsemen.
He announced his arrival to the “governors of the province Beyond the River” with a letter from Artaxerxes, but not everyone was happy to see him.
Two men, Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite, were angry that someone “had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel” (2:10).
After being in Jerusalem for 3 days, Nehemia went out at night and inspected the walls of the city. He went from the Valley Gate, to the Dragon Spring, to the Dung Gate, to the Fountain Gate, and then to the King’s Pool.
Afterwards, Nehemiah gathered the priests, nobles, and officials of the city and told them he wanted to organize the people to rebuild the crumbling walls.
Nehemiah was confident that he had the Lord’s blessing, and he shared with the officials how Artaxerxes had given him permission to use the trees in the forest.
The Jews were inspired by Nehemiah’s leadership. They responded positively, saying, “Let us rise up and build.”
SANBALLAT AND TOBIAH (2:19-20):
As soon as the Jews mobilized to build, Sanballat and Tobiah mocked them and tried to frame them as rebels against the Kingdom of Persia.
Nehemiah told them to go away and mind their own business.
APPLICATION:
False framing is an age-old tactic of the Devil’s servants.
If you are working hard and motivating people in God’s Kingdom, you will face opposition, and your opponents will try to frame you in unfavorable light.
They do this to get others to doubt your authenticity, and to get you to doubt yourself.
Strong leaders are often framed as proud, domineering, as change-agents, rebels, or as having ulterior motives.
Nehemiah knew he came to Jerusalem to do God’s work, he knew he wasn’t a rebel against Persia, so he dismissed his critics and went back to work.
Strong leaders need to know their own hearts and be confident in the purity of their motives. This will allow them to dismiss baseless claims and get back to the important work God has entrusted them with.
