Bible In One Year Day 272 (Nehemiah 1-2, Zechariah 12-13, Proverbs 20: 20-22)

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Day 272:  The Call of Nehemiah 

Agape Bible Study 
Nehemiah 1 - 2 

INTRODUCTION

In the Christian canon of Sacred Scripture, the Book of Nehemiah is part of the Historical Writings, coming after the Book of Ezra. The books of Ezra and Nehemiah are closely related to each other and similar in style to the Books of Chronicles. 

Historical Background

In 772 BC, Yahweh used the Assyrians as His instruments of justice to punish the Israelites of the Northern Kingdom of Israel for their apostasy from their covenant with Him. The Southern Kingdom of Judah was spared because good Davidic kings led the people to destroy images of false gods and repent their failures in obedience to Yahweh's covenant. However, with the death of good King Josiah in 609 BC, his sons and grandsons became complicit in the people's sins. Yahweh continually warned the people of the Southern Kingdom that continued apostasy would result in conquest and exile, but they ignored the warnings.

In the late seventh century BC, the Babylonians conquered the Assyrians and took possession of the Assyrian vassal kingdoms including Judah. In 605 BC when the Babylonians asserted their dominance over Judah as a vassal state, the Babylonians took the first captives into exile in Babylon. The prophet Daniel was one of those captives along with other boys from royal and noble families. It was the first of three groups of exiles transported to Babylon (also in 598 and 586 BC). However, despite the continued warning to submit to God's punishment for their apostasy and the call to repent their sins and return to God in covenant obedience, the kings and citizens of Judah ignored the warnings.

In 587 BC, the Babylonians, as God's instrument of judgment, conquered the Southern Kingdom of Judah, destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple (2 Kngs 25:1-21; 2 Chron 36:14-20; Jer 52:1-30). They took Jews who survived the destruction of Jerusalem and other towns in Judah as captives back to Babylon to begin the prophesied seventy years in exile (Jer 25:8-13; 2 Chr 36:21). It was the third wave of captured citizens of Judah. However, those who remained faithful to Yahweh place their hopes in the prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel who foretold Yahweh's promise not to abandon His people. The exiles would spend seventy years in captivity in atonement for their collective sins, and then God would rouse the spirit of a Gentile king to free them from captivity in Babylon, and, acting as God's divinely appointed "shepherd," return them to their homeland (Is 44:28-45:7; 48:20-21; Jer 28:10-14).

The Persian ruler who conquered Babylon in 539 BC bore the throne name Kores in Hebrew, Kyros in Greek, and Kurash in Persian. His name in English translations is Cyrus, meaning "shepherd," and he fulfilled Isaiah's 8^th century BC prophecy in Isaiah 44:28-45:4, I say of Cyrus: My shepherd, who fulfills my every wish; he shall say of Jerusalem, "Let her be rebuilt," and of the temple, "Let its foundations be laid" (Is 44:28). King Cyrus immediately issued an official decree magnanimously authorizing the return from exile and extended certain privileges to all peoples displaced from their homelands by the Babylonians, including the citizens of Judah. Led by Sheshbazzar, a descendant of King David and a prince of Judah (Ezra 1:8), the remnant of God's covenant people returned to their native land. The Persian rulers who succeeded Cyrus allowed and even encouraged the return of the Jews to their homeland, generously offering their financial support and political protection. However, the tribes of Judah and Benjamin that formed the Southern Kingdom of Judah did not return as a free and independent people. They returned under Persian rule as citizens of the Persian Province of Judah.

Persian Kings of the Achaemenid Dynasty who ruled Judah:

1. Cyrus II the Great ruled from 559-530 BC and conquered Babylon in 539 BC
2. Cambyses II, son of Cyrus the Great, ruled from 530-522 BC
3. Bardiya, son of Cyrus the Great or imposter, ruled 522 BC but assassinated by Persian nobles
4. Darius I, son of Hystaspes (a kinsman of Cyrus), ruled 522-486 BC
5. Xerxes I, son of Darius I, ruled 486-465 BC (husband of Esther)
6. Artaxerxes I, son of Darius I, ruled 465-424 BC
7. Xerxes II, son of Artaxerxes I, assassinated in 424 BC by Sogdianus
8. Sogdianus, son of Artaxerxes I, ruled 424-423 BC and assassinated by Darius II
9. Darius II, son of Artaxerxes I, ruled 423-404 BC
10. Artaxerxes II, son of Darius II, ruled 404-358 BC
11. Artaxerxes III, son of Artaxerxes II, ruled 358-338 BC
12. Artaxerxes IV, son of Artaxerxes III, ruled 338-336
13. Darius III, descendant of Darius II?, ruled 336-330 BC, killed by Artaxerxes V
14. Artaxerxes V, probably a son of Artaxerxes II, ruled 330-329 BC and killed by Greek King Alexander the Great

Part One of the Book of Nehemiah divides into two main parts:

1. Preparation to Reconstruct Jerusalem's Wall (1:1-2:20)
   1. Condition of the ruined walls (1:1-3)
   2. Nehemiah's prayer for God's intercession (1:4-11)
   3. King Artaxerxes gives his permission for Nehemiah's mission (2:1-10)
   4. Arrival of Nehemiah in Jerusalem and preparation to reconstruct the wall (2:11-20)
2. Reconstruction of the Wall (3:1-7:5)
   1. Record of the builders (3:1-32)
   2. Opposition to the reconstruction (3:33-38/4:1-6:14)
   3. Completion of the reconstruction (6:15-19)
   4. Reorganization of Jerusalem (7:1-5)

The Book of Ezra recounted the return of the Jewish exiles from Babylon, the rebuilding of the altar and the Temple (Ezra 1:1-6:22) and the spiritual revival led by Ezra the priestly scribe (Ezra 7:1-10:44). The narrative in the Book of Nehemiah continues the story by telling us about the reconstruction and resettlement of Jerusalem and the civil and spiritual rebuilding of the covenant people through the deeds of Nehemiah. The focus of Part One of Nehemiah's first mission concerns rebuilding Jerusalem's walls (Neh 1:1-2:20), the restoration of the city that was still in ruins (Neh 3:1-6:19), and the measures he took to repopulate it (Neh 7:1-72).

Nehemiah 1:1-3 ~ Nehemiah Received News Concerning Conditions in Jerusalem

Notice that the narrative is a first-person singular account of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah. In ancient times, the name of one's father served as a surname. The narrative begins in November/December of the twentieth year of the reign of King Artaxerxes I of Persia (see Israel's civil and liturgical calendar on the Agape Bible Study).Artaxerxes was a son of King Darius I whose generosity to the citizens of Judah is recorded in the Book of Ezra and the grandson of Xerxes I, the husband of Jewish Queen Esther. King Artaxerxes I ruled from 465-424 BC. As the Persian kings counted the years of their reigns, 465 BC was his accession year and year #1 was 464; therefore, the 20^th year of his reign was 445 BC.

Nehemiah 1:4-11 ~ Nehemiah's Prayer

The news the Jews bring from Jerusalem is disturbing, and Nehemiah has a profoundly religious reaction to what he hears.
Question: What is Nehemiah's reaction?
Answer: He mourns, fasts, and prays to God because he realizes that the situation in Jerusalem is a result of infidelity to Yahweh and His covenant.

That Nehemiah "sat down" was a customary posture in mourning and fasting (see Job 2:8, 13). His behavior is consistent with mourning and supplication practices during the exile and Second Temple period. His response is similar to Ezra's grief filled response in Ezra 9:3-15 where he offers mourning rituals, fasts, and confession of sins followed by prayer and also like the actions of the prophet Daniel in Daniel 9:3-20 who prays while wearing sackcloth and ashes, fasts, and confesses the sins of his people followed by a petionary prayer to the Lord God.

Nehemiah begins his prayer with an unusually long invocation in verses 5-6a. Petitionary prayers usually begin with an invocation, often simply with just "Lord" or "God." His long invocation is intended to remind Yahweh of both His power over human events and His obligations to His covenant people to address situations like the citizens of Jerusalem are experiencing.

Nehemiah's Mission in Lesson 2:

1. King Artaxerxes gives his permission for Nehemiah's mission (2:1-10)
2. The arrival of Nehemiah in Jerusalem and preparation to reconstruct the wall (2:11-20)
3. A record of the builders (3:1-32)
4. The opposition to the reconstruction (3:33-38/4:1)

Nehemiah 2:1-10 ~ King Artaxerxes Gives his Permission for Nehemiah's Mission

Since the Persian new year began at the spring equinox (in our calendar on March 20^th or 21^st), it must have been early in the month of Nisan/March before the year changed to the 21^st year of the king's reign and three months as we count after Nehemiah received news of the suffering of his people in Jerusalem (Neh 1:1).

Question: Why didn't Nehemiah name Jerusalem as the city of his ancestors that is in ruins? See Ezra 4:12, 15).
Answer: It was probably because of the notorious reputation of Jerusalem as a city with a history of rebelling against foreign overlords and encouraging its neighbors to join in alliances with them.

Nehemiah 2:11-20 ~ Nehemiah Arrives in Jerusalem and Prepares to Reconstruct the Wall

After three days in the city (two as we count), in verses 11-16, Nehemiah secretly made a nighttime expedition to assess the damaged Jerusalem walls. He did not reveal to anyone his plans to rebuild the walls of the city. He only took his mount and a few men with him, starting and ending at the Valley Gate route around Jerusalem beginning in the northwestern section of the city. However, he did not make a complete circuit of the city walls. He only inspected the southern area. Jerusalem was always most vulnerable on the north, and that is where most enemy attacks took place. Nehemiah ma have known or assumed that the northern walls had been completely destroyed by the Babylonian army of King Nebuchadnezzar about 140 years earlier.

Zechariah 12 -13 

Zechariah 12:1-6 ~ The Deliverance of and Restoration of Jerusalem

The word massa (burden) serves to divide the two sections of Zechariah Part II (see Zec 9:1 and Mal 1:1). However, the three formulaic introductions where this word appears each vary slightly from the others:

1. A proclamation [massa]. The word of Yahweh is against Hadrach (Zec 9:1)
2. A proclamation [massa]. The word of Yahweh about Israel (Zec 12:1)
3. A message [massa]. The word of Yahweh to Israel through Malachi (Mal 1:1)

Zechariah 12:7-14 ~ The Restoration of the House of David

Verse 7 is the first mention of the "House of David." Chapters 12 and 13 repeats King David's name 6 times (12:7, 8 twice, 10, 12; 13:1) and "House of David 5 times (12:7, 8, 10, 12, 13:1). The repetition of David' name and specifically "House of David" are to remind the reader that the eternal covenant God made with David and his descendants is still in effect and will come to fulfillment in the return of the Davidic Messiah. Yahweh promised David and the Scriptures continually repeated that the Messianic Redeemer-Messiah would come from the "House of David" to shepherd God's people and rule an eternal kingdom ( 2 Sam 7:16; 23:5; 1 Kng 2:45; 2 Chron 13:5; Ps 89:3-5; Sir 45:25; 47:11/13; 2:45; Is 11:1-5; Jer 23:5-6; 33:14-16; Ez 34:23-24).

Zechariah 13:1-6 ~ Purification of Sin Through the House of David and the End of False Prophecy

The "fountain" is the first of two references in Zechariah to the river of God that flows from the Jerusalem Temple to cleanse the people; also see Zechariah 14:8 where God promised living waters would pour forth from Jerusalem in the Messianic Age (for other references see Ps 46:4; Ez 47:1-12; Joel 3:18 and Rev 22:1-2). In John 4:14 and 7:37-38, Jesus compares Himself to this life-giving flowing stream:

• John 4:13-14 ~ Jesus offered "living water" (Jn 4:10) to the Samaritan woman. When she expressed her surprise, Jesus said: "Whoever drinks this water will be thirsty again; but no one who drinks the water that I shall give him will ever be thirsty again: the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water, welling up for eternal life."
• John 7:37-38 ~ On the last day of the week-long pilgrim feast of Shelters/Tabernacles, Jesus stood up in the Temple and cried out: "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me! Let anyone who believes in me come and drink! As Scripture says, 'From his heart shall flow streams of living water.'"

This same imagery appears in the Book of Revelation when a "river of life" flows from the throne of God and the Lamb in the eternal Jerusalem (Rev 22:1-2).

The purifying blood and water of Baptism and the Eucharist, flowing from Jesus' pierced heart, will wash away the sins of humanity (Jn 19:34). And it is the outpouring of God's Spirit on the Feast Pentecost (Acts 2) that will baptize all who believe in Christ in the sanctifying waters of the New Covenant, forgiving all their sins to inaugurate a New Covenant people of God. The Davidic Messiah will be their shepherd-prince forever in a covenant of peace that is an everlasting covenant (Jer 32:40; 50:5; Ez 37:24-28; 2 Pt 1:11).

Zechariah 13:7-9 ~ Invocation to the Sword That Struck Down God's Shepherd

13:7-9 is a continuation of 11:15-17 that was a condemnation of the "good for nothing shepherd" of Zechariah's time. Instead, Yahweh will send "My shepherd." There are several interpretations of the individual identified as God's man:

1. Is he the prophet Zechariah who served according to God's word (cf. Dan 8:16-17)?
2. Is he the Angel of Yahweh (cf. Dan 9:21)?
3. Is he the promised royal, Davidic Shepherd-Messiah (cf. Ez 34:23-24; 37:24), Jesus of Nazareth?

The third option is most likely the reference since Yahweh's shepherd will be rejected and struck down by the people in verse 7b. This individual, in his rejection and suffering, opens the way for the purification and ultimate salvation of the people (see Mt 26:31; Mk 14:27).

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A Daily Defense 

DAY 272 The Use of Religious Images

CHALLENGE: “Catholics use statues and pictures, but the Ten Commandments prohibit such religious images (Exod. 20:4–6; Deut. 5:8 10).”

DEFENSE: The Ten Commandments prohibit making idols, not religious images.

Idols are manufactured objects that people falsely believe to be deities. Their use was commonplace in paganism, and God rightly prohibited the Israelites from making them. However, not all religious use of images is idolatry, and God commanded the religious use of images in the Old Testament.

At one point the Israelites are being bitten by serpents, and God had Moses make a bronze serpent “and set it on a pole; and if a serpent bit any man, he would look at the bronze serpent and live” (Num. 21:9). Looking at the bronze serpent to be healed was a religious act God authorized. (Nevertheless, when the bronze serpent began to be worshipped as a god itself, it was destroyed; 2 Kings 18:4).

Similarly, God commanded statues of golden cherubim be made at each end of the mercy seat on the Ark of the Covenant (Exod. 25:18–22). He similarly commanded images of cherubim be woven into the curtains of the tabernacle (Exod. 26:1). When the tabernacle was replaced by the temple, images of cherubim were fashioned on the temple’s walls, its doors, and its veil (2 King. 6:29–35; 2 Chron. 3:7, 14). And there were two giant (15–feet tall) statues of cherubim in the holy of holies (2 Kings 6:23–28; 2 Chron. 3:10–13).

The inclusion of these images on the ark, in the tabernacle, and in the temple indicates their religious function. They represent the inhabitants of heaven, the angels who surround God. In our age, now that humans have been admitted to heaven (Rev. 6:9, 7:14–17), it is natural for statues of human saints also to be placed in churches.

Most significantly, by virtue of the Incarnation, Jesus inaugurated a new age in which God took on visible form. It has been natural since then for Christians to depict Jesus in religious art. This includes the Protestant community, where two-dimensional images of Jesus are common. Adding a third dimension to make a carving or statue does not fundamentally change the situation.

All today recognize that images of Christ and the saints are merely symbols of the individuals they represent (a precursor of modern photographs). They are not idols (see Day 307).

Jimmy Akin, A Daily Defense: 365 Days (Plus One) to Becoming a Better Apologist