Nehemiah I: External Threats in the Quest for a Jewish Identity

This post is part of a two-post series. The second portion will be posted Thursday, March 24 under the title, "Nehemiah II: Internal Threats in the Quest for a Jewish Identity."

The tales of Ezra and Nehemiah mark the beginning of the postexilic period, in which the Israelites attempt to reestablish themselves in Judah under the auspices of King Cyrus of Persia. After dispersal, the Israelites (or Jews, as they are referred to by outsiders) rally around two major building projects: the temple and the wall. The story of the rebuilding of the Temple is told in Ezra. The rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem is told in Nehemiah.

The Jews were again dispersed in 70 C.E., this time by the Romans. Had it not been for events well over half-a-century ago, this story of redemption in Ezra and Nehemiah could have been timeless, without parallel in the modern world. But it's a story that played itself out again not so long ago, with the creation of the modern state of Israel in 1948. That nation likewise faced and faces the hostility of its neighbors.

One of the formulas of biblical literature is the repetition of events as a way of showing that the undercurrents of our lives are timeless. Apostasy and repentance, destruction and renewal are constant cycles. Even after the codification of the bible, the themes within the tale continue to repeat themselves. This will be partially apparent in today's post, but really come to light Thursday. Today we will focus on the struggles of reestablishing the center of Israelite worship: the house of God or temple.

The story up to this point:
Israel and Jerusalem were ruled for years by kings, some wicked and some good. The wicked ones would destroy the work of the good ones through their apostasy, and the good ones would reconstruct the great society that was destroyed by the wicked kings. First the northern kingdom of Israel is taken, then the southern kingdom of Judah. The residents of Judah are overtaken by the Chaldeans and taken to Babylon. They are granted liberty by King Cyrus of Persia some 50 years later (historically; the bible indicates 70 as a more perfect symbolic number). And so the difficult task of rebuilding society may begin.

This is not to say that previous books do not point toward a Jewish/Israelite identity. They do. I chose the book of Nehemiah to feature this point because there is so much condensed evidence to support the idea, coming at a time when Jewish community was of supreme importance as it re-forms itself in the postexilic period.

Setting the Stage

The book of Nehemiah opens with news of the destruction and shame of Jerusalem:

The survivors there in the province who escaped captivity are in great trouble and shame; the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been destroyed by fire.
(Nehemiah 1.3)

This is followed by the first of many prayers to appear in the book of Nehemiah. Appearing in Nehemiah 1.5-11, the prayer first invokes the covenant and God's steadfast love that accompanies it. This is followed by an acknowledgement of sin, and a reminder of God's covenant with Moses:

"If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples; but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are under the farthest skies, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place at which I have chosen to establish my name."
(Nehemiah 1.8-9)

The prayer closes with an entreaty that God hear and act on the prayer.

This prayer effectively explains the back story of this narrative and explicates the themes that will appear throughout: the dialectical tension between God and humankind, God's everlasting love, and pity on marginalized groups.

Politics
Nehemiah is cup bearer to King Artaxerxes - which is actually an important office with a degree of political clout in the Persian court. He therefore stands to actually have some impact in his words to the king. In fact, Artaxerxes gives Nehemiah permission to rebuild the city of his ancestors, and provides the him with letters granting safe passage and access to timber for the rebuilding of the city. Nehemiah and the other exiles are accompanied to Jerusalem by officers from the army and cavalry.

Nehemiah 5.14-19 marks a peculiar section in which Nehemiah records the food and drink served at his table, with a strong emphasis that this is all provided without taking advantage of the king's assistance - an allowance of food that Artaxerxes provides to governors. Nehemiah remains as independent from the king as possible while still maintaining good political ties that will benefit Israel. In any case, Nehemiah rejects the allowance in favor of food produced by his own people. This section ends in one of his many prayers, this one a bit self-serving, as though the man is trying to memorialize himself for humans as well as God:

Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people.
(Nehemiah 5.19)

Threats
Local governors voice their opposition to the rebuilding from the very beginning. Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite threaten great grief for the Israelites. These characters will show up to threaten the well-being of the Israelites, after which Nehemiah consistently petitions God for justice or protection. Examples:

Nehemiah 4.4-5
A prayer to God asking for retribution for the insults the Israelites suffer.

Nehemiah 4.9
Mention of a prayer for protection. This is supplemented by a guard protecting Jerusalem. Nehemiah places troops around the wall to defend against impending attack, and construction continues with an air of readiness for battle. The people are told:

“The work is great and widely spread out, and we are separated far from one another on the wall. Rally to us wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet. Our God will fight for us.”
(Nehemiah 4.19-20)

This statement of faith in God confirms the historic precedent that God will indeed fight on behalf of Israel.

Nehemiah 6.9
A short prayer, asking God to "strengthen my hands" as Nehemiah continues construction of the wall in the face of threats from Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshom the Arab.

Nehemiah 6.14
A petition to God for retribution on Tobiah, Sanballat, and the conspiring false prophets, for their roles in an assassination plot against Nehemiah.

The Wall
Nehemiah guides the people in the construction of the wall around Jerusalem, which serves to protect Israel from external threats. The rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem is a collaborative effort between the Israelites. Nehemiah 3 is comprised of a survey of all those who participated, and how and where they helped out.

When the wall is completed, it is said that,

 All the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem; for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.
(Nehemiah 6.16)

After the completion of the wall, Jerusalem no longer needs to fear the external threat so greatly. It now has God and a physical barrier for protection. However, interior life must be reformed as well if the Jews are to maintain their protected status under God...