Real Hope: Nehemiah - Building CommunitySample

Who Cries Over a Broken Wall

Nehemiah had a great job and a comfortable life. Although he was one of the exiled Jews, he had made a new life in Susa, serving King Artaxerxes. It was 444 BC, and the dispersed communities of exiled Jews were permitted to return to Jerusalem. Nehemiah’s brother Hanani was among those who had returned to their war-torn homeland. As a result of what he saw, Hanani decided to have a conversation with Nehemiah that would change his brother’s life, as documented in the verse above.

Nehemiah cried with compassion when he heard that his people were distressed. The broken walls and lack of gates to his homeland left his friends and family vulnerable. And without any way to obtain the resources needed to rebuild, the people were despairing. Nehemiah, like Esther in the Bible, was in a position to approach the king for the resources required to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. However, as a servant of the king, it was a brave move. If the king was displeased by Nehemiah’s request, Nehemiah could lose everything, even his life.

Nehemiah’s faith in God, compassion for his people, and understanding of what was needed to rebuild the wall gave him the determination to approach King Artaxerxes. Nehemiah understood that a basic need for building community is safety. Without a wall and gates, the people living in Jerusalem were not safe from attacks. They would not have felt safe to go out of their homes and would certainly not have felt safe to gather in any public space.

Written by KATH HENRY