Journey Through The Scriptures

The closer Nehemiah came to completing the walls of Jerusalem, the more he was harassed and threatened by the enemies of God. First, his foes tried to lure Nehemiah to Ono, an area at least twenty miles north of Jerusalem, on the pretext of wanting to make peace. But Nehemiah knew there was no good reason for him to leave Jerusalem in the middle of his work, and that his enemies planned to kill him. Their second effort was slander, sending an open letter in which they accused Nehemiah of wanting to make himself king of Judah—a declaration which would have been treasonous to King Artaxerxes of Persia because Jerusalem at this time was a province of Persia.

Nehemiah’s enemies were at least persistent. Their third attempt to bring him down involved paying an “insider” to trick Nehemiah into fleeing into the Temple to save himself from would-be assassins. But Nehemiah knew the Law of God! Only the priests were permitted to go where Nehemiah was told to hide (Numbers 3:10). To go there would have violated the Law and exposed Nehemiah to disgrace and even God’s judgment. Despite all of these efforts, Nehemiah and the people of Jerusalem completed the city’s walls in just fifty-two days! Nehemiah then proceeded to register the people to determine who was eligible to live in the holy city.