Historical and Biblical Background

Nehemiah’s Place in the Old Testament Narrative

 We will take a quick journey through the Old Testament, highlighting key points of the overall story. After this general overview, we will focus more deeply on the historical background of the book of Nehemiah.

The Old Testament story can be broken down into 10 episodes, each telling an important part of the overall narrative:

1. Beginnings
2. Patriarchs
3. Exodus
4. Settlement
5. Judges
6. United Kingdom
7. Divided Kingdom
8. Captivity
9. Restoration
10. Silence

Join us as we zoom through each of these episodes and explore the significance of Nehemiah’s place in the Old Testament story. Let’s dive in and discover the rich history of the Bible together.

1. BEGINNINGS: From Creation to Abraham (Genesis 1-12)

 In the book of Genesis, the following events are recorded in the first dozen chapters:

• Creation (Genesis1-2)
• The Fall (Genesis 3)
• Cain kills Abel (Genesis 4)
• Family Trees (Genesis 5 & 10)
• The Flood (Genesis 6-8)
• Promise of the Rainbow (Genesis 9)
• Tower of Babel (Genesis 11)

These events are foundational to the Christian faith and provide insight into the origins of humanity and the world. Each story adds depth to our understanding of God’s plan and purpose for creation. From the beauty of creation to the tragedy of the Fall, these accounts shape our understanding of the Bible and our place in the world.

2. PATRIARCHS: From Abraham to Moses (Genesis 11 – Exodus 2)

The lineage of patriarchs from Abraham to Moses is highlighted in the book of Genesis, chapters 11 to Exodus, chapter 2.

• God chose Abraham to be the father of many nations, as outlined in Genesis 11 and 12.
• Born in Ur of the Chaldees, Abraham, along with Sarah, Terah, and Lot, left Ur and settled in Haran. After living there for twenty to thirty years, Abraham became very wealthy. Terah stayed in Haran and eventually passed away.
• Subsequently, Abraham, Sarah, and Lot journeyed to Canaan, where Abraham entered into a covenant with God, who promised him land, seed, and blessings. In Genesis12:1-3, God promises to make Abraham a great nation and to bless all the families of the earth through him. This promise is further elaborated in Genesis 15, where God establishes a covenant with Abraham, promising him descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky.
• This covenant is passed down through Abraham’s descendants, particularly through his son Isaac and grandson Jacob (whose name was changed to Israel). It is further solidified in the book of Exodus, where God makes a covenant with the Israelites through Moses at Mount Sinai. In Exodus19:5-6, God declares that the Israelites will be His treasured possession if they obey His commandments and keep His covenant.
• Abraham had two sons, Ishmael and Isaac. Isaac, in turn, had two sons, Jacob and Esau. Jacob had twelve sons and one daughter.
• Jacob’s youngest son was Benjamin, and his next oldest was Joseph.
• Joseph was sold into slavery and taken to Egypt, eventually landing in Potiphar’s house. Joseph went from being a slave to being in prison. But then, due to his ability to foretell the future, he ended up as the number two man in the kingdom, with only the Pharoah ahead of him.
• Famine in the Middle East brought Jacob and his other sons to Egypt, where Joseph provided for them.
• During their time in Egypt, the Israelites were free for thirty years but slaves for hundreds of years after that. By the time they left Egypt, there were two and a half million Israelites.

 EXODUS: From Moses to Joshua (Exodus through Deuteronomy)

 To liberate His people, God raised up a remarkable leader named Moses. Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt after a series of ten devastating plagues. After leaving Egypt, they crossed the Red Sea on dry land and traveled to Mount Sinai, a significant landmark mentioned in Exodus 20.

Two important events took place at Mount Sinai: the giving of the Law and the revelation of the blueprint for the Tabernacle. At the heart of the Law were the Ten Commandments.

Moving forward, Moses guided the Israelites to Kadesh-Barnea, where twelve spies were sent to explore the land. Ten spies believed the land to be unconquerable, while two, Joshua and Caleb, argued that the land could be conquered with God’s power. The people followed the ten. This serves as a lesson on the pitfalls of relying solely on the majority view.

Subsequently, the Israelites endured forty years of wandering until Moses’ death grew near. Before passing, he shared five powerful messages that make up the Book of Deuteronomy.

At this point, Joshua, a skilled military leader, took charge as they approached the Jordan River, prepared to cross into uncharted territories. He was a worthy, God-picked successor to his mentor, Moses.

4. SETTLEMENT: From Joshua to Anarchy (Book of Joshua)

 Joshua bravely led his people across the Jordan River, even during flood time. God stopped the flow of water so they could safely walk over.

In Canaan, the capital city of Jericho stood squarely in their way. Just imagine being a Jerichoite standing on the walls and looking eastward, seeing a massive hoard of people approaching. The drama intensified as they marched around Jericho once a day, eventually leading to its conquest.

Next, Ai was attacked, a challenge that was defeated due to disobedience by Achan, who had taken forbidden items from Jericho. The importance of obedience was highlighted as Ai was eventually captured.

The strategic capture of Jericho, Ai, and victories in the region of Gibeon led to a separation of the north and south of Canaan. Joshua’s military tactics were commendable as he first conquered the South, then regrouped his troops at Gilgal before heading North for another campaign.

The land was divided among the remaining tribes, with Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh already settling on the Jordan River’s east side. The distribution of land among the tribes had its complexities, especially with the sons of Joseph inheriting tribes due to Reuben losing the double portion to him.

     5.  JUDGES: Anarchy (Book of Judges)

 After the land was divided, Israel experienced anarchy. During this time, judges were in charge of governing the people. Various ups and downs marked this 400-year period. They repeatedly underwent a four-stage cycle: Sin, Suffering, Supplication, and Salvation. Notably, Samuel was the last judge and the first prophet.

6. UNITED KINGDOM (From Samuel to Jeroboam) (1 & 2 Samuel, 1 Kings:1-11)

 Samuel anoints the first king of Israel, Saul. His reign is described in 1 Samuel. Then, as told in 2 Samuel, David became the king. David’s son, Solomon, was the third king. He was the last king of the United King. His story is found in First Kings. After that, a civil war resulted in a Northern and Southern Kingdom.

     7.  DIVIDED KINGDOM (1 Kings 12-2 Kings)

  At Solomon’s death, the kingdom split over taxes. Jeroboam ruled over the ten northern tribes, and Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, was the king of the two southern tribes, Benjamin and Judah. Jerusalem was their capital. In the coming years, all of the northern kings were very wicked, and only a handful of the southern kings were righteous. Both kingdoms had about twenty kings each.

8. CAPTIVITY (2 Kings)

Two hundred fifty years after the split, in 722 BC, the ten northern tribes that made up Israel were captured by Assyria and led into captivity. The two tribes in the south, Benjamin and Judah, became captives of Babylon 150 years after the ten northern tribes were captured. The nation was led away in 586 BC and remained in exile for 70 years.

9. RESTORATION (Ezra, Nehemiah)

 The books of Ezra and Nehemiah tell the remarkable story of how God moved the hearts of the kings of Babylon and returned many of His people to Israel. Over the years, three main expeditions occurred, led by Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah. Though many of the two southern tribes remained in Babylon, the rest returned to the Promised Land. They found Jerusalem in shambles and began the giant physical and spiritual restoration task.

10. SILENCE

 Then, the Old Testament closes. Four hundred silent years passed between its closing and Christ’s birth. During this time, Alexander the Great conquered the world, constructed the Koine Greek language, and taught it to all conquered peoples. When the time was right, God sent His Son.

A Closer Look at the Historical Context

Jewish history began with God’s promises to Abraham a couple of millenniums before Christ was born. However, it took a thousand years for the nation of Israel to take on world significance. Under King David, the nation became a major military power. Under his son, Solomon, the country’s boundaries were advanced even further. The future looked bright. Unfortunately, during the last part of Solomon’s life, he sinfully compromised God’s standards, and as a result, I Kings 11:11 states that “the Lord said to Solomon, `Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I have commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates.”‘

When Solomon died, the country got sucked up in an ugly civil war that culminated in it being split in two. The Northern ten tribes kept the name Israel but made Samaria its new capital. The two Southern tribes were called by the name of the larger tribe, Judah. Its capital remained Jerusalem.

God judged the wicked Northern Kingdom in 722 B.C. when He allowed Assyria to capture Israel and carry it away into captivity. While there were periods of exception, Judah also acted sinfully, and so about a hundred and fifty years later, in 586 B.C., God permitted Babylon to defeat Judah and capture its people. II Chronicles 36:15-20 records the end of the nation and the beginning of the exile in Babylonian:

¹⁵ The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. ¹⁶ But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy. ¹⁷ He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians,^[a] who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and did not spare young men or young women, the elderly or the infirm. God gave them all into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. ¹⁸ He carried to Babylon all the articles from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the Lord’s temple and the treasures of the king and his officials. ¹⁹ They set fire to God’s temple and broke down the wall of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed everything of value there.

²⁰ He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his successors until the kingdom of Persia came to power.

Take special note of the fact that the temple was burnt, and the wall was broken down. That is of special significance, which we will soon examine. The Jews who survived the siege were chained together and marched eight hundred miles to Babylon. There they lived like their fathers had—in slavery. But God did not forget them. He always planned a restoration. That’s why verse 19 reads, “until the rule of the kingdom of Persia.”

Here’s what happened. Seventy years after Jerusalem’s fall, there was a powerful Persian king named Cyrus and another king named Darius who ruled the neighboring Medes. This alliance, usually just referred to as Persia, overthrew Babylon. Years before, Jeremiah prophesied that God would use a coming Cyrus to bring about the deliverance of Judah. That prophecy was fulfilled when Cyrus made this written proclamation in Ezra1:2-3, “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:

“‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. ³ Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them.

The Jews returned to Jerusalem under the leadership of three men—the first group left with Zerubbabel as their commander in 538 BC. A leader named Sheshbazzar is also mentioned. Some suggest this is another name for Zerubbabel but it may also be a co-leader. Eighty years later in 458 BC, Ezra led a second group. By this time, Cyrus had died, and Media-Persia was led by Artaxerxes. After another thirteen years, Nehemiah led a third group back to this city of rubble.

A central focus of the Book of Ezra is rebuilding the “house of God.” The restoration of the “wall” is the heart of the first half of Nehemiah. The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah are two parts of the same story. In fact, the Old Testament Hebrews bundled them together in one book.

Much of Nehemiah is written almost as a memoir. Parts of it, however, are written from a third-person perspective. Many believe this editing was the work of Ezra the Scribe. As the second half of Nehemiah demonstrates, these two leaders combined their efforts to help the nation experience great spiritual renewal.

As we study this book, let’s pray that the Lord will work in and through us. May our service to God be more fruitful and our devotion to Him more passionate.