Nehemiah is a continuation of Ezra, but I always like it better. Maybe it's because of the picture in my mind of the two eponymous characters. Ezra always seems like a kind of radical priest, almost reminding me of the Ayatollahs in today's Islam. But Nehemiah strikes me as the consummate diplomat and businessman who is also a devout believer.
Nehemiah is introduced as the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes. I'm not sure exactly what that is, but it might be similar to the chief of the king's personal security force. It would seem that Nehemiah had earned the king's complete trust as well as respect. Nehemiah hears that the city of Jerusalem, recently repopulated by Jews returning from exile, has not fared well; the city walls are in ruins and the people are being taunted and harrassed by the neighbors. He asks for the king's blessing and some provisions to journey to Jerusalem to do what he can to help.
I wish I could meet Nehemiah. He sounds like a man I would like to know. As a leader, he displays a mixture of spiritual devotion and practicality. He always sets the example, persuades people to catch his vision and follow his lead. He seems to be the first up in the morning and the last to sleep at night. He never asks anyone to do what he wouldn't be willing to do himself.
When Nehemiah confronts adversaries, either political foes or even wrong-doers among the Jews, he is blunt and clear about what he's thinking. He seems to be deliberate about what he wants from them and he gets it.
Again, since I'm reading this during the 2012 presidential election season, I find myself wondering how much the two candidates, Mitt Romney and Barack Obama, resemble Nehemiah and his leadership.
The civic project of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem is pretty interesting. Nehemiah describes the project, and then details who was responsible for the work. It reminds me of the huge capital projects I've witnessed--a couple of buildings at our church, the arts district in Dallas, and such. In each of these modern-day projects, you can find inscriptions of the big donors (I love the wall at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center). Perhaps these listings of the workers in the biblical record are like that.
One of the other things I really love about Nehemiah is the little prayers that are embedded throughout the book. There are prayers of confession, of imprecation, and prayers asking God to remember Nehemiah with favor, or for immediate help in a situation. My favorites are the little quick ones that are spur of the moment. I think that may be part of the reason for Nehemiah's stature. He infused his daily life with constant communication with God and made it a priority to follow God's lead.
One can find few better role models in the Bible or in history than Nehemiah.
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