Bad News From Jerusalem

'Bad News'From Jerusalem 

Nehemiah 1:1-4 NKJV

[1] The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. It came to pass in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the citadel, [2] that Hanani one of my brethren came with men from Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who had survived the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. [3] And they said to me, “The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.” [4] So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

      Ezra and Nehemiah were contemporary figures. They lived and worked during the same period. Some scholars may debate the precise order of their arrival in Jerusalem. They both were active in restoring religious and societal life in Jerusalem after the exile. They are central to the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, which are often treated as a single narrative. Ezra is placed as arriving in Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes I (458 BC), and Nehemiah is placed as arriving in the twentieth year of the same king.(the gospelcoalition).

Their missions are believed to have overlapped, as they are both mentioned together in Nehemiah 8:9 and 12:26, 36. Have that in mind as we begin to discuss the book of Nehemiah.

     The temple was built, but the walls for protecting the city were broken down. Till today, you know Jerusalem by its walls. The city walls were a vital defence against enemies. It represented the strength of the people and the God they served. The rebuilding of the walls was a tangible demonstration of the people's commitment to rebuilding their lives and restoring their relationship with God. So when Nehemiah heard the news of the broken walls, it crushed him. May God cause men around you to receive the burdens to help complete the vision. May the help you need come from different quaters, in Jesus Name. It was bad news, but it really was good news. Good morning.