The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah.
The royal cup-bearer
I. Let us notice the words alluded to by Nehemiah. They were as follows: “And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year,” etc.
1. You observe that the time and the place of this conversation are given. It was at Shushan or Susa, the winter residence of the King of Persia.
2. There are places and periods that stand out more prominently than others in the history of most of us. “It came to pass in the month Chisleu,” etc.
3. The particular matter referred to was a conversation he had with a kinsman of his, and with other co-religionists lately come from Palestine, respecting the state of the Jews there, “and concerning Jerusalem.” Nehemiah was not indifferent to his country’s condition. It was a twofold question that he put.
(1) He wanted to know how it had fared with the Hebrews--“the delivered ones,” “the escaped ones.”
(2) The other aspect of the question here put by Nehemiah has reference to Jerusalem. An exiled Londoner or Parisian’s love for London or Paris would not, we may be sure, be deeper, stronger than that which Nehemiah must have had for the promised land, and for “the city, the place of his fathers’ sepulchres.” As was to be expected, he asked for information” concerning Jerusalem.” It has been well said, “No place is so strong, no building so grand, no wall so firm, that sin cannot undermine and overthrow it.” Let no man trust in ceremonies, or sacred-houses, or sacred traditions, so long as his heart is far from God, and his life is not in accord with His righteous creed.
II. Let us notice the emotion of Nehemiah on hearing the tidings alluded to. “I sat down and wept,” he says, “and mourned certain days, and fasted.” He also adds, “and prayed before the God of heaven.” He wept. Nor was it weak or unmanly for him to do so. “His was the tear most sacred shed for others’ pain.” To weep at trifles, or at fictitious sorrows, may be effeminate; but ‘twas no trifle, no imaginary sorrow, that now drew tears from Nehemiah.
1. His grief was further manifested by lamentation and fasting.
2. It was a profound grief which seized him.
3. It was a somewhat prolonged as well as profound grief. It lasted, at any rate, certain days.
4. It was a patriot’s grief.
5. Again, it was a penitent grief.
6. Nehemiah’s grief reminds us of another and yet more touching spectacle, the tears which Jesus shed over Jerusalem.
“And when He was come near, He beheld the city, and wept over it,” etc.
III. In the third place, let us look at the prayer which Nehemiah was thus prompted to offer, Let us learn that the province of prayer is not restricted to things spiritual. It embraces the affairs of everyday life, and all lawful undertakings great and small. (T. Rowson.)
The typical patriot
Nehemiah the civilian, as contrasted with Ezra the ecclesiastic, is brought before us in this book as the patriot deliverer of his people.
I. The typical patriot Is purely disinterested in principle. Personal ambition is sunk in desire for public good. Selfish motives are abandoned for generous impulses.
1. This does not prevent his rising to a position of honour even in an alien country. A good man is valued anywhere. Fidelity to convictions ever commands respect apart from the merit of the convictions themselves. Honour from an alien chief can only be allowed to the true patriot conditionally--
(1) That no vital principle is sacrificed. Nehemiah evidently remained true to his nation and loyal to his God.
(2) That it is made subservient to the interests of his people. At Shushan Nehemiah was really serving them better than he could do at Jerusalem until summoned there by Divine Providence. He was learning the principles of government at the centre of the most powerful government in the world. He had immediate access to the monarch himself.
2. He is always ready to surrender personal honour for his people’s good--
(1) If by so doing he can be of more service to his brethren. Self-sacrifice is the grand test of all pretension.
(2) If personal honour be associated with his people’s oppression. Learn--
1. By obedience we make the most stubborn laws of nature our servants.
2. By patience foes may be transformed into friends.
3. By the discipline of adversity the foundations of prosperity are laid.
II. The typal patriot is large-hearted in his sympathies.
1. He manifests a real interest in the condition of his country (verse 2). The words imply--
(1) That Nehemiah was not a passive listener to the rehearsal of his people’s affliction.
(2) That he entered into particulars and was most minute in his inquiries. They who have no intention of practical sympathy are careful to elicit no tales of sorrow.
2. He takes upon himself the burden of his country’s woes (verse 4).
III. The typal patriot recognises divine sovereignty in human affairs.
1. By accepting the existence and authority of the King of kings. Not only as--
(1) A dogma, but also as--
(2) A regulative principle. “O Lord God of heaven, the great and terrible God.”
2. By regarding Divine aid as superior to all other.
(1) As the most powerful that can be obtained.
(2) As controlling all other aid.
Nehemiah seeks Divine assistance in urging his suit in his approaching interview with the king--
(a) That he may reach the monarch’s will by the most accessible channel.
(b) That he may approach him at the most accessible moment.
(c) That he may urge his request in the most prevalent form.
3. By regarding Divine aid as available through prayer. Nehemiah’s prayer is one of the model prayers of the Bible, as--
(1) Reverent in its attitude towards God (verse 5).
(2) Persistent in pressing its suit (verse 6).
(3) Penitent in its tone and temper (verses 6, 7).
(4) Scriptural in its argument (verses 8, 9).
(5) Childlike in its spirit (vats. 10, 11).
(6) Definite in its aim (verse 11).
Learn--
1. Nehemiah is a type of Him who “though He was rich, yet for our sakes became poor,” etc.
2. Intercessory prayer is the inspiration and the evidence of true patriotism.
3. Divine interposition is the safest to invoke in national crises. (W. H. Booth.)
The pious patriot
He was willing, moreover, to make no little sacrifice in the cause of patriotism. Even in asking the king for leave of absence on such a mission, he was probably risking the royal displeasure. No one could well predict how an Oriental despot would be likely to regard such a request. All might depend on the whim or caprice of the moment. That Nehemiah should wish to exchange Susa for Jerusalem--that he should desire to quit, even for a time, the sunlight of the royal presence which was condescending to shine upon him--might possibly be viewed as an insult. The very fact that he was a favourite might only increase the royal irritation. A tyrant likes his pets to appreciate their privileges; and Nehemiah, by asking for leave of absence, might only lose the royal favour and be deposed from his office. Then, again, even if his request should be granted, he would have to sacrifice for a time all the luxury and ease of his present position; he would have to subject himself to toil and danger; he would have to face the arduous journey between Susa and Jerusalem; and then, after arriving in the city of his fathers, he would have to confront the hostility of the surrounding tribes, and might even have to exchange the courtier’s robes for the soldier’s armour. But all these sacrifices Nehemiah was prepared to make in the cause of patriotism. His court life had not enervated his spirit. An intelligent and manly piety does not destroy or despise any of the natural affections. There is, indeed, a “pietism” which makes light of the ties of home and kindred, which disparages patriotism, as if it were inconsistent with the universal love inspired by the gospel, or which even ventures to taboo politics as a worldly region which a spiritual man ought rather to avoid. Let us beware of this false spirituality. The world of natural human relationships is God’s world, and not the devil’s; and if the devil has intruded into it, there is all the more need that it should be occupied by the earnest soldiers of God. Pietism may say, “Never mind the condition of the walls of Jerusalem: souls are the grand concern.” But, in point of fact, the condition of walls may sometimes affect the condition of souls. Things external often stand in subtle relation to things spiritual. The body influences the mind; and the outward conditions of national existence may stand in the closest connection with the religious life of a people. Besides, it Ii natural that we should love our own country with a special affection; and a true religion does not destroy but consecrates all natural attachments. On the other hand, there are many politicians who are no patriots, and there is also a patriotism in which there is no godliness, There are men who take the keenest interest in politics merely because it furnishes an arena for the exercise of their faculties, the display of their talents, and the furtherance of their ambitions. And there are also true patriots--real lovers of their country--who yet never recognise the hand of God in national history, who never think of praying to God in connection with their plans, or of submitting their political projects and methods to the test of His will. Now, if a man’s patriotism is his only religion, this is doubtless better than that his “god” should be his “belly,” and that he should “glory in his shame.” But still, this patriotism in which there is no regard for God is fraught with danger. For the grand and prime demand on every one of us is that we be the servants of the Most High, the soldiers of Christ, the loyal subjects of the Divine kingdom. And then it is our bounden duty to serve God in and through all our natural pursuits, affections, and relationships, and, amongst other things, to bring all our political theories, aims, and methods into the light of Christ and of His Spirit. We want, both in the Church and in the commonwealth, men and women in whom, as in Nehemiah of old, piety and patriotism are blended and intertwined. (T. C. Finlayson.)
Divine purposes working through providence
I. Here is eminent piety in a most unlikely place (Nehemiah 1:1).
1. Palaces are not generally favourable to piety--
(1) Because unrestrained liberty usually degenerates into license and lavish luxury into licentiousness. Court morals are proverbially corrupt.
(2) Because religion does not flourish amidst human pomp and the outward symbols of pride. A palace is, above all others, a theatre of human exaltation and proud display.
(3) Because the commands of a sovereign are liable to clash with the mandates of Jehovah.
2. Piety is not impossible even in a palace--
(1) Inasmuch as God will protect them who honour Him. If God has placed His servant in the palace to do His work, He will keep him there until the work is done.
(2) Inasmuch as many eminent examples are recorded in Scripture. Not only Nehemiah, but Moses, Joseph, Obadiah, and Daniel. Learn--
1. Eminent piety does not depend upon the accidentals of a man’s social position.
2. Exalted positions are less desirable than they appear.
3. The most desirable station in life is that in which we can serve God to the best advantage.
II. Here is an event apparently trifling leading to results of the greatest magnitude (verse 2).
1. The most trivial event may lead to the most momentous issues. The oak is contained in the acorn; the prairie is fired by a spark; a nation is plunged into war as the result of a jest. Many a quiet conversation has led to world-wide revolutions.
2. Nothing is therefore trivial to a wise man.
Learn--
1. Every detail in a good man’s life is part of a Divine plan.
2. To avoid crossing the Divine purpose and thwarting the Divine plan we must do all to the glory of God.
III. Here is a startling summons of a most unexpected character. Although no direct appeal was made, Nehemiah as truly heard the Divine call as Samuel the voice in the darkness, or Paul the voice of the vision, “Come over to Macedonia.”
1. Here is an appeal for sympathy and help--not the less powerful because indirect. Mute appeals are often the most eloquent. AEschylus appealing for the life of his brother by holding up the stump of the arm he had lost in the service of his country. The high-priest in the holy place sprinkled the blood seven times without speaking. This appeal was--
(1) The cry of humanity appealing to human sympathies.
(2) The cry of brotherhood appealing to his kinship.
(3) The cry of fatherland appealing to his patriotism.
(4) The call of God.
2. Here is a summons which involved great sacrifice. Love never counts the cost. Sacrifice is its glory. Sincerity always distinguished from hypocrisy by this test.
3. Here is an unexpected summons promptly obeyed.
Learn--
1. Life is full of surprises, and the tenure of ease uncertain.
2. The good man is prepared to follow the leadings of providence without hesitation and at any cost.
IV. Here is a saviour raised up in a most unlooked-for quarter.
1. God is ever training His agents for the work which He means them to accomplish. Nehemiah, Joseph, Moses, David, Cyrus, Paul, Luther, Wesley, and many others.
2. At the proper time God will bring His agents into contact with their life-work.
3. The qualifications of God’s agents are not always recognised at first.
Learn--
1. God uses the most unlikely agents.
2. God leads in the most unlooked-for ways.
3. God’s redemptive scheme is the most incomprehensible of all mysteries.
V. Here is a picture of the demoralising and dismantling tendency of sin, alike in cities and in souls.
1. The inhabitants of Jerusalem were demoralised: “In great affliction and reproach.” Long captivity and dependence had enervated them. Powers not used lapse into impotence. Sin cherished withers moral force.
2. The battlements of Jerusalem were dismantled. Thus does sin ever destroy defences and throw down battlements, leaving souls at the mercy of destructive forces which lead to eternal shame.
Learn--
1. Sin reveals its deadly nature in its direful consequences even in this life.
2. These consequences are designed to act as warnings to unwary souls.
3. They suggest still more awful penalties in that world where judgment is untempered by mercy. (W. H. Booth.)
The exile
Nothing is here said of the parentage or early training of Nehemiah. We may suppose he grew up in a pious home, where daily prayers, and instructions, and acts of godliness were imbued with deep religious feeling. The early days of the future reformer were perhaps spent in listening to the recital of many an endeared memory of the land of Judah, and his young heart was probably taught to beat high with hope of the restoration of his people to their covenant inheritance.
I. The situation he occupied. The palace at Shushan was one of the most magnificent in the ancient world. The site of its ruins has been identified by modern travellers, and here large blocks of marble, with other fragments of splendid edifices, are often dug up--the relics of a grandeur that has long since passed away. The place of his abode offered many attractions to captivate a youthful mind. There were in the streets of that vast city the splendour and bustle of Oriental life. There might seem in all this “lust of the eye and pride of life” ominous danger to youthful piety. But it is a wonderful power, the grace of God in the human heart. It is marvellous in the souls it selects for saving change, in the places where it operates, and in the triumphs it achieves. Often it appears wanting in those who seem most favourably situated for its possession, while it reigns in hearts where it might seem impossible for it to live and grow. And in him God made the palace of a heathen prince the nursery and sanctuary of an eminent servant of His cause. In view of this, let none among us allege that their situation or circumstances render it impracticable for them to cultivate religion or abound in well-doing. Men may rush into temptation in their earthly business, and thereby raise up invincible barriers to the exercise of piety; but God, by His providence, never places any man in a situation where it is impossible for him to love and obey Him. If you are where God has placed you, be sure you may be, and do, what God requires you. In every situation of life there is enough to test the sincerity of faith in things unseen.
II. The spirit he displayed. It was a spirit of tender interest for the good of Jerusalem. The subjects of inquiry show the spirit of the man. He was living in ease and affluence himself, but he could not forget he was “of the stock of Israel,” and he felt, therefore, the prosperity of religion bound up with that feeble remnant. He might have seen couriers arrive at the royal palace from distant regions, bearing tidings of fresh victories gained by Persian armies, and of new countries subjected to the Persian crown, and yet not be greatly moved by the intelligence; but the arrival of these fellow-saints stirred up his spirit within him to inquire concerning the state of the Church in the land of his fathers. Do we not see here that it is the history and condition of the cause of truth on earth which interests the wise and good? They may not, indeed, be unaffected by events which concern the welfare of mankind and illustrate the wisdom of God in His providence; but it is especially the progress of the kingdom of grace that engages the attention of its true subjects. It was a spirit of deep sorrow for the distress of his people in Judah.
III. The exercises in which he engaged. Nehemiah “fasted and prayed.” (W. Ritchie.)
The use of a great purpose
To a thoughtful mind there is much interest in the contemplation of the circumstances under which the great purpose of a life first rise into distinctness before the mind of one whose energies, henceforth, are to be used for his country and his God, and whose example stands before us as a noble incentive to steadfastness of purpose and courage in the performance of duty. (Scenes from the Life of Nehemiah.)
Piety in unexpected places
Fine gold has often been found under e, barren and unpromising surface. Rare jewels have been found in the crevices of rocks and in the pebbly beds of rivers. Exquisite flower’s have peeped forth from the ledge of a stupendous Alpine rock, and have breathed their sweetness amid a wilderness of ice and snow. Palm-trees have lifted up their tall and elegant stems, adorned at the summit with long pendant leaves and enriched with nourishing fruit, in the midst of the sandy desert, and their life has been sustained by a hidden well of springing water at their root. This has often been the case with God’s children--Joseph, Obadiah, saints in Caesar’s household. Here Nehemiah in the court of one of the most luxurious eastern princes. (J. M. Randall.)
Nehemiah and his contempories
Nehemiah flourished four centuries before Christ. When consuls and dictators were beginning to play an important part in Roman politics; when Xenophon and Herodotus were historians and Phidias was sculptor; when Euripides, Sophocles, and Aristophanes wrote tragedy and comedy; when Socrates taught philosophy and Pericles was prime minister at Athens; and when the western nations of Europe were sunk in savage barbarism, Nehemiah was the devout cup-bearer at Shushan. We are not told from what tribe he sprang. His grandfather had been taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar; his father was born and educated at Babylon. Probably the beauty of his person and the sweetness of his manners, the extensive range of his intellect, and the integrity of his character, recommended Nehemiah to royal favour. (J. M. Randall.)
I asked them concerning the Jews. .. and concerning Jerusalem.
Careful inquiry helpful to philanthropic effort
Few portions of Scripture set forth more clearly than the Book of Nehemiah the power of one man to do great things for God when God is with him. With an earnest desire to work for God, Nehemiah first sought to gain accurate information, from a reliable source, both as to the need that existed and the nature of the work that had to be done. Careful inquiry respecting the field of any projected effort will often reveal much of which we had previously but little conception. This should not dishearten us, however, for we ought rather to remember that the deeper the darkness and degradation of those whom we seek to reach, the more needful is it to bring them under the enlightening and elevating power of the gospel of Christ. (W. P. Lockhart.)
Man’s love for the land of his birth
Mr. Christie Murray, writing of the old Australian settlers, relates an incident to show how, after a long life of exile, they still pine for home and England. When his ship left Plymouth Sound a good deal of mud adhered to the anchor. After it was dried he broke off a bit, declaring, half in jest and half in earnest, that this piece of English earth should go with him around the world. In Australia he showed it to a white-haired ranchman among the hills. The old man eyed it wistfully. “Give it to me,” he said at last. “You will see old England again; I never shall. I would value that bit of earth more than diamonds.” Mr. Murray gave it to him, and continued his journey. When he came back, months later, he found that the old man had ridden more than a hundred miles to a settlement to buy a gay little plush stand and a glass case in which to preserve his treasure. De Maistre, describing the hut of the Moravian missionary in the most northern human settlement within the Arctic circle, says that he observed, suspended over the fireplace like a holy relic, a piece of rough, unbarked wood. He looked at it curiously. The Dane touched it with reverence. “It is a bit of the old oak-tree at home,” he said, his eyes full of tears. Nothing can be more real than that clinging in the heart of a man to the land of his birth. It may be of all countries in the world the poorest, the least beautiful, the most insignificant. But it is his own, and if he is a genuine man the trifle which tells him of it, though he stands in a king’s palace, will speak to him as with the power of his mother’s voice. (Christian Age.)
The wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.--
Walls and gates
What, then, are the “walls and gates” of the New Testament? The Church is now catholic, and no longer national. It is not now a civil polity and the necessities of a civil community that determine the nature of these “walls and gates.” Yet there are some things of prime importance, like the walls and gates of Jerusalem.
I. The sacred observance of the Lord’s day. All history shows that whenever and wherever the Sabbath is overthrown the Church is perilously exposed, not only to decay, but even to extinction.
II. A numerous congregation of attendants upon the ordinances and worship of the church.
III. Sabbath schools are “the gates” of our jerusalem.
IV. The liberality and self-sacrifice of God’s people. (J. A. Lefevre, D. D.)
Interest in Jerusalem
I. The story of jerusalem throws light upon god’s moral government. Great privileges involve great responsibilities. National sin brings national ruin. Nations are rewarded and punished in this world.
II. It is a mark of real piety to be zealous for the cause and kingdom of God. How bitterly do Christians mourn over the wickedness around them, and the severe conflict they have to maintain in their own breasts.
III. Every Christian has, more or less, to tread a solitary path, and his deepest sorrows are frequently those which he cannot communicate to the nearest and dearest on earth. Who would have thought that when his attendance upon the king was over for the day, Nehemiah would hasten to his chamber, weep bitter tears of grief, and mourn and pray? (J. M. Randall.)
Jerusalem, the holy
city:--Thoroughly to realise the sad tidings brought to Nehemiah, we must briefly recall the former history of Jerusalem. No city possesses so deep and thrilling an interest. Other cities may boast of a higher antiquity. Thebes and Nineveh may go back even to the repeopling of the world after the deluge. Other cities may claim a broader area, a more numerous population, a more extended commerce. Other cities may claim to be the centres of a far greater earthly dominion than was ever accorded to David. But whether in the past, the present, or the future, them is no interest like that which attaches to the holy city. (J. M. Randall.)
Sin ruins a kingdom
I. If there be a moral governor of the universe sin must provoke him.
II. If sin provoke God He is able to punish it.
III. Bodies of men punishable in this world only.
IV. There is a tendency in the very nature of sin to injure and ruin a country.
V. God’s dealings with guilty nations are confirmed both by His word and all human history.
VI. God always gives previous intimation of his coming to judge a nation.
VII. If God favoured a nation with an intimation of His will, Their sins are aggravated by means of this light.
VIII. When God has distinguished a people by singular instances of his favour, that people will be proportionally criminal unless they distinguish themselves by their devotedness to Him.
IX. When a nation is under corrections of the almighty, they are eminently sinful if they disregard the tokens of His wrath.
X. Shameless sinning is a sure proof of general corruption. (W. Jay.)
The walls of Jerusalem
What do we know of these walls previous to the time of Nehemiah? The city of Jerusalem passed into the hands of the Jews under David. He wrested the rocky stronghold of Zion, which commands Jerusalem, from the Canaanitish tribe of the Jebusites. He made it the capital of his kingdom. To secure his position David threw a wall round the entire city, including the fortress of Zion. In the reign of Solomon (b.c. 1016-976) this wall was greatly strengthened. Very large towers were erected at intervals upon it, and its height was increased. Probably also some outlying parts of the city were now comprised within its circuit. For nearly two centuries this wall remained intact. Jerusalem sustained several sieges; but it was only in the reign of Amaziah, in b.c. 826, that a breach was made in the fortifications. Jehoash, the king of Israel, “ brake down the wall of Jerusalem, from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cubits” (2 Kings 14:13). Through this gap in the wall, Josephus tells us, the victorious Jehoash drove his chariot into Jerusalem, leading Amaziah captive with him. Uzziah (b.c. 808) the succeeding king of Judah, was a prosperous and enterprising prince. He occupied himself for a large portion of his life in the improvement of his capital. He repaired the breach made by Jehoash, and built additional towers. Other portions of the walls that had been suffered to fall into decay were renewed. He was an artillerist; he equipped the walls and their towers with powerful engines for hurling stones and other missiles against besiegers. Jothan, his son (b.c. 756), also strengthened the walls by building new massive towers. The care which had been expended upon the fortifications of the city by successive kings, for so long a period, bore memorable fruit in the reign of Hezekiah. The tide of Assyrian invasion which then swept over Palestine, and which overwhelmed for ever the ten tribes of Israel, met with a check before the fortress of Jerusalem. In prospect of this invasion Hezekiah had repaired the walls wherever they had become dilapidated, and had erected an additional wall. While the city was invested the mysterious plague came upon the camp of the Assyrians, which swept off myriads of them in a single night. They were content to retire (b.c. 710) with a tribute paid by Hezekiah; the city itself, however, remained uncaptured. Manasseh, after his repentance (b.c. 677-642), paid attention to the fortifications of the city. “He did not only,” says Josephus, “repair the old walls with great diligence, but added another wall to the former. He built, also, very lofty towers, and the garrisoned places before the city he strengthened not only in other respects, but with provisions of all sorts that they wanted.” It was nearly forty years later that the series of calamities commenced which lasted for twenty years, and which culminated in the complete overthrow of this illustrious city. In b.c. 606 Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem, and after threatening Jehoiakim, the king, with captivity, left him in possession of his throne. He appeared before the city again nine years later; and Jehoiachin, who had succeeded his father Jehoiakim, surrendered Jerusalem to him with scarcely a struggle. Nebuchadnezzar carried him off with him to Babylon, and placed his uncle Zedekiah upon the throne in Jerusalem. Six years after this Zedekiah rebelled against Babylon, and after a siege of a year and a half, the severest it had undergone since it had been a Jewish city, a breach was made in the wall of Jerusalem, through which the Babylonian army poured into the city. Zedekiah and most of the people were transferred to Babylon. The royal palace, the temple, and all the principal buildings were burned, and the stately and massive walls were levelled to the ground, their circuit being only traceable by the vast heaps of rubbish left by the devastators. To restore these famous walls, to perform once more the work of David and Solomon and their successors, to reproduce in a few weeks the labour of centuries, this was the task which lay before Nehemiah. But what was their size? What were the -particulars of the work undertaken by Nehemiah? The city of Jerusalem is not at the present time a great city. The circumference of the modern wails is two and a half miles; and while the ancient walls would not in many portions coincide with the present, nevertheless the total circuit of the old walls would not greatly differ in length from those of the present time. It has been stated by the eminent architect, Mr. Ferguson, in Dr. Smith’s “Dictionary of the Bible,” that the area within the old walls was never more than one hundred and eighty acres; and he remarks, by way of comparison, that the building known as the Great Exhibition of 1851 covered eighteen acres, or a tenth part of the area of ancient Jerusalem. From this estimate it will be seen that the city was one of moderate dimensions. We must remember also that here and there portions of the wall were left standing. The foundations, too, would remain, throughout the entire circuit, as they originally were. The object of the invaders would be to render the fortifications incapable of serving any longer as a defence to the inhabitants; and this object would be gained without disturbing the foundations of the walls. The stones and rabble of which they had been built were not carried to a distance, but lay in heaps ready to the hands of the builders. This material would not, however, be available in every case. The limestone around Jerusalem, which was used in the construction of the important buildings, when exposed to fire (as many parts of the wall had been) rapidly disintegrated. It resembled the granite of which Chicago was built, and which crumbled to dust in the great fire which destroyed that city a few years since. This is the point of the taunt uttered by Sanballat (Nehemiah 4:2): “Will these Jews revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?” (A. J. Griffith.)
City walls important
In the solicitude of Nehemiah over the ruined condition of the walls of Jerusalem we have brought into prominence an element in ancient national life which it is useful to understand, and which is the foundation and keystone of Nehemiah’s subsequent action. It was the walls that made the nation in those days. The law which then prevailed ripen the face of the earth was the law of might. A town of any size was at the mercy of every roving, plundering horde, if it were unfortified. When once it was surrounded with strong walls, it became possible for the citizens to accumulate property, enact laws for the order and well-being of the citizens, and to elect magistrates to carry these laws into effect. With their erection dated the commencement of civic life. Where the city was large, the citizens became a nation. The Babylonian nation, and, earlier, the Ninevite people, meant really the citizens living within the walls of the immense cities--Babylon and Nineveh. The history of Italy in the ninth century of our era illustrates this law of states. The country was overrun by the armies of rival princes, who disputed for the throne of the Lombard kingdom. The Saracens from the opposite shores of Africa were constantly landing upon the coast, and penetrating inland for the purpose of pillage and massacre. In this condition of the country the large cities were compelled again to erect their walls, which had been levelled to the ground by jealous and tyrannical kings. The great Republics of Italy, the cities which afterwards became nations in themselves, Milan, Florence, Pisa, and others, laid in this way the foundation of their subsequent greatness. “From the time,” says Sismondi in his “History of the Italian Republics,” “when towns were secured by walls, their power rapidly increased; the oppressed from all parts sought refuge in them from the oppressors; they carried with them their industry and arms to protect the walls that defended them. Everywhere they were sure of a good reception, for every city felt it had strength only in proportion to the number of its citizens; each vied with its neighbour in efforts to augment the means of defence and in the reception given to strangers.” Of such supreme importance were the fortifications of a city to national life and progress in those ages of disorder. (A. J. Griffith.)
Protective walls
Have you ever seen a hermit crab? Some day, when you are at the seaside, you will see one. It is a crab which has no hard shell of its own, and consequently is an easy prey for sea-birds. It therefore gets possession of an empty whelk-shell, and lives in the abandoned house of the whelk, barring the door upon itself with the one great claw, which has grown twice the size of the other, apparently for the purpose. But when his crabship grows too big for his shell, it becomes as uncomfortable as a shoe that pinches, and he has to turn out to look for another. Look at him now! He in a great hurry, because he is in danger, and knows it. He wants just what Jerusalem wanted--a wall of stone and lime about him. That is what a shell is--a wall of stone and lime. Sometimes the hermit crab gets eaten up by a gull or skua before he can find another shell to suit him; sometimes he has to turn out the rightful owner from his home in order to get in himself; but he always knows that he needs a defence. It is a simple comparison; but it gives a true idea of the state of the case ha say that Jerusalem, without a stone and lime wall, was a hermit crab without a shell, surrounded by Galilean gulls and Samaritan skuas. (Sunday School.)