Day 276  Reading Schedule: Nehemiah 1~3

Nehemiah 1: Jerusalem's Destruction and Nehemiah's Prayer

[Summary]

Hanani, Nehemiah's brother, and some others visited Nehemiah in the palace of Susa and told him that the walls of Jerusalem were destroyed, the gates were burned, and the people were suffering great hardship and humiliation (verses 1-3). Upon hearing this news, Nehemiah was filled with sorrow, wept, fasted, and prayed (verse 4). Nehemiah's prayer was a prayer of intercession to God, who keeps His covenant with those who keep His commandments. He prayed that the people of Israel at that time would be called back to Jerusalem based on the covenant made with Moses, which stated that if they sinned, He would scatter them among the nations, but if they obeyed, He would gather even the ends of the heavens and bring them back to the chosen place (verses 5-11).

Nehemiah 2: Nehemiah Returns to Jerusalem

[Summary]

When King Artaxerxes asked Nehemiah, who was worried, why he was worried, Nehemiah answered that it was because the capital of his country, Jerusalem, was in ruins and asked for permission to rebuild the walls (vv. 1-5). King Artaxerxes granted Nehemiah’s request and wrote a decree to secure materials for the construction of the walls. He also provided Nehemiah with armed guards on his way back to Jerusalem (vv. 6-10). Three days after returning to Jerusalem, Nehemiah went on a nighttime tour of the walls and investigated them (vv. 11-16). He then made a concrete plan and gathered the leaders to argue the necessity of rebuilding the walls (vv. 17-18). The Ammonites and Arabs ridiculed these actions, but Nehemiah declared that the God of heaven was with him (vv. 19-20).

Nehemiah Chapter 3: Workers Rebuilding the Walls of Jerusalem 

[Summary]

The work of rebuilding the walls began at the Sheep Gate, and was divided into districts, with residents in each district taking charge of their own areas and working on rebuilding the walls. Although there were some lukewarm people, most did their best to complete the tasks assigned to them. This chapter introduces in detail the list of people who participated in the rebuilding project and the areas they were in charge of.