More Rebuilding

More Rebuilding

Q: The book of Ezra tells about the rebuilding of the Temple, and the book of Nehemiah tells about the rebuilding of the

• a. walls.
• b. houses.
• c. town center.

When the Babylonians took the people in Judah captive, they destroyed the Temple and the walls in Jerusalem. They also moved some of their own people into Judah. So when the Jews came back to Jerusalem to rebuild their Temple and walls, the Babylonians who’d lived there for 70 years caused a lot of problems (see yesterday’s devotion). Yet, both the Temple and the walls were rebuilt with God’s help.

Walls, such as the Great Wall of China or the Berlin Wall, are built to establish borders and to provide protection. Sometimes walls, like the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, are built as a memorial or as art. The walls of Jerusalem were originally built to protect it from invasion.

The book of Nehemiah in the Bible focuses on the rebuilding of the walls around Jerusalem. Nehemiah heard that the walls of Jerusalem were in need of repair. He felt burdened to get the walls rebuilt, so he talked to the king of Persia and got permission to do so. Nehemiah left an important job serving the king of Persia to go to Jerusalem to be in charge of the wall-rebuilding project.

There were obstacles in rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem just as there were with the rebuilding of the Temple, but Nehemiah stood firm in his belief that God wanted him to rebuild the walls, and he succeeded.

For You

When you are sure God wants you to do something for him, stand firm. Don’t let others talk you out of what you know God wants you to do. But do listen to your parents and spiritual leaders, because God uses them to help you know what his plan for you is.

Answer: a

I told them about how the gracious hand of God had been on me, and about my conversation with the king. They replied at once, “Yes, let’s rebuild the wall!” So they began the good work.   Nehemiah 2:18

(The Whole Story: Nehemiah 1–2)