Sin Creeps Back

When Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem learned that the walls of Jerusalem had been rebuilt, they tried to lure Nehemiah into a trap and kill him. When that failed, they tried intimidation and false accusations. Politics is truly an ugly business and Nehemiah went to God in prayer.

The political leaders of Jerusalem were compromised despite the best efforts of Ezra. They were only interested in money and power and could not have cared less about God. Nehemiah appointed his brother as governor and returned to Susa.

After a while he visited Jerusalem and found the Jews had corrupted themselves again. He reestablished order and ominously asked the Lord to remember the men who were living in rebellion.

Having set things in order, he left for the final time. Nehemiah’s earthly purpose was to establish the Jews and Jerusalem in purity but history would reveal that the descendants of Abraham are stiff-necked and they would undermine Nehemiah’s best efforts as well.