As I read Nehemiah, I am overwhelmed by how God puts specific gifts and specific burdens into people’s hearts to bring fullness to the work of God and the body of Christ. Just like in Ezra, He provides the right people at the right time, but this time it is the right leaders for the right move of God.

The Book of Nehemiah is set during a distressing time for the people of God. The events of Nehemiah are largely set off the back of the Fall of Judah and the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple in 586 B.C, as you can read in 2 Kings 25. This was certainly the lowest point in their history, though it is only uphill from here.

In the Book of Nehemiah, we get a first-hand look into Nehemiah’s thoughts, passions and prayers. What strikes me as I study this book is how much he prays. I mean, this guy doesn’t do the normal ten-minute check-in every morning, tick off ‘Daily Prayer’ on his to-do list and continue on with his day. For Nehemiah, prayer is a lifestyle not a discipline.

Protestant bibles place the Book of Nehemiah right toward the back of the Historical Books, due in part to the decisions made by those in the 3rd Century BC, who translated the Septuagint (the earliest Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament) also known as the LXX. The order of the books has been preserved from that time, through Jerome (a 4th Century Priest), who translated the Vulgate (Latin translation of the bible), and now into our English translations today.