Nehemiah 2:9-20

Nehemiah 2:9-20

[9] Then I came  to the governors  beyond  the river,  and gave  them the king's  letters.  Now the king  had sent  captains  of the army  and horsemen  with me. [10] When Sanballat  the Horonite,  and Tobiah  the servant,  the Ammonite,  heard  them exceedingly  that there was come  a man  to seek  the welfare  of the children  of Israel.  [11] So I came  to Jerusalem,  and was there three  days.  [12] And I arose  in the night,  I and some  with me; neither told  I any man  what my God  had put  in my heart  to do  at Jerusalem:  neither was there any beast  that I rode upon.  [13] And I went out  by night  by the gate  of the valley,  even before  the dragon  well,  and to the dung  port,  and viewed  the walls  of Jerusalem,  which were broken down,  and the gates  thereof were consumed  with fire.  [14] Then I went on  to the gate  of the fountain,  and to the king's  pool:  but there was no place  for the beast  that was under me to pass.  [15] Then went I up  in the night  by the brook,  and viewed  the wall,  and turned back,  and entered  by the gate  of the valley,  and so returned.  [16] And the rulers  knew  not whither I went,  or what I did;  neither had I as yet  told  it to the Jews,  nor to the priests,  nor to the nobles,  nor to the rulers,  nor to the rest  that did  the work.  [17] Then said  I unto them, Ye see  the distress  that we are in, how Jerusalem  and the gates  thereof are burned  with fire:  and let us build up  the wall  of Jerusalem,  that we be no more a reproach.  [18] Then I told  them of the hand  of my God  which was good  upon me; as also the king's  words  that he had spoken  Let us rise up  and build.  So they strengthened  their hands  for this good  work. [19] But when Sanballat  the Horonite,  and Tobiah  the servant,  the Ammonite,  and Geshem  the Arabian,  heard  it, they laughed us to scorn,  and despised  us, and said,  What is this thing  that ye do?  will ye rebel  against the king?  [20] Then answered  I them, and said  unto them, The God  of heaven,  he will prosper  us; therefore we his servants  will arise  and build:  but ye have no portion,  nor right,  nor memorial,  in Jerusalem. 

What does Nehemiah 2:9-20 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Because of the opposition of the Jews" neighbors, Artaxerxes sent a military escort to accompany Nehemiah to Jerusalem ( Nehemiah 2:9). It is not certain how many Jews traveled with Nehemiah on this occasion. The writer gave us no numbers.
Sanballat may have originated in Horonaim in Moab, but he seems more likely to have come from one of the Beth-horons (Upper or Lower) located just a few miles northwest of Jerusalem (cf. Joshua 10:10-11). [1] The Elephantine papyri (ca400 B.C.) name him as the governor of Samaria, which he may have been then or after this event took place. [2] There was evidently a series of governors of Samaria named Sanballat. [3] Tobiah seems to have been a Jew-his name means "Yahweh is good"-who had attained a position similar to that of Sanballat in Ammon, east of Judah, under the Persians. [4] Scholars have traced nine generations of his influential family. [5]
Probably Nehemiah wanted to survey the damage to the walls secretly ( Nehemiah 2:12) because, had Israel"s enemies observed him, they might have stirred up the people of the land to riot against him.
"He wished to lay his plans without any possibility of leakage to the enemy before their execution began, and then to let the execution be so swift that the work would be finished before they could successfully appeal to the king against it once more." [6]
Perhaps Nehemiah only surveyed the southern parts of Jerusalem"s wall because those were the only sections still standing.
"Jerusalem was always attacked where she was most vulnerable, from the north; thus there was little preserved in that direction." [7]
Another reason for Nehemiah"s secrecy was probably that he wanted to formulate a plan before the Jews could marshal arguments why they could not rebuild the walls ( Nehemiah 2:16). When he did present his ideas ( Nehemiah 2:17-18), the people responded positively. This is an evidence of Nehemiah"s wisdom as a leader.
"There is evidence that Geshem [8] (cf. Nehemiah 6:1 ff.), far from being a negligible alien, was an even more powerful figure than his companions, though probably less earnestly committed to their cause.... From other sources it emerges that Geshem and his son ruled a league of Arabian tribes which took control of Moab and Edom (Judah"s neighbors to the east and south) together with part of Arabia and the approaches to Egypt, under the Persian empire." [8]
Nehemiah continued the policy of not allowing the people of the land to help rebuild Jerusalem, that Zerubbabel had begun ( Nehemiah 2:20; cf. Ezra 4:3). He also continued to trust in God"s enabling power primarily, rather than in his own ability ( Nehemiah 2:20; cf. John 15:5).
"Nehemiah was clearly a shaker, a mover, and a doer." [7]
Donald Campbell identified21principles of effective leadership that Nehemiah demonstrated in chapter2.
"He established a reasonable and attainable goalHe had a sense of missionHe was willing to get involvedHe rearranged his priorities in order to accomplish his goalHe patiently waited for God"s timingHe showed respect to his superiorHe prayed at crucial timesHe made his request with tact and graciousnessHe was well prepared and thought of his needs in advanceHe went through proper channelsHe took time (three days) to rest, pray, and planHe investigated the situation firsthandHe informed others only after he knew the size of the problemHe identified himself as one with the peopleHe set before them a reasonable and attainable goalHe assured them God was in the projectHe displayed self-confidence in facing obstaclesHe displayed God"s confidence in facing obstaclesHe did not argue with opponentsHe was not discouraged by oppositionHe courageously used the authority of his position." [11]