In the News ... "‘Wall Builder’ noted for honesty, perseverance"

Painting by James Tissot

• Rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls met severe opposition

By Bob Campbell, Reporter
• Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - Remembered as “The Wall Builder,” Nehemiah was in Babylon serving as King Artaxerxes I’s cup-bearer, a position of high honor, when his brother Hanani returned from Jerusalem to tell him the city’s walls were broken down and all its gates had been burned.

The Revs. Tim King and Timothy Hayter say Nehemiah received that news with great distress and he immediately asked Artaxerxes for permission to go to Jerusalem and rebuild it.

The ministers say the king held Nehemiah in such high esteem in 445 B.C. that he not only gave permission but also appointed him governor of Persian Judea and authorized the use of a large amount of lumber for the project.

The Rev. King said Nehemiah rallied many of the citizens of Jerusalem to help him and they withstood taunts and threats to finish the work in only 52 days.

“People threatened to kill them, but they were committed to the cause,” said King, pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Crane. “Nehemiah and Ezra the priest brought the heart of the people back and they had an amazing revival.”

King said Nehemiah’s men “worked with their tools in one hand and a sword in the other, which is a great example of perseverance for the Christians of today because we sometimes crumble to any opposition.

“It’s a great story of goals and resolve,” he said. “He knew Jerusalem needed to be rebuilt, so he took that endeavor on himself and the king was willing to finance it. Sometimes when God’s people won’t finance the work, God finds someone else to do it.

“Nehemiah never backed down because he was faithful to the Lord. He was very disciplined. There are a lot of great qualities about Nehemiah.”

The Rev. Hayter said the first thing Nehemiah did after traveling to Jerusalem with men from Babylon was seek out Ezra and enlist his support. “Nehemiah was a man of action while Ezra was instrumental in keeping the Jewish people together and making it possible for Judaism to maintain its identity,” said Hayter, parochial vicar of St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Midland.

Noting the project was opposed by Horonites, Ammonites, Samaritans, Philistines and Arabs “because they thought he was trying to take over things and wanted to be king,” Hayter said Nehemiah always resorted to prayer for reassurance and guidance.

“With his care for his community and heritage, it’s a great example to lay people of protecting the faith,” he said. “One of Nehemiah’s greatest traits was honesty. He recognized his faults and the faults of his people, which allowed him to address the problems.

“He doesn’t give up. He is persistent. He sees God in the midst of these shortcomings and allows God to help them address that. His selfless commitment to God and the Israelites puts him in a position to be killed, but that doesn’t bother him. He continues to do what he thinks they need to do.

“It shows us today that it’s not just the religious leaders who maintain the faith. It’s also the religious community, the lay people, who play an important role in that” ...

• Read the rest of this OA report ...