Together - Daily DevotionalSample

Restoring the Walls of God’s City

Reading: Neh.1:1-4, 2:1-9

Key Verse: “In the month of Nisan ... let the king send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so I can rebuild it.” 2:1, 5

There were three main returns of the Jews from captivity in Babylon and Persia.  Zerubbabel led a group to rebuild the temple, Ezra a team to rebuild the people and finally Nehemiah returned to rebuild the walls and gates. In the ancient world a city without walls was regarded as shameful and thought of as inferior because it offered no protection from enemies and could easily be conquered. Although the temple had been rebuilt and the people restored to God through Ezra, Jerusalem was still a place of disgrace because its “wall is broken down and its gates have been burned with fire” (Neh.1:1-3). As soon as Nehemiah leant of this shameful news in the month Kislev he began to pray but it was not until four months later in Nisan that the king sent him to Jerusalem to rebuild its walls.

How does this fit into our theme? Nisan is actually the first month of the Jewish year. Although Nehemiah had been praying for four months it was not until the first month of the New Year that breakthrough came and he could start a journey to fulfil his God given destiny! 

Prayer: Father, in this first month of the New Year may I start a new journey to fulfil my destiny in You