As the Ezra-Nehemiah narrative begins, the reader is filled with such great hope. Unfortunately, like all other Old Testament narratives, the ending is disappointing and anti-climactic! The final chapter has Nehemiah returning to Jerusalem (after he had traveled back to Persia to retain his position as the cup-bearer). Upon his return, the very reforms that took place in the previous chapters had already unraveled. There is widespread neglect of the Temple and worship. Intermarriage is a popular and culture norm. And the enemy's of the restoration process were actually welcomed amidst the whole thing. To say that Nehemiah was angry in his return is probably an understatement. As a precursor to Jesus' purifying of the Temple in John 2, Nehemiah does the same here. He even is found beating up and pulling the hair of those who oppose him. No this is certainly no model for church discipline, but Nehemiah's zeal for God's Law is noteworthy. He is passionate about the things of God, preserving the glory of God! We too should be this passionate! The whole scene reminds us that we are incapable of real repentance, renewal, restoration without Jesus. The Old Covenant merely exposes sin, while the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34) changes our heart. This is exactly what we need! We need a new heart and God's Spirit to help us live out His Law! This is the finale of the "Life After Exile" series. Join us in our next series from 1 Peter entitled, "Different".
