Nehemiah 5:14–19

Nehemiah's self-defense

Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, until his thirty-second year—twelve years—neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor. 15 But the earlier governors— those preceding me—placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God I did not act like that. 16 Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we did not acquire any land.

17 Furthermore, a hundred and fifty Jews and officials ate at my table, as well as those who came to us from the surrounding nations. 18 Each day one ox, six choice sheep and some poultry were prepared for me, and every ten days an abundant supply of wine of all kinds. In spite of all this, I never demanded the food allotted to the governor, because the demands were heavy on these people.

19 Remember me with favor, O my God, for all I have done for these people.

This section of Scripture has troubled commentators because it covers a span of 12 years (445–433 B.C.); but the wall seems to have been completed in less than two months, shortly after Nehemiah’s return (Nehemiah 6:15). There is no problem or contradiction here. Nehemiah undoubtedly compiled his memoirs at the end of his career. Here he was simply stating that the same unselfish service that characterized his actions during the building project in the first year of his administration was maintained throughout his term of office. He was not saying that it took 12 years to build the wall.

Nehemiah’s stay in Jerusalem must have extended far beyond his original expectation, for he was in Judah for 12 years. When Nehemiah wrote his memoirs at the end of his career, he defended himself against enemies in much the same fashion as Saint Paul does in 2 Corinthians. Nehemiah did this so that his administration would not be discredited. He refuted the charge that he had exploited the people and was in the work for his own gain; he pointed out that he did not even take the governor’s pay he was entitled to. On the contrary, he used his own money to pay for the entertaining and receptions that his position required. Because he realized that he was a servant of God, Nehemiah did not lord it over God’s people or demand his rights and prerogatives as governor. Instead, he conducted himself unselfishly and looked first to the interests of the people he was sent to serve.

In this respect Nehemiah is an example to believers today. We also have the greater example of our Lord Jesus, who did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many. The sacrifices we make deserve no reward; we are only doing our duty. Yet, like Nehemiah, we can be confident that God will remember and reward our faithfulness. This confidence is well founded, for we have such a promise from Christ: “If anyone gives a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward” (Matthew 10:42).