In the early 90s, “Indian Summer” opened in theatres. This movie was about childhood friends who return to summer camp as adults only to find that things were not as they once were. When returning to camp, the friends remember wonderful experiences they had as children and even discuss buying the camp and restoring it to the way it used to be.Even though we have been told that it is counterproductive to live in the past, it is not always a bad thing to desire things to be as they once were and to take the necessary steps to restore that which has been lost. In the book of Nehemiah, the Israelites are returning from exile and are longing for things to be as they once were. When Nehemiah hears that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down and that its gates had been destroyed by fire, he begins to ask for forgiveness for the wickedness of the Jewish people and prays for God’s favor to return to His people.
When Artaxerxes allows him to return to Jerusalem, Nehemiah calls for the nation of Israel to rebuild. He says, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the walls of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision” (2:17). By the provision of God and the leadership of Nehemiah, the walls are rebuilt in fifty-two days.
A major point in this story is not Nehemiah’s concern for the city, but for the condition of his people. Nehemiah knew that God and Israel’s relationship had been broken and he longed to see it repaired. The state of the people of Israel is similar to man’s situation today. There was a time when man was in good standing with God, but he rebelled and sin entered into the world destroying everything God created perfect.
Because Adam (our representative) failed, all of mankind has a broken relationship with God. This relationship can only be restored by one turning from his or her sin and making Christ Lord. Men and women will not be right with God until they hear from other believers about the fellowship that has been lost and how it can be repaired.
