A First Hand Viewing

A First Hand Viewing Pastor Tyson Bloor Nehemiah / Nehemiah 2:9-16 The Neighbors are Not Happy Nehemiah 2:9-10 NASB95 Then I came to the governors of the provinces beyond the River and gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen. When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about it, it was very displeasing to them that someone had come to seek the welfare of the sons of Israel. Sanballat - probably was from one of the Beth-horons about eighteen miles northwest of Jerusalem, although some suggest the Moabite town of Horonaim. According to an Elephantine Papyrus, Sanballat was governor of Samaria in 408 b.c. Since his sons were acting for him at that time, he probably was elderly. These verses imply that he already was governor of Samaria in Nehemiah's time. Tobiah - was likely governor of Ammon, although he may have been an Ammonite official under Sanballat's authority. Tobiah is a Jewish name and not Ammonite, but the Tobiad family was to have influence in Ammon for a long time. These Tobiads may have been descendants of the Tobiah who in Ezra 2:60 was rejected from the Jewish community because "they could not show that their families were descended from Israel." If so, their long-standing enmity against the Jewish community may have begun at that time. A View of the Task Nehemiah 2:11-16 NASB95 So I came to Jerusalem and was there three days. And I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. I did not tell anyone what my God was putting into my mind to do for Jerusalem and there was no animal with me except the animal on which I was riding. So I went out at night by the Valley Gate in the direction of the Dragon's Well and on to the Refuse Gate, inspecting the walls of Jerusalem which were broken down and its gates which were consumed by fire. Then I passed on to the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool, but there was no place for my mount to pass. So I went up at night by the ravine and inspected the wall. Then I entered the Valley Gate again and returned. The officials did not know where I had gone or what I had done; nor had I as yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials or the rest who did the work. Some observations: • Nehemiah waited 3 days before investigating the ruins. • Nehemiah told nobody what was the purpose of him being there • He viewed the damage at night • He did all of his investigation in secret Ezra 3:12 NASB95 Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers' households, the old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, while many shouted aloud for joy,