2,400 years ago, Nehemiah felt a strong urge to restore Jerusalem to its prior glory, and proceeded to start the process by rebuilding the walls of the city. The walls had been heavily damaged and torn down by the Babylonians (also called the Chaldeans) 70 years before Nehemiah decided he needed to take on the task of wall-building.

Nehemiah found that he had many enemies who did not want the walls restored, and they tried everything to stop the project.

Chapter 2:19: But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. “What is this you are doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?” verse 20: I answered them by saying, “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.”

Yet he persevered, and was able to rally the residents of Jerusalem to rebuild the wall, often using them to work on the portion of the wall that was in front of their houses and property. The wall-builders also constructed and hung new gates that served as the entry/exit points through the wall. And even as the work progressed, the enemy naysayers were hurling insults at the residents of Jerusalem for their bold move to restore the glory of their city.

Chapter 4:1 When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews,  2 and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?”  3 Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!” 

With all the local labor involved in the project, the rebuilding project took only 52 days. Truly a major effort, and well-managed by Nehemiah and his team.

Nehemiah was also so committed to making Jerusalem great again that he did not take his salary, or consume the food that was legally allotted to him as governor of Judea.

Chapter 5:14 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.

Once the wall was completed, Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem the Arab continued to try to discredit Nehemiah, and to go as far as to cause him physical harm. They tried to lure Nehemiah out of the city into a nearby village, but Nehemiah refused to meet with them. At that point, Sanballah, who apparently had a bad case of “Nehemiah Derangement Syndrome” decided to use slander as a way to attack the ruler. He sent an open letter to Nehemiah that was likely one of the very first examples of “fake news” of which we have a historical record. It stated:

Chapter 6:6 in which was written: “It is reported among the nations—and Geshem says it is true—that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports you are about to become their king  7 and have even appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you in Jerusalem: ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now this report will get back to the king; so come, let us meet together.” 

8 I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.” 9 They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.” But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.”

Nehemiah stood fast, held to his beliefs, and the walls of the city were rebuilt……..and Nehemiah did in fact “Make Jerusalem Great Again.”