The Message of Nehemiah: God's Servant in a Time of Change

The Bible Speaks Today: Old Testament

by Raymond E. Brown

The book of Nehemiah is about starting over again. Nehemiah, one of Israel's great leaders, tells firsthand the powerful story of the rebuilding of ancient Jerusalem's walls after the exile. This rebuilding, in the face of great odds, represented the people's renewal of faith, their overcoming of national shame and the reforming of their conduct. In sizing up Nehemiah the man, Raymond Brown surmises: "He must surely be regarded as one of the most inventive and resilient personalities in the rich tapestry of Old Testament biography." Brown vividly sketches Nehemiah's historical and social setting and demonstrates the striking relevance for today of his dominant themes: Nehemiah's doctrine of God, his passion for Scripture, his experience of prayer and his example of leadership.

Genres: Reference, Old Testament, Christian

256 pages, Hardcover

First published June 19, 1998

About the author

Roman Catholic priest, member of Society of Saint-Sulpice and a prominent biblical scholar, esteemed by not only his colleagues of the same confession. One of the first Roman Catholic scholars to apply historical-critical analysis to the Bible.

Reviews

[Adam Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strong volume in the BST series, and a good choice to put into the hands of a Bible study leader. The main weakness, common with BST, is the tendency to lose sight of the bigger picture and applying details rather than passages as a whole.

[John Funnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

An essential companion when studying Nehemiah

[Xing Yi Ngiam · Rating 3 out of 5]

While it does a good job of explicating a book that is normally glossed over, this commentary gets long-winded and provides far too many illustrations and comparisons that are sometimes distracting.

[Iain Hamill · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The post exilic Israelite community was endangered by numerous perils- external opposition, emotional dejection, doctrinal indifference, spiritual lethargy and moral compromise. The times were not unlike our own..." Against this backdrop, Brown brilliantly explores the lessons we can learn from the book of Nehemiah and the results of honest prayer to a powerful God and a heartfelt passion for his people.

[Lötta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un estudio muy completo al libro de Nehemías. Muchas aplicaciones a nuestra vida actual y he descubierto un siervo de Dios cuyo ejemplo es motivador.

Sin duda lo recomiendo. Lectura con tranquilidad, para digerir la cantidad de enseñanza que encierra este libro.