The story of Nehemiah and Ezra is a drama in three parts. The first part takes place in the sixth century B.C. in Babylon where the Persians under King Cyrus conquered the Babylonians and decreed that the exiled Israelites could return home to Jerusalem.

Nehemiah, a Jew living in Babylon at peace with the Persians, rose to a place of honor as a royal cup-bearer in the Persian court. In about 445 B.C., Nehemiah received a message from a relative who had just returned from a visit in Jerusalem. The relative, Hanani, reported bad news:

The survivors there in the province who escaped exile are in great trouble and shame; the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire. - Nehemiah 1:3

Deeply moved by the report and remembering the promises to Moses that God would redeem t…