Nehemiah

Nehemiah was a great leader. According to James Montgomery Boice, Nehemiah's leadership abilities were born from his submission to God, his ability to focus on the right goals, his wisdom in handling complex situations, and his courage to act decisively. "But the most important thing about Nehemiah," says Boice, "is that he was a man of God, and because he was so close to God in prayer and personal piety, he was able to draw from God the wisdom, patience, skill, and perseverance he needed." This insightful commentary follows a chosen leader through the great task of rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem 150 years after it was destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar. Through analysis of eight dynamics of the Old Testament text, Boice explores all aspects of Nehemiah's work, from taking command to getting the work done, from dealing with oppression to dedicating the wall and establishing Jerusalem as a city under God. James Montgomery Boice (1938-2000) was senior pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was also president and cofounder of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, the parent organization of The Bible Study Hour on which Boice was a speaker for more than thirty years.

The most important thing about Nehemiah," says Boice, "is that he was a man of God, and because he was close to God in prayer and personal piety, he was able to draw from God the wisdom, patience, skill, and perseverance he needed to complete his great task." In the tradition of Boice's expositional commentaries, "Nehemiah not only explains the meaning of the text verse by verse and section by section, but it also relates the concerns of the text to the world, the church, and the realities of Christian life. Pastors, Bible students, and laypersons alike will find Boice's easy-to-read commentary an important tool, not only in understanding the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem but also in understanding how God equips his servants for their appointed tasks.