heir appeal and the epoch-making movement which he
inaugurated reveal the presence of an impelling force. Probably back of
all this movement was the work of the great prophet who speaks in Isaiah
40-66. In all that Nehemiah did that influence may be seen. In the fervent
and patriotic prayer that he uttered on learning of conditions in
Jerusalem he used the term servant or servants of Jehovah eight times in
six short verses. It also echoes the phraseology and thought of the II
Isaiah.

The king under whom Nehemiah served was evidently Artaxerxes I. In
Nehemiah 12:10-11 the Chronicler states that Eliashib, the high priest
in the days of Nehemiah, was the grandson of Joshua, who shared in
the rebuilding of the temple in 520 B.C. Eliashib was also the
great-grandfather of Jaddua, who was high priest in Jerusalem in 332 B.C.,
when Alexander conquered Palestine. References in the recently discovered
Elephantine letters, as well as in the history of Josephus, confirm the
conclusion that Nehemiah set out upon his expedition in the spring of
445 B.C. Like all those who ministered personally to the Persian kings,
he was probably a eunuch and still a young man. The true piety which is
revealed in his prayer, the courage shown by his daring to appear with sad
face in the presence of the absolute tyrant who ruled the Eastern world,
and his tact in winning the king's consent to his departure indicate that
he was a man of rare energy and ability. Artaxerxes I was famous for
his susceptibility to the influence of court favorites. The queen
referred to in 1:6 was probably the queen-mother Amestris, who exercised
commanding authority in the Persian court. Without the royal consent and
the resources and authority granted him, Nehemiah could hardly have
accomplished the large task which he undertook. The arduous journey of
fifteen hundred miles over mountains and barren deserts was enough to
daunt a man reared in the luxury of an Oriental court, but Nehemiah was
inspired by an ideal of service which recognized no obstacles.

III. Obstacles that Confronted Him. The high-priestly rulers do not
appear to have welcomed Nehemiah with enthusiasm. Some of them, at least,
later sought to undermine his work. It is not difficult to infer the
reason for their apathy. Intrenched wealth and authority are usually
conservative, especially if conscious that their position is easily
assailable. As the sequel proved, these leaders of the community were
sim