Israel was standing between ruin and renewal, with the Law fresh on their minds and a future that was still very uncertain. And while they stand there weeping for what once was, Nehemiah tells them, “Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”  These words were spoken during a liminal moment. Israel was standing on the precipice of spiritual renewal, but wasn’t quite there yet. Instead, they were standing between ruin and renewal, with Nehemiah leading them toward restoration.  

Most scholars date Nehemiah’s governorship to around 440–400 BC, during the reign of Artaxerxes I of Persia. Nehemiah arrives in Jerusalem as a Persian-appointed governor, not a king, priest, or prophet. But his work is both deeply physical and spiritual. Nehemiah’s work wasn’t just a commission to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, but also restore the people back to the heart of God. 

And while Nehemiah 6 records the completion of the city walls, this does not mean Jerusalem was secure or fully restored. Life wasn’t yet fully stable, because they needed more than just a wall for security. The people needed God’s Word, and that is where Ezra steps into the picture.  

Ezra stands on a wooden platform and reads the Torah aloud for hours. The Levites circulate among the people, translating and explaining the text. The reading was a significant moment in the Biblical timeline. The Law had not been publicly read for many years, and the people cried because they were overwhelmed by emotion. They felt convicted, but they were probably also remembering all the things they had lost during the exile. Israel had paid a steep price, spiritually and socially. 

Nehemiah tells the people not to grieve. The Hebrew word for joy here, chedvah, denotes a happiness rooted in covenant belonging. This joy is not self-generated. It is described explicitly as the Lord’s. In other words, the people are not being asked to feel differently. They are being asked to locate their strength somewhere other than their emotional state. Joy here is an act of resistance against despair.

Nehemiah instructs the people to eat, drink, and share with those who have nothing. Nehemiah’s words were spoken to a people who were still in the process of rebuilding, not just physically but also spiritually. They had to relearn and restore their faith, which led to Nehemiah’s instruction to be joyful. Nehemiah knows that joy is not the reward for restoration. Joy is the strength required to continue restoring. The joy of the Lord does not ignore reality; it anchors us in the One who controls it. And that is perhaps why it offers so much strength.