Nehemiah had reorganized the Judean community, rebuilt their walls, and inspired them with a new sense of self-respect; thus he made possible that genuine revival of the Judean state that took place during the succeeding centuries. He, like Ezekiel, Haggai, Zechariah, and the ii Isaiah, was indeed one of the makers of Judaism. Ben Sira with true insight declared (49:13):
The memorial of Nehemiah is great,
Who raised up for us the walls that were fallen,
And set up the gates and bars,
And raised up our homes again.
Section CI. NEHEMIAH’S SOCIAL AND RELIGIOUS REFORMS
[Sidenote: Isa. 56:1, 2]
Thus saith Jehovah,
Guard justice and practice righteousness.
For my deliverance is near at hand, and my righteousness
is soon to be
revealed.
Happy the man who practices, the mortal who holds
fast to it,
Keeping the sabbath so as not to profane it, and keeping
his hand from
evil.
[Sidenote: Isa. 56:3-5]
Let not the foreigner who hath joined himself to Jehovah
say,
‘Jehovah will surely separate me from his people.’
And let not the eunuch say, ‘Behold I am a dry
tree.’
For thus saith Jehovah to the eunuchs, ’Those
who keep my sabbaths,
And choose that in which I delight, and hold fast
to my covenant,
I will give them in my house and walls a monument,
And a name better than sons and daughters,
An everlasting name will I give them which cannot
be cut off.
[Sidenote: Isa. 56:6-8]
And the foreigners who join themselves to Jehovah
to minister to him,
And to love the name of Jehovah, to be his servants,
Every one who keeps the sabbath so as not to pollute
it and faithfully
abides by my covenant—
Them will I bring to my holy mountain and make joyful
in my house of
prayer;
Their burnt-offerings and sacrifices will be accepted
upon my altar;
For my house shall be called a house of prayer for
all peoples.
It is the oracle of Jehovah, who gathereth the outcasts
of Israel,
‘I will gather still others to him in addition
to those already gathered.’
[Sidenote: Isa. 56:9-12]
O all ye wild beasts of the field come to devour,
all ye wild beasts of
the forest!
My watchmen are all blind, they know not how to give
heed,
They are all dumb dogs which cannot bark,
Dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber.
And the dogs are greedy, they know not how to be satisfied,
They all turn to their own way, each for his own profit
[saying],
Come, I will get wine, and we will drink our fill
of strong drink,
And to-morrow shall be as to-day, an exceedingly great
day!