Nehemiah 13

Nehemiah was zealous for God's law, and was shocked when the other Jews weren't.

I'm sure they never meant to disobey. I doubt they ever set out to rebel against God. But a little compromise made it a little easier to compromise the next time, and so forth, until Nehemiah had to step in and straighten them out. That couldn't have been pleasant, for them or for him.

Esther will start on Monday. 

Nehemiah 12

There was a priest named "Amok". There's no great truth to that, no deep theological meaning to uncover. I just thought it was funny. It's probably not funny in any other language -- in Hebrew it probably means "mighty eagle" or something -- and it may leave you completely cold, but I think it's hilarious.

The Bible's a big book, and sometimes you just find something funny in it.

Nehemiah 11

The rebuilt kingdom of Judah was not a democracy.

The governor was appointed. Everything had to come through some far-off emperor. So far as we know,, people just did what they were told, when they were told, where they were told. And yet there were representatives from every town in Judah right there in Jerusalem.

Nehemiah 10

The Jews not only swore to avoid the specific sins that had gotten them to such a state,but they promised not to neglect the temple.

They felt they had to make this promise largely because they had negotiated the temple. The entire message of the prophet Haggai was about people who built their own houses instead of of God's.