Jerusalem was brutally destroyed by the Babylonian army in 597 BC. Many Jews were forcibly carried off into exile at the time. 58 years later, Babylon was defeated by the Persians. And the Persian King began to let some of the Jewish exiles return to their homeland. Nehemiah was among the exiled Jews still living in Persia 150 years after the destruction of Jerusalem.

He seems to have integrated well and held an influential job in the royal palace. Still, he identified with and longed for his ancestral homeland. He channeled his grief and longing into his prayers.

When the opportunity arose, he returned to rebuild Jerusalem with the blessing of Artaxerxes, king of Persia. Before Nehemiah left, the king agreed to provide the materials he would need for the rebuilding project.

Artaxerxes supported Nehemiah

The trip to Jerusalem was about 1000 miles (1600 km). It took him about two months to get there. When he arrived, he did some research to get a firsthand understanding of the situation. Once he had a plan, he invited the people living in the ruins to join in the project and rebuild the city wall. When they heard him tell how God and the king were behind him, they were encouraged and went to work.

Let’s stop the story here and see what we can learn from it.

Nehemiah is the story of a descendant of exiles going to help his people recover from forced displacement and the ruins of war.

Nehemiah went to help people recover from war and exile.

IAFR partners with friends and colleagues like Nehemiah today. Once refugees themselves, they have now devoted their lives to serving refugees.

Some Nehemiahs in the world today

A former refugee from Iran, Sahar founded a Greek organization called One Heart, that serves asylum seekers and refugees in Athens.

Insaf, a former refugee from Iraq, serves refugees in Canada and in the Middle East. Like Nehemiah, her ministry includes helping her people in Iraq rebuild their lives.

Pastor Gatera spent most of his life as a refugee in Rwanda, Tanzania, and Kenya. He now lives in the USA and serves with IAFR as our Refugee Church Consultant.

Once a refugee in Malawi, Innocent founded a Malawian nonprofit called There Is Hope. They serve people in a refugee camp and the surrounding host community.

Once a refugee from Somalia, Shahrazad serves as a missionary among refugees and asylum seekers in Canada as a trauma care provider.

I could name many more, but I think you get the point. These brothers and sisters are following in the footsteps of Nehemiah. Once refugees themselves, they have devoted their lives to helping others survive and recover from forced displacement.

Nehemiahs need Artaxerxes today.

Just as Nehemiah was empowered to pursue his vision by his financial partnership with king Artaxerxes, our refugee brothers and sisters need people to get behind their ministries financially. That is why I mention the important role of people like Artaxerxes. Not everyone is able to go and devote themselves to refugee ministry. But that does not mean we can’t still get deeply involved in the work. Artaxerxes is an example of how generous behind-the- scenes partners make ministry among refugees and asylum seekers possible.

My point is that it is possible for us to serve refugees and serve with refugees – even in distant locations by following the example of the ministry partnership of Nehemiah and Artaxerxes.

Indeed, sometimes the best thing we can do is to get behind a Nehemiah – a refugee or former refugee who has dedicated themselves to serving refugees.