There are some great lessons to be learned from the writings of Nehemiah. Nehemiah was in mourning because the wall of Jerusalem had been broken down and its gates burned with fire. 

Can we make connections to today?  Have the "walls" of many of the established churches been broken down?  Have the "gates" been compromised?  Does this have anything to do with compromising the truth at the risk of being politically incorrect?

Many "traditions of men" that Jesus and the writers of the New Testament warned about can be compared to breaking down the walls of truth. (Matthew 15:1-9, Mark 7:1-9, Colossians 2:8,  2 Peter 1:16)  Many would claim that there are other pathways to God, when Jesus is clearly the only way, the only gate by which we come to God. (John 10:9-16)

At the time that Nehemiah heard about the wall he was in the area of Susa (southwest Iran today). 

Nehemiah has given us an excellent prayer model in Nehemiah 1:4-11a.  

Nehemiah held an important position with the king and surely was respected and trusted by the king. Again King Artaxerxes shows his moral character by noticing the sadness displayed by Nehemiah and offering to let him go to Jerusalem. If you will notice when Nehemiah came before the king, he prayed in the presence of the king. Could this have been the reason that the king was favorably disposed to letting Nehemiah go?  

And again the leaders of Trans-Euphrates (the area across or beyond the Euphrates River) get a letter telling them to give safe passage to yet another Jewish refugee and to provide supplies.  The king sent army officers and cavalry (riding horses) for protection. 

When Nehemiah told the leaders about the ruins of the walls of Jerusalem, he inspired them to rebuild the wall.  But there were problems with Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem, the Arab.  Nehemiah was extremely clear when he responded to them with these words, "but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any other claim or historic right to it."  Arabs have no legitimate or godly right or claim to Jerusalem. Arabs have no claim to Jerusalem because the land was given to Canaan, a descendant of Ham, son of Noah, then God gave the land to the descendants of Jacob.  The Arabs are descendants of Ishmael (son of Abraham and Hagar - an Egyptian) and are not part of the covenant God made with Abraham and Sarah, therefore Arabs have no claim. 

Scripture next details the division of labor (which was done by rulers and even some women), on the rebuilding of the gates. Why such detail? Could it be a reminder that each of us has a part in the Lord's work? Do we sometimes think that our part is insignificant? God doesn't think so.