A Book Review

Presented to

Dr. T.J. Betts

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

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In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for 20200AWW

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by

JonChristopher Alan Collins

August 15, 2024

Betts, T.J. Nehemiah: A Pastoral and Exegetical Commentary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2020.

In Nehemiah: A Pastoral and Exegetical Commentary, T.J. Betts asserts the usefulness of the book of Nehemiah for the Christian. In addition, he builds the case that the book is relevant. Acknowledging that the Hebrew Bible poses difficulties not only to teaching and preaching but also for comprehension, he sets out to help all Christians, those in the classroom, pulpit, and congregation, grasp Nehemiah. The work, whether intentional or not, reads like a straightforward character analysis as much as a commentary. Ultimately, Betts takes readers on a journey that is sure to change them. It’s one that will help transform comprehension and appreciation of the ancient book, the book of Nehemiah.

Betts’ passion shines through and is present from page one to the conclusion. From a desire to share his passion for the Old Testament, the Southern Seminary professor invites believers to discover the richness of God’s revelation in the Hebrew Bible. Christian readers will find that Nehemiah is profitable for their lives.

Summary

The book kicks off with a preface. In it, Betts wastes no time getting to the thesis; the book of Nehemiah is not useless, and the contents of it are valuable and timely for present day Christians (1). Though the book is penned by a scholar, it is not just for his fellow scholars. Instead, it is for a wider audience. “Landing somewhere in the middle, this work is intended to help those who preach and teach the Bible along with laypeople who wish to better understand the message of Nehemiah and who would benefit from a work that bridges the gap between the two” (2).

The purpose is tied to the quote above. Betts wrote the book to help all Christians better understand and appreciate the role Nehemiah plays in their lives and walk with Christ. Betts argues his thesis by focusing on practical points in the Old Testament book.

He brings out relatable dimensions of the text. Readers are taken through attributes of Nehemiah that are within reach. Additionally, readers are shown how God’s people should behave. Attention now turns to analyzing Betts’ book.

Critical Evaluation

As someone who admittedly did not give much study time to Nehemiah before reading the commentary, Betts provides an accessible and inviting look into the book. One of the strengths of his work is how practical it is. While history is brought into it, the teacher does not offer endless history lectures but something more captivating. First, readers are directed to consider a Christlike quality Nehemiah exhibits.

 Service is exemplified perfectly in Christ. It is also seen, albeit in not close to the same way, in Nehemiah. Betts brilliantly unpacks this point. First, he spends some time diving into the historical context as he does at different points throughout the book. He does not get stuck in the history though. Betts paints a relatable picture that all believers should aspire to in life. Nehemiah is a man of prayer.

Nehemiah has a strong prayer life. Betts states that, “in dire situations people will say, “I guess all we can do is pray.” It is as if prayer were a last resort, but it is no last resort for Nehemiah.” The professor argues that this characteristic reveals how humble and dependent one is on God (14). While the historical context of the Bible is critical to understand, Betts does not use that truth as an excuse to weave a lifeless documentary but a gripping tale about a relatable person.

Betts blends the scholarly with the popular. He seems to understand that many people think in terms of stories with interesting plots and characters. This comes out in other points in his book. Nehemiah’s service-oriented heart is also evident in how he prays, and how he prays is something that ought to draw believers to study.

Betts rightly notes that Nehemiah’s prayers are God-centered. “All prayer must begin with being God-centered and not self-centered. Only when we have a proper perspective of God can we begin to gain a proper perspective of ourselves and the world around us. For some of us, it may be that a lack of prayer and a lack of answered prayers occurs because we fail in truly knowing the One to whom we pray” (17).

Servant-hearted prayer is God-centered. Self-serving prayer is self-centered. More explanation of how Betts highlights Nehemiah as a character is deserved, but focus must shift now. An issue many Christians grapple with is the thought that the Old Testament is boring and useless at times.

Another strength is that Betts appears to anticipate that. It is easy to look at passages like those of Leviticus and question their usefulness for Christians. Such passages can feel pointless to Christian living. For example, what are Jesus followers to do with texts like those laying out the instruction for building the Tabernacle?

He takes on a similar challenge found in work on the gates in Nehemiah 3:1–32. In the art of persuasion, it is helpful to concede points or admit to seeing that another’s perspective has at least a degree of validity. Betts does just that. “Given that the passage appears to be a mundane listing of the groups of workers and their locations, it can pose a problem for expositors to know how to approach the text or even to decide whether it is really meaningful to do so in the context of preaching. Some commentators give little to no ink toward this passage” (51).

Even with that admission, Betts stays on task to prove his point. In a nutshell, all of the Bible, even Nehemiah, came from God; it’s God’s revelation. It has a point or purpose. Pulling the purpose out of Nehemiah 3:1-32 is not a small accomplishment. Betts accomplishes that.

The chapter is about work near nine gates. That does not sound thrilling or spiritual. It does not elicit thoughts of spiritual growth or anything life altering or world changing. However, it is precisely in the boring, tedious, and routine that God does some of the most impactful work believers have seen.

Masterfully, Betts underlines ways in which God’s people respond to the work waiting completion. There are over ten points, too many to detail here. However, mentioning one will suffice. Betts shows how the people act quickly to do the work on the gates. This is instructive because, he admits, people procrastinate. Even God’s people procrastinate at times, but this example can encourage action (60). The Southern Seminary professor has a pastoral heart that oozes out onto the pages, and the chapter of the section on the gates is no exception.

Clearly, the book of Nehemiah does not come to modern readers without power and benefit. Betts’ chapter on Nehemiah 3 takes a seemingly drab read and helps readers see it for the power punch that it is; he does not give it meaning that it was void of before but helps readers see what is already there. Truly, God’s Word is powerful.

Nehemiah 3 is God’s Word as much as words detailing mighty displays of God’s power are. With Betts’ help, readers come to see Nehemiah as an account of Spirit-empowered teamwork to carry a task to completion (64). This is a solid example of what makes the author’s work so impactful.

Though Betts is an Old Testament scholar, his approach is winsome and does not walk away in frustration from those who find the text challenging or time-consuming at times. Rather, he acknowledges from the start that some portions of Scripture certainly feel that way. From there, he lovingly and optimistically proceeds to call readers to see the riches in the mundane, in the instructions and lists of names.

An additional strength of the commentary is how Betts’ crafted it to spark contemplation and discussion after reading. Each chapter ends with questions for consideration. That is yet another way Betts includes popular audiences. His work on Nehemiah is not overly technical and beyond the realm of comprehension for general readers.

The scholar’s work is strong and effective. Like any human work, it is not free from weakness. The weakness does not detract from the thesis. Nonetheless, it is present. At the same time, the weakness is likely a product of preference instead of a real weakness. The next section will render brief attention to the weak point.

Unless it was overlooked in my reading, Betts does not note that God and Nehemiah are not recorded to have had direct communication of any kind. Humbly, that is a weakness. Yes, it can be seen. However, it appears worth it and even of exceptional importance to state it, no matter how obvious. It is a point from which believers can draw even more comfort and relate to what could be a distant reality.

A fast, surface level reading of the Bible may leave a reader feeling a level of inadequacy. One may read of Moses or others talking with God or hearing God’s voice and feel like that is the normal method by which God and humans communicate. However, further study reveals a reliance on God in the day to day, closer to what is documented in the books of Ruth and Esther.

Nehemiah is in the same category, and Betts could have leveraged that. It would have been a great opportunity to connect readers to the ancient book. However, it still comes through. God always works in all circumstances, even if He seems silent.

Conclusion

Overall, Betts accomplishes his goal. He proves the usefulness of Nehemiah for all Christians. It is an accessible book with much fruit. It is ancient, but it is not irrelevant. As a scholar, Betts brings out storytelling elements in Nehemiah that make it relatable. Study is still required to pull out what he seamlessly highlights, but it is not impossible.

On a personal note, I discovered a new favorite biblical hero thanks to the work God did through the professor’s commentary. Evidently, it is a work God continues doing. The book has strengthened my already strong resolve to pray and exhorted me to trust God. Trusting God is admittedly not always easy. I am someone who enjoys character studies, and I will use Betts’ commentary in such study and teaching. I would recommend this book to any Christian who finds some portions of the Bible inaccessible or tedious to understand. Anyone with a desire to learn and willingness to take time to do so will glean much from the work that has been reviewed here.

*Honor Code: I have written this paper exclusively for 20200AWW. If I received any editing or proofreading advice, I have made all such corrections myself. I have also documented each paraphrase, direct quotation, and borrowed idea in compliance with the Turabian and SBTS style manuals.