Nehemiah faces the challenge of repopulating the city of Jerusalem, which is described as a holy city, set apart for divine purposes. He imposes a lottery to bring 10% of the people into the city, and the chapter lists the names of those who willingly offered themselves to dwell in Jerusalem. The city's significance is emphasized, and its importance is compared to other cities, with Jerusalem being the geographic center of the earth, the salvation center, the storm center, and ultimately, the glory center of the earth. [... more]