Ezra and Nehemiah are complementary stories of each other. Both books of the Hebrew Bible speak of men serving God as leaders of their fellow men. Ezra, "a scribe well versed in the law of Moses" (Ezra 7:6) was primarily concerned with the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem and, following the prescriptions found in the Mosaic and Nehemiah covenant, was concerned with the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem as expressed in part of Nehemiah 2:17-20: "'You see the bad situation we are in... Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we will no longer be an object of derision!' » (Nehemiah 2:17). Ezra and Nehemiah respect the laws of the Lord. Ezra and Nehemiah are not afraid to honor their Lord with their respective lives and ministries. The Book of Tobit, however, completes the story of these men's faith in the Lord by providing insight into their faith challenges that are not expressed in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Throughout all three books we witness the rebuilding of the city walls and temple to effectively honor and worship the God of Israel, as prescribed by the Mosaic covenant and promulgated by the proclamations of Ezra. The book of Ezra begins with a concise history of Jerusalem, which leads into Ezra's ministry. It begins with Jeshua in the third chapter. Joshua “[rebuilt] the altar of the God of Israel to offer the burnt offerings prescribed in the law of Moses” (Ezra 3:2). The people who lived in the land were those who destroyed the temple and the city of Jerusalem. Because of the previous destruction, Joshua and his people feared them (Ezra 3:3). Despite this fear, Jeshua began by offering burnt offerings to the Lord. Ezra 5 depicts the prophets beginning to rebuild time...... middle of paper ......helped him strengthen his army who watched and protected the construction of the city walls day and night. All these men built their faith in God for their own lives and that of the inhabitants of their cities. These faith constructs are what remains in the kingdom of God. Works Cited Brown, Raymond Edward, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, and Roland E. Murphy. “Tobit, Judith, Esther.” Jerome's biblical commentary. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1968. 620-624.Print.Collins, John J. “Ezra and Nehemiah.” A brief introduction to the Hebrew Bible. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2007. 220-228. Print.Haupt, Paul. “The blindness of Tobit and the hysteria of Sarah.” Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 60.2 (1921): 71-95. JSTOR. Internet. November 10, 2013. Russell, James. “God is good to Tobit and Iran.” Iran and the Caucasus 5.1 (2001):1-6. JSTOR. Internet. November 11. 2013.