Week 4: Nehemiah and rebuilding the walls

Week 4: Nehemiah 1-4

Objective: 

• Nehemiah Prays for His People

• Nehemiah Sent to Judah

• Nehemiah Views the Wall of Jerusalem

• Rebuilding the Wall

• The Wall Defended Against Enemies

Resources:

• Fr Tadros Y Malaty Commentary
• Catena Bible Commentary
• Fr Dawoud Lamie Bible study (Arabic)

Reading:

• Nehemiah 1: Group prayer during the concluding prayer (similar to servants meetings)
• Nehemiah 2: 1-20
• Nehemiah 3: Skip
• Nehemiah 4: 1-23

Key verse(s):

“Please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night” Nehemiah 1:6

Comments:

• Please read the last verse in chapter one. Nehemiah had a high-status job. He was the king’s cupbearer. This means he will taste whatever is offered to the king before the king in case it is poisoned. This was a highly trusted job.
  
• Nehemiah left the luxurious life and desired to take his brethren and go back to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. His heart desired the service and worship, not the earthly desires.
• We learn from Nehemiah that the first thing to do before service (or talking to the king in his case) was to pray.
• King Artaxerxes, king of Persia, noticed Nehemiah and allowed him to go and revive his homeland. 
• Nehemiah viewed the walls and made a statement strategic plan before initiating the work. We learn from him to think and plan before starting any project.
• Chapter three mentions those who got to work. Church Fathers viewed these men as the people who struggled and did the work and their names were written in the Book of Life.
• Satan was not happy with the progress and wanted to stop this great service. People arose to scare them and make them stop. Nehemiah did not cease and continued his work and kept his trust in God.

Review/recap questions:
**Servant may add more questions

1. What was Nehemiah’s job in the king’s palace?
2. What did Nehemiah ask of Artaxerxes?
3. Why did Nehemiah want a letter from the king to Asaph?
4. How did Nehemiah encourage the people to rise and build the wall?
5. Mention the professions of some of the people who helped repair the wall.
6. How did Nehemiah respond to his enemies’ anger?
7. Why did Nehemiah have a trumpeter beside him?

Homework:
**Servant may add more questions

1. Nehemiah’s job in the king’s palace was:
   a) a singer b) a cupbearer c) a priest d) a musician
2. Nehemiah wanted timber to make:
   a) the gates of the citadel b) the city wall c) his house d) all of these
3. When Nehemiah went to view the wall of Jerusalem he took with him:
   a) his friends b) the workers c) no one d) just the animal he rode on
4. Which of these gates is NOT a gate in Jerusalem?
   a) the Fish Gate b) the Fountain Gate c) the Golden Gate d) the Refuse Gate
5. Some of the people who made repairs in the wall were:
   a) priests b) goldsmith c) merchants d) all of these