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Week 4: Nehemiah and rebuilding the walls

Week 4: Nehemiah 1-4

Objective: 

  • FastingNehemiah and PrayerPrays for ProtectionHis People

  • Nehemiah Sent to Judah

  • Nehemiah Views the Wall of Jerusalem

  • Rebuilding the Wall

  • The ReturnWall toDefended Jerusalem

    Against

  • Intermarriage with Pagans

  • Confession of Improper Marriages

  • Pagan Wives Put AwayEnemies

Resources:

Reading:

  • Nehemiah
    • Ezra5: 8:21-361-19
    • EzraNehemiah 9:6: 1-1519
    • EzraNehemiah 10:7: 1-19
    6

Key verse(s):

“Arise, for this matter is your responsibility. We alsowill arerestore with you. Be of good courage,it, and will require nothing from them; we will do it.as you say.” ”Nehemiah 5:12 Ezra 10:4

Comments:

  • NamesNehemiah started to deal with problems with the people. Many of these problems were caused by usury.
  • Usury is when a person lends money to another person and asks to return the money with extremely high-interest rates.
  • Nehemiah met with the people and they all agreed to stop it and to help their brethren. We see Nehemiah's leadership in the society.
  • Nehemiah's generosity is seen when he is appointed governor and invites many people to sit with him at the same table. A lot of food was prepared daily.
  • Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab tried to stop Nehemiah from completing the wall. Nehemiah dealt with them wisely without losing hope in God's support. Nehmiah's faith and dedication led to the rebuilding of the walls in only 52 days.
  • Again, there are names of those who returned withto EzraJerusalem mentioned in chapter 8seven. Church Fathers look at this in a way where those people who believed in God, offered to work and serve, and left their luxurious, lives were worthy to have their names written in the Book of Life. These people left their luxurious life, stability, and success to work on reviving their land and the Temple. This is God's message to us. Our names will be written in the Book of Life if we choose him over earthly matters.
  • Before returning back, Ezra proclaimed a fast. This shows the importance of fasting and submitting to God before conducting anything or any service we take on.
  • Ahava river flowed into the Euphrates somewhere in the northwest of Babylon. This was their meeting point before traveling back home.
  • Many of the men who returned with Ezra had pagan wives. Ezra found out how deep that problem was as they have been married for a long time and some of them had children already. Ezra explained to them that this should end. If we are starting a new life of repentance with God, sinful habits, people, and any earthly matter should be eliminated.
  • Even the priests and the Levites taking pagan wives to themselves shows how far these people were away from God and the commandments.
  • Ezra 9:8: "to give us a peg in His holy place" means security in His Holy place.
  • The people accepted to separate from their pagan wives. They accepted the consequences and chose the heavenly reward.

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

  1. HowWhat position did EzraNehemiah prepareoccupy in the people spiritually for the journey?
  2. Why was Ezra ashamed to request an escortland of soldiers?
  3. What wrong doing did the people of Israel do?
  4. What did Ezra do at the Evening Sacrifice?
  5. Who suggested making a covenant with God?Judah?
  6. Why did EzraNehemiah eatnot nodemand breadthe governor’s provisions?
  7. How many days did it take to rebuild the wall?
  8. How many times did Sanballat send messages to Nehemiah?
  9. Why did Nehemiah refuse to meet with Sanballat and drinkhis noallies?
    10. water
  10. How fordid Nehemiah figure out that Shemaiah was a while?traitor?

Homework:
**Servant may add more questions

 
  1. WhoWhat calledposition fordid Nehemiah occupy in the land of Judah?
    a) a fast?priest b) a governor c) a scribe d) a singer
  2. Who was invited to Nehemiah’s table?
    a) DariusJews b) Cyrusrulers c) Ezrapeople d)from Eliezer
    3. other
  3. When they camped by the river at Ahava who was missing?
    a) the priests b) the sons of Levi c) Ezra d) the king
  4. At the evening of the sacrifice, Ezra
    a) fell on his knees b) prayed c) tore his garmentnations d) all of these
  5. ConcerningHow many times did Sanballat send messages to Nehemiah?
    a) 2 b) 3 c) 5 d) 10
  6. How many days did it take to rebuild the peoplewall? of
    a) the15 lands,b) God35 askc) 42 d) 52
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