Skip to main content

Week 5: Nehemiah facing struggles

Week 4: Nehemiah 5-7

Objective: 

  • Nehemiah Deals with Oppression

  • The Generosity of Nehemiah

  • Conspiracy Against Nehemiah

  • The Wall Completed

  • The Captives Who Returned to Jerusalem

Resources:

Reading:

  • Nehemiah 5: 1-19
  • Nehemiah 5:6: 1-19
  • Nehemiah 5:7: 1-6

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 thosethese whoproblems returnedwere caused by usury.
  • Usury is when a person lends money to another person and asks to return the money with Ezraextremely 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, the names mentioned in chapter 8seven 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.represents

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

  1. How did Ezra prepare the people spiritually for the journey?
  2. Why was Ezra ashamed to request an escort 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?
  6. Why did Ezra eat no bread and drink no water for a while?

Homework:
**Servant may add more questions

 
  1. Who called for a fast?
    a) Darius b) Cyrus c) Ezra d) Eliezer
  2. When they camped by the river at Ahava who was missing?
    a) the priests b) the sons of Levi c) Ezra d) the king
  3. At the evening of the sacrifice, Ezra
    a) fell on his knees b) prayed c) tore his garment d) all of these
  4. Concerning the people of the lands, God ask
Back to top