Week 6: Ezra and Nehemiah lead the spiritual reformation

Week 6: Nehemiah 9-13

Objective: 

• The People Confess Their Sins

• The Covenant That Was Sealed

• Nehemiah Dedicates the Wall

• The Reforms of Nehemiah

Resources:

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

Reading:

• Nehemiah 9: Group prayer during the concluding prayer (similar to servants meetings)
  
• Nehemiah 10: 28-39
  
• Nehemiah 11: Skip
• Nehemiah 12: 27-47
• Nehemiah 13: 1-31

Key verse(s):

“Then those of Israelite lineage separated themselves from all foreigners, and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.” Nehemiah 9:2

Comments:

• After the spiritual reformation that was led by Ezra and Nehemiah, the people confessed their sins and started to live a new Godly life.
• People separated themselves from gentiles. It's a symbol of separating ourselves from sin.
  
• Nehemiah dedicating the wall is a similar concept to the consecration of churches nowadays.
• Dividing responsibilities on the people to serve the Temple was a way of making sure everyone was included in the service. People needed to feel that they belonged to the Temple after many years in exile.

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

1. Three particulars are mentioned regarding the Sabbath. What are they?
2. Men of which tribe lived in Jerusalem?
3. What was the king’s command concerning the sons of Asaph?
4. How did the Levites celebrate the dedication of the wall?
5. Who lead each of the two thanksgiving choirs?
6. Nehemiah asked God to remember him and what else?
7. What is wrong in having children who do not speak the language of Judah?

Homework:
**Servant may add more questions

1. The people made a vow to give how much of a shekel to the service of the House of the Lord?
   a) one quarter b) one third c) one half d) one whole shekel
2. The Levites shall bring up a ________ of the ______ to the house of our _________. 
3. The people cast a lot to chose how many to live in Jerusalem?
   a) one third b) one fifth c) one half d) one out of ten
4. What did the singers receive?
   a) a quota day by day b) the tithe c) the first fruit
5. Where did the singers live?
   a) In the palace b) in Jerusalem c) in villages all around Jerusalem d) in the desert
6. What was stored in the rooms of the storehouse?
   a) the offerings b) the first fruitsc) the tithes d) all of these
7. The Ammonites or the Moabites should not come into the Assembly of God because they did not give the children of Israel:
   a) bread and water b) wood to build the temple c) gold and silver d) the tithes
8. What did Eliashib prepare for Tobiah?
   a) A big feast b) a large room c) a palace d) horses and soldiers