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Week 6: Ezra and Nehemiah lead the spiritual reformation

Week 6: Nehemiah 8-13

Objective: 

  • Ezra Reads and Explains the Law

  • The Feast of Tabernacles

  • The People Confess Their Sins

  • The Covenant That Was Sealed

  • Nehemiah Dedicates the Wall

  • The Reforms of Nehemiah

Resources:

Reading:

  • Nehemiah 8:9: 1-18Group prayer during the concluding prayer (similar to servants meetings)
  • Nehemiah 9:10: 1-19
  • Nehemiah 10:28-39
  • Nehemiah 11: Skip
  • Nehemiah 12: 27-47
  • Nehemiah 13: 1-31

Key verse(s):

“Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.” Nehemiah 8:11

Comments:

  • Nehemiah 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 to Jerusalem mentioned in chapter seven. 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.

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

  1. What position did Nehemiah occupy in the land of Judah?
  2. Why did Nehemiah not demand the governor’s provisions?
  3. How many days did it take to rebuild the wall?
  4. How many times did Sanballat send messages to Nehemiah?
  5. Why did Nehemiah refuse to meet with Sanballat and his allies?
  6. How did Nehemiah figure out that Shemaiah was a traitor?

Homework:
**Servant may add more questions

 
  1. What position did Nehemiah occupy in the land of Judah?
    a) a priest b) a governor c) a scribe d) a singer
  2. Who was invited to Nehemiah’s table?
    a) Jews b) rulers c) people from other nations d) all of these
  3. How many times did Sanballat send messages to Nehemiah?
    a) 2 b) 3 c) 5 d) 10
  4. How many days did it take to rebuild the wall?
    a) 15 b) 35 c) 42 d) 52
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