| Teacher: Rusty Kennedy Series: Bible Stories |
Rusty's Notes | |
Nehemiah
586 BC – King Nebuchadnezzar came in, destroyed the Temple at Jerusalem, and took the Israelites into Babylonian captivity.
Artaxerxes I (465-424 BCE): Artaxerxes is the king mentioned in the Book of Ezra who allows Ezra to return to Jerusalem to teach the Law and implement reforms (Ezra 7:1-28).
NEHEMIAH 1
1 The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah:
NEWS FROM JERUSALEM
During the month of Chislev in the twentieth year, when I was in the fortress city of Susa, 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, arrived with men from Judah, and I questioned them about Jerusalem and the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile. 3 They said to me, “The remnant in the province, who survived the exile, are in great trouble and disgrace. Jerusalem’s wall has been broken down, and its gates have been burned.”
NEHEMIAH’S PRAYER
4 When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for a number of days, fasting and praying before the God of the heavens. 5 I said,
Lord, the God of the heavens, the great and awe-inspiring God who keeps his gracious covenant with those who love him and keep his commands, 6 let your eyes be open and your ears be attentive to hear your servant’s prayer that I now pray to you day and night for your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins we have committed against you. Both I and my father’s family have sinned. 7 We have acted corruptly toward you and have not kept the commands, statutes, and ordinances you gave your servant Moses. 8 Please remember what you commanded your servant Moses: “If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples. 9 But if you return to me and carefully observe my commands, even though your exiles were banished to the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place where I chose to have my name dwell.” 10 They are your servants and your people. You redeemed them by your great power and strong hand. 11 Please, Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant and to that of your servants who delight to revere your name. Give your servant success today, and grant him compassion in the presence of this man.
At the time, I was the king’s cupbearer.
NEHEMIAH SENT TO JERUSALEM
NEHEMIAH 2
1 During the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was set before him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad in his presence, 2 so the king said to me, “Why do you look so sad, when you aren’t sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart.”
I was overwhelmed with fear 3 and replied to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should I not be sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”
4 Then the king asked me, “What is your request?”
So I prayed to the God of the heavens 5 and answered the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor with you, send me to Judah and to the city where my ancestors are buried, so that I may rebuild it.”
6 The king, with the queen seated beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you return?” So I gave him a definite time, and it pleased the king to send me.
7 I also said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let me have letters written to the governors of the region west of the Euphrates River, so that they will grant me safe passage until I reach Judah. 8 And let me have a letter written to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to rebuild the gates of the temple’s fortress, the city wall, and the home where I will live.”, The king granted my requests, for the gracious hand of my God was on me.
9 I went to the governors of the region west of the Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent officers of the infantry and cavalry with me. 10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard that someone had come to pursue the prosperity of the Israelites, they were greatly displeased.
PREPARING TO REBUILD THE WALLS
11 After I arrived in Jerusalem and had been there three days, 12 I got up at night and took a few men with me. I didn’t tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal I took was the one I was riding. 13 I went out at night through the Valley Gate toward the Serpent’s Well and the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire. 14 I went on to the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but farther down it became too narrow for my animal to go through. 15 So I went up at night by way of the valley and inspected the wall. Then heading back, I entered through the Valley Gate and returned.
They said, “Let’s start rebuilding,” and their hands were strengthened to do this good work.
19 When Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about this, they mocked and despised us, and said, “What is this you’re doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”
20 I gave them this reply, “The God of the heavens is the one who will grant us success. We, his servants, will start building, but you have no share, right, or historic claim in Jerusalem.”[1]
[1] He established a reasonable and attainable goal.
[2] He had a sense of mission.
[3] He was willing to get involved.
[4] He rearranged his priorities in order to accomplish his goal.
[5] He patiently waited for God's timing.
[6] He showed respect to his superior.
[7] He prayed at crucial times.
[8] He made his request with tact and graciousness.
[9] He was well prepared and thought of his needs in advance.
[10] He went through proper channels.
[11] He took time (three days) to rest, pray, and plan.
[12] He investigated the situation firsthand.
[13] He informed others only after he knew the size of the problem.
[14] He identified himself as one with the people.
[15] He set before them a reasonable and attainable goal.
[16] He assured them God was in the project.
[17] He displayed self-confidence in facing obstacles.
[18] He displayed God's confidence in facing obstacles.
[19] He did not argue with opponents.
[20] He was not discouraged by opposition.
[21] He courageously used the authority of his position.
[1] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Ne 1–2:20.
- Cup Bearer to the King
- Rusty’s DISC
- Current situation between Israel & Iran
586 BC – King Nebuchadnezzar came in, destroyed the Temple at Jerusalem, and took the Israelites into Babylonian captivity.
Artaxerxes I (465-424 BCE): Artaxerxes is the king mentioned in the Book of Ezra who allows Ezra to return to Jerusalem to teach the Law and implement reforms (Ezra 7:1-28).
- He is also the king during Nehemiah's time, who permits Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the city's walls (Nehemiah 2:1-8).
- In Judah, the Jews did not continue to fortify Jerusalem.
- The years of history that this book covers are 445-431 B.C., or perhaps a few years after that.
NEHEMIAH 1
1 The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah:
NEWS FROM JERUSALEM
During the month of Chislev in the twentieth year, when I was in the fortress city of Susa, 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, arrived with men from Judah, and I questioned them about Jerusalem and the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile. 3 They said to me, “The remnant in the province, who survived the exile, are in great trouble and disgrace. Jerusalem’s wall has been broken down, and its gates have been burned.”
NEHEMIAH’S PRAYER
4 When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for a number of days, fasting and praying before the God of the heavens. 5 I said,
Lord, the God of the heavens, the great and awe-inspiring God who keeps his gracious covenant with those who love him and keep his commands, 6 let your eyes be open and your ears be attentive to hear your servant’s prayer that I now pray to you day and night for your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins we have committed against you. Both I and my father’s family have sinned. 7 We have acted corruptly toward you and have not kept the commands, statutes, and ordinances you gave your servant Moses. 8 Please remember what you commanded your servant Moses: “If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples. 9 But if you return to me and carefully observe my commands, even though your exiles were banished to the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place where I chose to have my name dwell.” 10 They are your servants and your people. You redeemed them by your great power and strong hand. 11 Please, Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant and to that of your servants who delight to revere your name. Give your servant success today, and grant him compassion in the presence of this man.
At the time, I was the king’s cupbearer.
NEHEMIAH SENT TO JERUSALEM
NEHEMIAH 2
1 During the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was set before him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad in his presence, 2 so the king said to me, “Why do you look so sad, when you aren’t sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart.”
I was overwhelmed with fear 3 and replied to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should I not be sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”
4 Then the king asked me, “What is your request?”
So I prayed to the God of the heavens 5 and answered the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor with you, send me to Judah and to the city where my ancestors are buried, so that I may rebuild it.”
6 The king, with the queen seated beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you return?” So I gave him a definite time, and it pleased the king to send me.
7 I also said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let me have letters written to the governors of the region west of the Euphrates River, so that they will grant me safe passage until I reach Judah. 8 And let me have a letter written to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to rebuild the gates of the temple’s fortress, the city wall, and the home where I will live.”, The king granted my requests, for the gracious hand of my God was on me.
9 I went to the governors of the region west of the Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent officers of the infantry and cavalry with me. 10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard that someone had come to pursue the prosperity of the Israelites, they were greatly displeased.
PREPARING TO REBUILD THE WALLS
11 After I arrived in Jerusalem and had been there three days, 12 I got up at night and took a few men with me. I didn’t tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal I took was the one I was riding. 13 I went out at night through the Valley Gate toward the Serpent’s Well and the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire. 14 I went on to the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but farther down it became too narrow for my animal to go through. 15 So I went up at night by way of the valley and inspected the wall. Then heading back, I entered through the Valley Gate and returned.
- Perhaps Nehemiah only surveyed the southern parts of Jerusalem's wall because those were the only sections still standing.
They said, “Let’s start rebuilding,” and their hands were strengthened to do this good work.
19 When Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about this, they mocked and despised us, and said, “What is this you’re doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”
20 I gave them this reply, “The God of the heavens is the one who will grant us success. We, his servants, will start building, but you have no share, right, or historic claim in Jerusalem.”[1]
[1] He established a reasonable and attainable goal.
[2] He had a sense of mission.
[3] He was willing to get involved.
[4] He rearranged his priorities in order to accomplish his goal.
[5] He patiently waited for God's timing.
[6] He showed respect to his superior.
[7] He prayed at crucial times.
[8] He made his request with tact and graciousness.
[9] He was well prepared and thought of his needs in advance.
[10] He went through proper channels.
[11] He took time (three days) to rest, pray, and plan.
[12] He investigated the situation firsthand.
[13] He informed others only after he knew the size of the problem.
[14] He identified himself as one with the people.
[15] He set before them a reasonable and attainable goal.
[16] He assured them God was in the project.
[17] He displayed self-confidence in facing obstacles.
[18] He displayed God's confidence in facing obstacles.
[19] He did not argue with opponents.
[20] He was not discouraged by opposition.
[21] He courageously used the authority of his position.
[1] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Ne 1–2:20.
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