| Speaker: Rusty Kennedy Series: Ezra / Nehemiah |
Ezra – Nehemiah Timeline
- 465–425 BC - Artaxerxes Reign
- 464–446 BC – Construction in Jerusalem stopped (Ezra 4)
- 444 BC – Artaxerxes sends Nehemiah to Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2)
“At the time, I was the king’s cupbearer.”
Nehemiah 2
- Have you ever been overwhelmed with fear?
- Court etiquette required those in the king’s presence to have a cheerful countenance;
- thus, sadness on his part could lead to his dismissal.
- Alternatively, Nehemiah may have feared for his life.
- If Artaxerxes suspected foul play, Nehemiah could be imprisoned or executed.
- It is also possible that the king might be unwilling to grant his request.
- Nehemiah waited months, and the crucial moment had finally arrived.
- Ancestral tombs were universally respected throughout the ancient Near East, especially among the nobility and royalty.
- Nehemiah returns to Susa after 12 years in Jerusalem, suggesting he requested a 12-year leave of absence (5:14; 13:6)
- The Persian province “across the river,” referring to the area from the Euphrates to Egypt, which included Syria-Palestine.
- Ezra (7:6, 9, 28; 8:18, 22, 31)
_________________________________________
- 444BC now
- Time enough to gather supplies
- Nehemiah’s governorship effectively took away any authority the governors had over the region of Judah.
- Their hands were tied.
- Israelites were permitted to regroup, fortify & build strength.
- Ezra’s caravan also rested for three days following its journey to Jerusalem (Ezra 8:32)
- A donkey is more probable since it is quieter than a horse.
- Temple mount – 144,000 Square Ft. 20 football fields.
- Probably located near the southwest corner of the city, opening into the Hinnom Valley (Gehenna).
- Probably destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC.
- This the place in the city where they came to the wall and dumped their… dead bodies… and it constantly smelled.
- Jesus and others often referred to this place in comparison with eternal punishment of the wicked.
- Pool of Siloam… south of temple.
- Same pool that Jesus told the blind man to wash the mud out of his eyes.
- Kidron Valley – East side… where Jesus traveled with his disciples from the Passover to the Garden at Gethsemane.
- Each individual is likely the governor of his respective region.
- Together, they represent the nations surrounding Jerusalem and the territory of Judah on all three sides—Samaria to the north, Ammon to the east, and Arabia to the south (the Mediterranean Sea borders Judah to the west).
- Nehemiah is claiming that the opponents of the Jews have no civic, legal, or cultic rights in the Jerusalem community.[1]
Nehemiah not only had the backing of the King…
But he had the confidence that God had favor on him.
It is “knowing”… that carries you through fear.
[1] Barry, J. D., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Mangum, D., & Whitehead, M. M. (2012). Faithlife Study Bible (Ne 2). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
- 465–425 BC - Artaxerxes Reign
- 464–446 BC – Construction in Jerusalem stopped (Ezra 4)
- 444 BC – Artaxerxes sends Nehemiah to Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2)
“At the time, I was the king’s cupbearer.”
Nehemiah 2
- Have you ever been overwhelmed with fear?
- Court etiquette required those in the king’s presence to have a cheerful countenance;
- thus, sadness on his part could lead to his dismissal.
- Alternatively, Nehemiah may have feared for his life.
- If Artaxerxes suspected foul play, Nehemiah could be imprisoned or executed.
- It is also possible that the king might be unwilling to grant his request.
- Nehemiah waited months, and the crucial moment had finally arrived.
- Ancestral tombs were universally respected throughout the ancient Near East, especially among the nobility and royalty.
- Nehemiah returns to Susa after 12 years in Jerusalem, suggesting he requested a 12-year leave of absence (5:14; 13:6)
- The Persian province “across the river,” referring to the area from the Euphrates to Egypt, which included Syria-Palestine.
- Ezra (7:6, 9, 28; 8:18, 22, 31)
_________________________________________
- 444BC now
- Time enough to gather supplies
- Nehemiah’s governorship effectively took away any authority the governors had over the region of Judah.
- Their hands were tied.
- Israelites were permitted to regroup, fortify & build strength.
- Ezra’s caravan also rested for three days following its journey to Jerusalem (Ezra 8:32)
- A donkey is more probable since it is quieter than a horse.
- Temple mount – 144,000 Square Ft. 20 football fields.
- Probably located near the southwest corner of the city, opening into the Hinnom Valley (Gehenna).
- Probably destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC.
- This the place in the city where they came to the wall and dumped their… dead bodies… and it constantly smelled.
- Jesus and others often referred to this place in comparison with eternal punishment of the wicked.
- Pool of Siloam… south of temple.
- Same pool that Jesus told the blind man to wash the mud out of his eyes.
- Kidron Valley – East side… where Jesus traveled with his disciples from the Passover to the Garden at Gethsemane.
- Each individual is likely the governor of his respective region.
- Together, they represent the nations surrounding Jerusalem and the territory of Judah on all three sides—Samaria to the north, Ammon to the east, and Arabia to the south (the Mediterranean Sea borders Judah to the west).
- Nehemiah is claiming that the opponents of the Jews have no civic, legal, or cultic rights in the Jerusalem community.[1]
Nehemiah not only had the backing of the King…
But he had the confidence that God had favor on him.
It is “knowing”… that carries you through fear.
[1] Barry, J. D., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Mangum, D., & Whitehead, M. M. (2012). Faithlife Study Bible (Ne 2). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
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