Old-Testament Survey: the Book of Nehemiah

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Old-Testament Surveythe Book of Nehemiah
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Background

• Nehemiah was cupbearer for Artaxerxes I
• 20th reign in 444 B.C.
• His brother, Hanani, returned from Jerusalem and
  declared the walls broken down and the city in
  distress.
• For four months, this report weighed heavily on
  Nehemiahs heart, making him sad
• Requested a leave of absence to rebuild the walls
  in Jerusalem

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Plans for the Work

• Nehemiah went to Jerusalem
• Was there for three days personally surveying the
  walls
• He told them why he had come
• He challenged the people to help rebuild the
  walls
• Each family was assigned a section of the wall
  to rebuild.

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Main Divisions

• Rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem
• Chapters 17
• Requisition, opposition, and completion

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Main Divisions

• Consecrating the people
• Chapters 810
• Reading the law religious revival confession of
  the people renewal of the covenant

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Main Divisions

• Consolidating the work
• Chapters 11-13
• Rulers and one-tenth of the people remained in
  Jerusalem. Dedication and reforms

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Nehemiahs Character

• His sympathy for the people (11-11)
• Prayerfulness (16,7 1314,22)
• Lived a life of faith (218 420)
• Great leadership andorganizational ability.
• Upright and courageous

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Enemies Seek to Stop the Work

• Sanballat and Tobiah tried to discourage and
  disrupt the work.
• They first tried to demoralize the people.
• Now Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he
  said, Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up
  on it, he will break down their stone wall.
  (Nehemiah 43)
• Organized Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites to
  fight against Jerusalem

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They Took Precautions, But the Work Continued

• So we built the wall, and the entire wall was
  joined together up to half its height, for the
  people had a mind to work. Nehemiah 46

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The Famine

• During reconstruction, a famine occurred.
• The poor mortgaged their property to get money
  for food and taxes.
• They borrowed money and sold themselves into
  slavery.
• Nehemiah rebuked the nobles for charging high
  interest rates.
• Returned the land and releasedthe poor from
  their indebtedness

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The Walls Are Completed!

• So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day
  of Elul, in fifty-two days. And it happened, when
  all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations
  around us saw these things, that they were very
  disheartened in their own eyes for they
  perceived that this work was done by our God.
  Nehemiah 615,16

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Events at the Water Gate

• Then he read from it in the open square that was
  in front of the Water Gate from morning until
  midday, before the men and women and those who
  could understand and the ears of all the people
  were attentive to the Book of the Law. Nehemiah
  83

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Events at the Water Gate

• So the whole assembly of those who had returned
  from the captivity made booths and sat under the
  booths for since the days of Joshua the son of
  Nun until that day the children of Israel had not
  done so. And there was very great gladness.
  Nehemiah 817

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Nehemiahs Reforms

• So it was, at the gates of Jerusalem, as it
  began to be dark before the Sabbath, that I
  commanded the gates to be shut, and charged that
  they must not be opened till after the Sabbath.
  Then I posted some of my servants at the gates,
  so that no burdens would be brought in on the
  Sabbath day. Nehemiah 1319

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Nehemiahs Reforms

• I also realized that the portions for the
  Levites had not been given them for each of the
  Levites and the singers who did the work had gone
  back to his field. So I contended with the
  rulers, and said, Why is the house of God
  forsaken? And I gathered them together and set
  them in their place. Nehemiah 1310,11

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Nehemiahs Reforms

• And half of their children spoke the language of
  Ashdod, and could not speak the language of
  Judah, but spoke according to the language of one
  or the other people. So I contended with them and
  cursed them, struck some of them and pulled out
  their hair, and made them swear by God, saying,
  You shall not give your daughters as wives to
  their sons, nor take their daughters for your
  sons or yourselves. Nehemiah 1324,25