THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH

INTRODUCTION:

1.This last one of the Historical Books takes us to about 400 years before the birth of the Promised Messiah.

2.The temple had been rebuilt, but the wall around Jerusalem still lay
in ruins.

a.NEHEMIAH came with permission from the king of Persia to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem; This was 444 BC.

b.The first seven Chapters tell of the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem; The City was the spiritual and political center of Judah; Without fortified walls it could hardly be considered a great city.

3.NEHEMIAH was closely associated with Ezra; Together, after the
walls were rebuilt, they led the people into a spiritual and political restoration.

a.Thirteen years after Ezra began his work in Jerusalem in 457 BC, NEHEMIAH came as the civil governor to start his work.

b.Ezra was a priest-scribe who brought spiritual revival; NEHEMIAH was a civil ruler who brought physical, political, and moral reform to people who were tending toward idolatry.

4.TITLE: The Restoration Books (EZRA, NEHEMIAH and ESTHER) are named for the central characters therein.

5.AUTHOR: Nehemiah and / or Ezra.

6.DATE: The Book probably was written about 420 BC. It covers about 20 years, from 444 to 424 BC.

7.Consider NEHEMIAH: A great man of action; A strong leader.

a.He was cupbearer to Artaxerxes, king of Persia.

1)Thus he was the king’s personal butler, in a position of responsibility as one of the king’s advisors.

2)His was a high station in government; The king placed great trust and confidence in him.

b.He grieved over Jerusalem’s desolation and wanted to restore it; And though he was secure in a position of honor, he was willing to give up the luxury and comfort of the king’s palace in order to go and help his people.

1.PHYSICAL REBUILDING: RECONSTRUCTION OF WALLS --CHAPTERS 1-6.

A.Chapter 1, INTRODUCTION TO NEHEMIAH AND HIS PROBLEM.

1.The walls of Jerusalem had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC; The Temple was rebuilt under Zerubbabel in 516 BC; The walls were partially rebuilt under Ezra in 457 BC; But powerful neighbors opposed the Jews and bluffed them off.

2.EZRA and ESTHER show that most of the Jews had not returned, but had remained in Persia; Nehemiah was still in Persia at this time.

3.Word came to Nehemiah about conditions in Judah: Jerusalem was desolate and defenseless, with no walls, Verses 2-3.

4.Nehemiah fasted and prayed on behalf of his people, Verse 4.

5.He held the honorable position of cupbearer, Verse 11.

B.Chapter 2, THE RETURN UNDER NEHEMIAH IN 444 BC.

1.Artaxerxes was the stepson of Queen Esther the Jewess.

2.Upon noticing Nehemiah’s sad appearance and seeing he was not sick, the king asked why he was sad, Verses 1-2.

3.Nehemiah then asked permission to go to Jerusalem and rebuild its walls, Verses 3-5.

4.He received the king’s permission, along with provisions and protection for the project, Verses 6-8.

5.This third return took place thirteen years after the first return under Ezra, and ninety-four years after the return under Zerubbabel.

6.Nehemiah determined to rebuild the walls, Verses 10,13,15,17-20.

C.Chapter 3, REBUILDING ATTEMPTED: The Workmen Are Named.

D.Chapter 4, REBUILDING OBSTRUCTED: Opposition Of The Enemy, Verses 1-3.

1.The Jews turned to God for help, Verses 4-5.

2.They worked in spite of the enemy’s ridicule, Verse 6.

3.This brought down the enemy’s wrath, Verses 7-8.

4.Israel’s response (Example for us when we are opposed):

a.Pray, Verse 9; cf Lk 18:1.

b.Trust, Verse 14; cf Rom 8:37.

c.Work, Verse 15; cf Phi 2:12.

d.Fight, Verse 17; cf 1Ti 6:12.

E.Chapter 5, FURTHER OBSTRUCTION: Problems From Within.

1.Along with external opposition, the problem of internal opposition also surfaced, Verse 1.

2.The wealthier Jews were requiring excessive interest from those who were forced to mortgage their property and sell their children into slavery, Verses 2-6.

3.Nehemiah commanded against usury, Verses 7-11.

4.He set a good example by serving as governor for 12 years with no salary, doing it so that he might lighten the burdens of his people, Verses 12-14.

F.Chapter 6, OPPOSITION BY DECEIT: Rebuilding Completed.

1.The adversaries tried to get Nehemiah to quit work and meet with them in some sort of compromise, Verses 1-2.

2.Let those who are tempted to waste time from the Master’s business (for the useless affairs of earthly things) answer as did Nehemiah, Verse 3.

3.In spite of all the obstacles, the wall was finished in only fifty-two days, Verse 15.

4.Even the enemies recognized that it could have been accomplished only with the help of God, Verse 16.

5.So at last, 142 years after the destruction in 586 BC, Jerusalem was again a fortified city -- 444 BC.

2.RELIGIOUS REBUILDING: RE-INSTRUCTING
THE PEOPLE -- CHAPTERS 7-10.

A.Chapter 7, RE-REGISTRATION OF THE REMNANT: Genealogies.

1.After the wall was completed, Nehemiah set men over the city government.

2.A list is given of those who had returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel nearly a hundred years before.

B.Chapter 8, RE-TEACHING THE PEOPLE: The Law Was Read.

1.Construction of the walls was followed by a religious awakening of the people under the combined leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah, Verses 1-4a,5-6,7b-8.

2.The Feast of Tabernacles was kept, Verses 10,16-18.

C.Chapter 9, RE-CONSECRATION OF PEOPLE: Repentance And Confession.

1.They responded to the reading of the Word with confession, Verses 1-3.

2.After which the Levites then led them in a great prayer, Verses 5b-6 (6-38).

3.Their prayer covered God’s dealings with them; The covenant was renewed, Verse 38.

D.Chapter 10, FURTHER RE-CONSECRATION OF PEOPLE: Signers And The Covenant.

1.The people dedicated themselves to be separate from the Gentiles, and to obey God.

2.The government and the temple services were organized.

3.POLITICAL REBUILDING: RENEWED NATION -- CHAPTERS 11-13.

A.Chapter 11, RE-POPULATION OF THE CITY:

1.One-tenth of the people were to dwell in Jerusalem (in order to restore its glory).

2.Others were to settle in the rest of the Land, Verse 1.

B.Chapter 12, RE-DEDICATION OF THE WALLS:

1.A list is given of the Priests and Levites who went to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel.

2.The Walls were dedicated to the Lord in a joyful ceremony,
Verses 42b-43.

NOTE: This was about twelve years after the close of Chapter 11.

C.Chapter 13, FURTHER REFORMS.

1.Ezra’s revival in Chapter 8-10 seems not to have lasted very long.

2.Nehemiah had returned to Persia in 432 BC, Verse 6.

3.He came back to Jerusalem, perhaps about 425 BC, Verse 6.

4.In closing his work, Nehemiah corrected mixed marriages, sabbath violations, and other errors, Verses 10-12,17-19,23-31.

**NEHEMIAH IN SIX WORDS:

Renewed Walls -- Renewed Covenant -- Renewed Nation.

**CONTRIBUTION OF THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH TO THE BIBLE:

1.This BOOK fills in our understanding of a period that otherwise would be unclear.

2.With the Book of EZRA, it provides a background for the Post-Exilic Period, and the three Post-Exilic Prophets (HAGGAI, ZECHARIAH, and MALACHI).

3.It shows the Hand of God in bringing His people home after their exile, and enabling them to accomplish in fifty-two days (less than two months) what had not been done in the ninety-four years since the return under Zerubbabel.

4.It teaches us much about prayer: Study with profit Nehemiah’s short, fervent, and effective prayers.

5.“As we watch this strong, earnest, godly hero, Nehemiah, resolutely leading the rebuilding in the first part of the book, then resolutely resisting compromise and laxity and intrigue in the second part of the book, we find the spiritual message of it all coming home to us with great force. Let us heed its voice to us. There is no winning without working and warring. There is no opportunity without opposition. There is no ‘open door’ set before us without there being many ‘adversaries’ to obstruct our entering it (1 Cor. 16: 9). Whenever the saints say, ‘Let us arise and build,’ the enemy says, ‘Let us arise and oppose.’ There is no triumph without trouble. There is no victory without vigilance. There is a cross in the way to every crown that is worth wearing.” -- J. Sidlow Baxter, EXPLORE THE BOOK, Vol. 2, pages 230-231.

**CHRIST IN THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH:

1.Nehemiah pictures Christ in his giving up a high position to identify with the problems of his people, and in his prayerful dependence upon God.

2.Everything was now restored except the king: The temple was rebuilt, Jerusalem and its walls were rebuilt, the covenant was renewed, the people were reformed; but THE KING OF KINGS was yet to come.

**CONCLUSION:

1.Do we have the same spiritually-minded attitude toward the things of God that Nehemiah had?

2.Are we as strong in prayer as was he?

3.Do you need to begin your life of obedience? - Ac 8:36-39.