Nehemiah. Pt. 1 Nehemiah learns of the plight of the Jews in Jerusalem.
This morning is a gray November day but we have enjoyed good coffee and breakfast together and we are getting ready to read the scriptures as a family. I hope that each one of you are enjoying your morning whether you are at home or out and about.
We are moving into the book of Nehemiah since it is closely connected to all that happened in the book of Ezra.
The period of history in the book of Nehemiah begins about 12 years after Ezra returned to Jerusalem. I am putting in the chart we used before so that we can have a timeline in front of us.
The book of Esther falls between the first group returning to Jerusalem led by Zerubbabel and the second group led by Ezra. Haggai and Zechariah both prophesied during the migration led by Zerubbabel. The book of Malachi was written before Nehemiah came back to Jerusalem the second time.
The chart notes that Nehemiah came two different times to Jerusalem because he still had duties that necessitated his return to King Artaxerxes.
Patterns of Godliness by Ezra and Nehemiah
In the text below we are introduced to this man named Nehemiah. His name means "Jehovah comforts" and this will prove to be a suitable name as Nehemiah joins Ezra in Jerusalem.
The phrase "the God of heaven" is found 4 times in Nehemiah and 9 times in Ezra. It reminds us that God is sovereign in working out His purposes on the earth. He used both of these men to do a great work to reestablish the Jewish people in their homeland.
We will see that there are some things that Ezra and Nehemiah share in common while there are some things that are different.
For example, we saw the family history of Ezra showing he could trace his ancestry back to Aaron.
We know very little about Nehemiah or his family. All we know is his father's name and that he had a brother named Hanani. Bible historians think that Nehemiah's great grandparents were taken to Babylon for the 70 years of captivity and that he was born sometime during the ministry of Zerubbabel in Jerusalem.
Ezra's main focus was on rebuilding the Temple and reforming the people. Nehemiah's main focus was on rebuilding the walls and gates of Jerusalem. Ezra focused upon the religious aspects of the Jews return to Jerusalem while Nehemiah focused more on the political situation in Jerusalem.
Both men loved their nation and sought to help them in times of trouble
Both Ezra and Nehemiah were deeply concerned for the Jewish people in Jerusalem. They both reacted similarly when they heard some bad news about their situations. They prayed and wept and fasted.
This book begins with Nehemiah's brother, Hanani making a trip from Jerusalem to Shushan (Susa) which was where the Persian king lived during the winter months. He asked about the welfare of the Jews who had returned to Jerusalem.
The report that he received from Hanani was very disturbing. The remnant of Jews in Jerusalem faced many trials such as persecution from foreigners living in Judah and were viewed with contempt. Hanani told his brother that the walls of the Holy City were still broken down and that the gates were burned with fire.
Nehemiah 1:1-3 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace, That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.
Both men prayed, wept and fasted
I call our attention to the reaction of Nehemiah to the news that he heard. As Ezra strongly reacted to the sins of the people, so Nehemiah was greatly troubled by the bad tidings that he just learned of. He sat right down and wept and mourned for an unspecified number of days. Like Ezra, Nehemiah was astonished at what he heard. He fasted before praying to the God of heaven.
This shows us a lot about the character of Nehemiah. He wept like Ezra when he heard the bad news about the Jewish people.
Nehemiah 1:4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,
Both men made similar prayers while seeking God's help
Nehemiah's prayer had some things in common with Ezra's prayer. He begins by saying what he knows to be true about Jehovah. He knows Jehovah keeps His promises and He is merciful to those who love Him and observe His commandments.
Nehemiah asks the Lord to listen intently to his prayers and have His eyes upon His servant. Like Ezra, Nehemiah includes himself as he confessed sin to the Lord. Nehemiah tells the Lord that he is praying for his own sins and the sins of the people. Like Ezra, Nehemiah states what the specific sins are and that Jehovah was right in punishing the nation.
Nehemiah claims the provision that God made for them if the people sinned but expressed repentance. God would gather them from their captivity and bring them back into the land He promised to give them.
Both men made much of the Word of God
Like Ezra, Nehemiah believed God's word as he trusted, rested and hoped in what God said.
Nehemiah intercedes for the Jewish people by reminding the Lord that these are His people, redeemed by His power and mighty right hand. He asks the Lord again to hear his prayers on behalf of those people who called upon His name.
Last, Nehemiah prays for strength as he prepares to speak to the King about these matters, and that the Lord would open the heart of Artaxerxes so that Nehemiah would receive a sympathetic hearing.
Nehemiah 1:5-11 And said, I beseech thee, O Lord God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments: Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father’s house have sinned. We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses. Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations: But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there. Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand. O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king’s cupbearer.
Both men had talents that would help the Jewish people
Ezra was a ready scribe, a student of the word and a priest who longed to rebuild the Temple. Nehemiah was a prominent person in the King's court who also loved the word and longed to help rebuild the walls and gates of Jerusalem.
Nehemiah adds an important piece of information in the very last sentence of this paragraph. He tells us that he was the King's cupbearer. As the King's cupbearer, Nehemiah was responsible to taste the wine before giving it to the King.
This is how they made sure that no one slipped any poison into it. This position was filled by men who were discreet, trustworthy and loyal and it tells us about the high regard that Artaxerxes had for the character of Nehemiah.
Like Ezra, Nehemiah did not run ahead of the Lord and try to do something hastily. Instead he waited on the Lord and let Him know that he was ready to help in any way that he could.
Points to Ponder.....
Strong moral character and integrity, humility in prayer, passion for the things of God, a renewed mind, a unity with other Christians such as when they grieve we grieve, and a willingness to serve our God, will all come from you and me having a love of the scriptures.
Bible study is a life transforming work that will change how we think, what we think about, what we desire, how we speak to others and how we act. Our wonderful God is ready to do this work in our hearts to ready us to serve Him. May we embrace this today so that we are prepared for what tomorrow brings.
Bob
We are moving into the book of Nehemiah since it is closely connected to all that happened in the book of Ezra.
The period of history in the book of Nehemiah begins about 12 years after Ezra returned to Jerusalem. I am putting in the chart we used before so that we can have a timeline in front of us.
The book of Esther falls between the first group returning to Jerusalem led by Zerubbabel and the second group led by Ezra. Haggai and Zechariah both prophesied during the migration led by Zerubbabel. The book of Malachi was written before Nehemiah came back to Jerusalem the second time.
The chart notes that Nehemiah came two different times to Jerusalem because he still had duties that necessitated his return to King Artaxerxes.
Patterns of Godliness by Ezra and Nehemiah
In the text below we are introduced to this man named Nehemiah. His name means "Jehovah comforts" and this will prove to be a suitable name as Nehemiah joins Ezra in Jerusalem.
The phrase "the God of heaven" is found 4 times in Nehemiah and 9 times in Ezra. It reminds us that God is sovereign in working out His purposes on the earth. He used both of these men to do a great work to reestablish the Jewish people in their homeland.
We will see that there are some things that Ezra and Nehemiah share in common while there are some things that are different.
For example, we saw the family history of Ezra showing he could trace his ancestry back to Aaron.
We know very little about Nehemiah or his family. All we know is his father's name and that he had a brother named Hanani. Bible historians think that Nehemiah's great grandparents were taken to Babylon for the 70 years of captivity and that he was born sometime during the ministry of Zerubbabel in Jerusalem.
Ezra's main focus was on rebuilding the Temple and reforming the people. Nehemiah's main focus was on rebuilding the walls and gates of Jerusalem. Ezra focused upon the religious aspects of the Jews return to Jerusalem while Nehemiah focused more on the political situation in Jerusalem.
Both men loved their nation and sought to help them in times of trouble
Both Ezra and Nehemiah were deeply concerned for the Jewish people in Jerusalem. They both reacted similarly when they heard some bad news about their situations. They prayed and wept and fasted.
This book begins with Nehemiah's brother, Hanani making a trip from Jerusalem to Shushan (Susa) which was where the Persian king lived during the winter months. He asked about the welfare of the Jews who had returned to Jerusalem.
The report that he received from Hanani was very disturbing. The remnant of Jews in Jerusalem faced many trials such as persecution from foreigners living in Judah and were viewed with contempt. Hanani told his brother that the walls of the Holy City were still broken down and that the gates were burned with fire.
Nehemiah 1:1-3 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace, That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.
Both men prayed, wept and fasted
I call our attention to the reaction of Nehemiah to the news that he heard. As Ezra strongly reacted to the sins of the people, so Nehemiah was greatly troubled by the bad tidings that he just learned of. He sat right down and wept and mourned for an unspecified number of days. Like Ezra, Nehemiah was astonished at what he heard. He fasted before praying to the God of heaven.
This shows us a lot about the character of Nehemiah. He wept like Ezra when he heard the bad news about the Jewish people.
Nehemiah 1:4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,
Both men made similar prayers while seeking God's help
Nehemiah's prayer had some things in common with Ezra's prayer. He begins by saying what he knows to be true about Jehovah. He knows Jehovah keeps His promises and He is merciful to those who love Him and observe His commandments.
Nehemiah asks the Lord to listen intently to his prayers and have His eyes upon His servant. Like Ezra, Nehemiah includes himself as he confessed sin to the Lord. Nehemiah tells the Lord that he is praying for his own sins and the sins of the people. Like Ezra, Nehemiah states what the specific sins are and that Jehovah was right in punishing the nation.
Nehemiah claims the provision that God made for them if the people sinned but expressed repentance. God would gather them from their captivity and bring them back into the land He promised to give them.
Both men made much of the Word of God
Like Ezra, Nehemiah believed God's word as he trusted, rested and hoped in what God said.
Nehemiah intercedes for the Jewish people by reminding the Lord that these are His people, redeemed by His power and mighty right hand. He asks the Lord again to hear his prayers on behalf of those people who called upon His name.
Last, Nehemiah prays for strength as he prepares to speak to the King about these matters, and that the Lord would open the heart of Artaxerxes so that Nehemiah would receive a sympathetic hearing.
Nehemiah 1:5-11 And said, I beseech thee, O Lord God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments: Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father’s house have sinned. We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses. Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations: But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there. Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand. O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king’s cupbearer.
Both men had talents that would help the Jewish people
Ezra was a ready scribe, a student of the word and a priest who longed to rebuild the Temple. Nehemiah was a prominent person in the King's court who also loved the word and longed to help rebuild the walls and gates of Jerusalem.
Nehemiah adds an important piece of information in the very last sentence of this paragraph. He tells us that he was the King's cupbearer. As the King's cupbearer, Nehemiah was responsible to taste the wine before giving it to the King.
This is how they made sure that no one slipped any poison into it. This position was filled by men who were discreet, trustworthy and loyal and it tells us about the high regard that Artaxerxes had for the character of Nehemiah.
Like Ezra, Nehemiah did not run ahead of the Lord and try to do something hastily. Instead he waited on the Lord and let Him know that he was ready to help in any way that he could.
Points to Ponder.....
- Both of these men exhibited lives of strong moral character and integrity.
- Both of these men loved the Lord and sought to honor Him in all things.
- Both of these men loved the Word of God and sought to live by it.
- Both of these men were heartbroken when they heard about bad things that happened to the Jewish people.
- Both of these men fell on their knees in prayer, weeping and fasting as they called upon Jehovah for help in times of need.
- Both of these men had unique but very different talents that the Lord used to help His people.
Do we want to be used of God? The life patterns of Ezra and Nehemiah show us some important principles that we should live by in order to be used of God. The Bible says we must be happy when others receive a special blessing and that we must mourn when others suffer a heartrending loss. Ezra and Nehemiah mourned when their nation was in trouble.
Romans 12:15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
Strong moral character and integrity, humility in prayer, passion for the things of God, a renewed mind, a unity with other Christians such as when they grieve we grieve, and a willingness to serve our God, will all come from you and me having a love of the scriptures.
Bible study is a life transforming work that will change how we think, what we think about, what we desire, how we speak to others and how we act. Our wonderful God is ready to do this work in our hearts to ready us to serve Him. May we embrace this today so that we are prepared for what tomorrow brings.
Bob
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