2. THEME
The book of Nehemiah is the
autobiography of a man who
sacrificed the ease and luxury of
life in the courts of Persia in
order to help his needy brethren
in Jerusalem.
3. It describes a man who combined
spirituality with practicality, a man who
knew how both to pray and to work.
Absolutely fearless, Nehemiah refused
to compromise with enemies on the
outside or with sin in the inside.
Yet, for all that was done, he humbly
gave God the glory.
5. SCOPE
Covering approximately twelve
years, 446-434 B.C.,
Nehemiah recorded the events
pertaining to his journey to
Jerusalem, the rebuilding of the
city wall, and the restoration of
the Temple worship.
6. COMMENT
Although the traditional order of the post-
exilic history books are
Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, the
chronological order places Esther before
Nehemiah.
Esther may have used her influence as the
queen to get Nehemiah, also a Jew, into
such an honored position in the royal
palace.
The reigning king during the time
recorded in Nehemiah would have been
her stepson.
7. As a review:
* Israel was taken captive by
Assyria in 721 B.C.
* Judah fell to Babylonia in 606
B.C.
* Persia permitted the Jews to
return to their homeland in 536
B.C.
8. CONTENTS
1. The Building of the Wall of
Jerusalem (Chapters 1-6)
Nehemiah was the cupbearer for the Persian
king.
This was a position of great honor, entitling
him to the luxury of the empire.
However, Nehemiah did not forget his
people, the Jews, amid the Persian splendor
9. He was so greatly distressed when
he learned of the suffering of the
Jews in Jerusalem and of the
condition of the city’s wall that he
wept and mourned for certain
days, fasting and praying.
10. The king, Artaxerxes, was aware
of Nehemiah’s trouble
countenance and asked the
problem.
Nehemiah explained the reason
and then asked permission to
rebuild the city.
Artaxerxes granted the request
and even supplied the needed
finance and materials.
11. Ezra had already been in
Jerusalem for thirteen years
when Nehemiah arrived as
governor with the authority of
the king.
Ezra was a priest and had
taught the people the law, doing
much to improve the spiritual
and moral condition of the
people.
12. However, the city’s dilapidated
condition became Nehemiah’s
major concern.
He organized the people and
assigned families to build
designated sections of the
wall.
13. The Samaritans began to scoff and
hinder as building began.
The opposition became so severe
that each worker kept a sword at
his side and a twenty-four hour
watch was established.
The enemy mocked and
ridiculed, but Nehemiah prayed
and encouraged the people.
14. The wall was completed in fifty-
two days, because “the people
had a mind to work” (6:4).
The opposition recognized that the
work was done by God.
How much more could be
accomplished for God’s kingdom if
each of us had a mind to work for
Him.
15. 2. Revival of Religion and
Reestablishment of Worship
(Chapters 7-13:3)
With the wall repaired, Nehemiah
turned his attention to repairing
the morals of the people.
He first chose officers who would
take his place when he returned to
Persia.
16. Then a register was taken for the
purpose of distributing the land
according to the ancestral abode
of each family.
The register also determined to
whom the duty of ministering
before the altar and conducting
Temple worship belonged.
17. Once it was established who could
serve in the Temple worship, Ezra and
Nehemiah read the law to the people.
For two days the people stood and
listened as the law was read and
interpreted.
The reading of the Word revealed sin
and brought conviction to the people.
Genuine revival broke forth as the
people humbled themselves in
repentance and consecration.
18. 3. Correction of Abuses (13:4-31)
After his first reforms, Nehemiah
returned to Persia for a short while.
Upon returning to
Jerusalem, Nehemiah found that the
people had lapsed back into their old
sin. He strongly rebuked them for
their error.
19. This shows the need for
good, strong spiritual leadership.
Left to his own devices, man tends
to follow his carnal nature.
How thankful we must be for the
men of God who will lead and
guide us in the way of eternal life.
