Joy of Living bible study on the book of Nehemiah

2. Nehemiah is a message of
hope and restoration. What
God did for them, He will do
for us. He will take the broken
places of our lives and rebuild
them for our protection and
His glory.

4. When you call out to me and come to me in
prayer, I will hear your prayers. When you
seek me in prayer and worship, you will
find me available to you. If you seek me
with all your heart and soul, I will make
myself available to you,’ says the LORD.
‘Then I will reverse your plight and will
regather you from all the nations and all
the places where I have exiled you,’ says
the LORD. ‘I will bring you back to the
place from which I exiled you.’

6. “This is what King Cyrus of Persia says:
“‘The LORD God of heaven has given me all the
kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build a
temple for him in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Anyone
of his people among you (may his God be with him!)
may go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and may
build the temple of the LORD God of Israel—he is the
God who is in Jerusalem. Anyone who survives in any of
those places where he is a resident foreigner must be
helped by his neighbors with silver, gold, equipment,
and animals, along with voluntary offerings for the
temple of God which is in Jerusalem.’”
Ezra 1: 2-4

9. The following events happened in the days of
Ahasuerus. (I am referring to that Ahasuerus
who used to rule over provinces extending all
the way from India to Ethiopia.) In those
days, as King Ahasuerus sat on his royal
throne in Susa the citadel, in the third year of
his reign he provided a banquet for all his
officials and his servants. The army of Persia
and Media was present, as well as the nobles
and the officials of the provinces.
Esther 1:1-3

10. 538-520 B.C. 458 B.C. 445 B.C.

11. Zerubbabel – led 1st group of exiles in
538 B.C.
Ezra – led 2nd group of exiles in 458 B.C.
Nehemiah – led the 3rd group of exiles
in 445 B.C.;
93 years since the decree and first
group of exiles

14. “To King Artaxerxes, from your servants in Trans-
Euphrates:
Now let the king be aware that the Jews who came
up to us from you have gone to Jerusalem. They are
rebuilding that rebellious and odious city. They are
completing its walls and repairing its foundations.
Let the king also be aware that if this city is built
and its walls are completed, no more tax, custom, or
toll will be paid, and the royal treasury will suffer
loss.

15. In light of the fact that we are loyal to the king, and
since it does not seem appropriate to us that the
king should sustain damage, we are sending the
king this information so that he may initiate a
search of the records of his predecessors and
discover in those records that this city is
rebellious and injurious to both kings and
provinces, producing internal revolts from long
ago. It is for this very reason that this city was
destroyed. We therefore are informing the king
that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are
completed, you will not retain control of this
portion of Trans-Euphrates.”
Ezra 4:7-23

17. Nehemiah’s response to hearing the news is
indicative of his awareness that God was calling
him to a completely new sphere of service, for
which his position and training had uniquely
prepared him. This is shown in particular by his
sense of identity with his people and the fact that
he prayed about the situation for four months.
(Clearly, the account we have here is but a
summary.) Such a period of waiting is indicative
both of faith in the reality of the call and of
sustained commitment.
New Bible Commentary

18. They told me, “The exile survivors
who are left there in the province
are in bad shape. Conditions are
appalling. The wall of Jerusalem is
still rubble; the city gates are still
cinders.”
The Message