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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
NEHEMIAH
NEHEMIAH 1
GRASPING THE VISION
LESSON #3
MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 24:9
REVIEW THE TWO THEMES:
1. REBUILDING THE WALLS OF HUMAN PERSONALITY
TEMPLE ALREADY BUILT–WE RECEIVE A NEW SPIRIT OR HEART WHEN WE ARE BORN AGAIN.
1THE 5:23 “SPIRIT, SOUL, AND BODY PRESERVED BLAMELESS”
2. LESSON IN LEADERSHIP IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD: PRINCIPLES FOR BUILDING A CHURCH
READ NEH 1:1-3 THE VISION
NEHEMIAH LEARNS THE PROBLEM.
SHUSHAN = THE CAPITAL OF PERSIA
“THE JEWS WHO HAD ESCAPED” = THE FIRST RETURN OF THE JEWS
FROM BABYLON. THEY WENT BACK TO JERUSALEM UNDER ZERUBBABLE IN 538 BC.
WHAT IS THE CONDITION OF ISRAEL?
NEHEMIAH CARED ENOUGH TO ASK ABOUT THE CONDITION OF JERUSALEM AND THE PEOPLE.
THE REMNANT:
THE MINORITY OF JEWS WHO BELIEVED IN GOD.
THESE PEOPLE WERE IN “GREAT AFFLICTION”, IN CALAMITY; BROKEN IN PIECES
THE REPROACH:
THESE PEOPLE WERE DEMORALIZED, SHAMED; AND EMBARRASSED, AS THOUGH STANDING NAKED BEFOREOTHER PEOPLE.
THE CONDITION OF THE CITY WAS SHAMEFUL.
THE RUIN:
THE WALLS OF THE CITY ARE BROKEN DOWN.
THERE WAS NO MILITARY DEFENSE AGAINST THE ENEMY.
IN THEIR MINDS IT SIGNIFIES GOD’S LACK OF DEFENSE FOR HIS PEOPLE.
THE GATES OF THE CITY ARE BURNED WITH FIRE.
THE GATES OF A CITY WERE VERY IMPORTANT.
1. THE GATES WERE WHERE BUSINESS WAS CONDUCTED. THEREFORE, WITH THE WALLS BROKEN DOWN,THERE WAS NO ESTABLISHED MARKET PLACE WHICH RESULTED IN A POOR ECONOMY.
2. THE GATES WERE WHERE GOVERNMENT AND JUSTICE WAS PERFORMED. THEREFORE, THERE WASNO ESTABLISHED AUTHORITY.
3. THE GATES WERE WHERE COUNSEL WAS GIVEN. THEREFORE, THERE WAS NO ESTABLISHEDGUIDANCE FOR LIFE.
IN OUR STUDY, THE TEMPLE PARALLELS OUR SPIRIT, AND THE WALLS PARALLEL AREAS OF THE SOUL,THE CITY GATES ALSO REPRESENT SOMETHING: THEY REPRESENT ESTABLISHED GOALS FORCONDUCTING DAILY LIFE AND USE OF THE AUTHORITY GIVEN BY JESUS CHRIST.
READ EPH 2:10 2TIM 1:8-9
GOD HAS CALLED YOU, AND HE HAS ESTABLISHED A WORK FOR YOU TO DO. THERE IS NO ONE ELSE WHOCAN DO THE JOB GOD HAS CALLED YOU TO DO.
1. GOD HAS A PLAN.
2. WE ARE SUPPOSED TO DISCOVER WHAT GOD’S PLAN IS FOR OUR LIVES.
3. THEN WE ARE TO SET GOALS SO WE CAN ACCOMPLISH GOD’S PLAN.
4. ONCE WE SET GOALS, WE MUST WORK TO FULFILL THOSE GOALS.
5. JUST LIKE NEHEMIAH, GOD GIVES US POWER AND AUTHORITY THROUGH JESUS CHRIST TO DO WHAT HECALLED US TO DO.
READ NEH 1:4-11 NEHEMIAH ON HIS KNEES
NEHEMIAH CARED ENOUGH TO PRAY. HE TOOK THE REPROACH OF HIS PEOPLE UPON HIMSELF. (PSA 69:9ROM 15:3) IN FACT, THIS BOOK BEGINS AND ENDS WITH PRAYER WITH A TOTAL OF 12 INSTANCES OFPRAYER IN THE BOOK.
**WHAT IS THE FIRST THING NEHEMIAH DOES ONCE HE LEARNS THE PROBLEM?
HE FASTED AND DID SOME SERIOUS PRAYING.
THE MARK OF A GOOD LEADER IS ONE WHOM YOU WILL FIND PRAYING FIRST AND TAKING UPONHIMSELF THE BURDEN OF THE PEOPLE.
THERE IS A DANGER: OFTEN A GOOD LEADER WILL GET DISCOURAGED BECAUSE THE BURDEN IS SO HEAVYTO BEAR. WE, THE PEOPLE, NEED TO ENCOURAGE AND PRAY FOR OUR LEADERS.
ELEMENTS OF NEHEMIAH’S PRAYER:
A PRAISE TO GOD FOR WHO HE IS (5)
IS THE GOD YOU WORSHIP BIG ENOUGH TO HANDLE THE CHALLENGES YOU FACE?
NEHEMIAH LISTS GOD’S ATTRIBUTES:
HIS AWE-INSPIRING POWER
HIS FAITHFULNESS
HIS MERCY
A CONFESSION OF SIN (6) HE CONFESSES THE SINS OF THE PEOPLE AS A WHOLE. HEINCLUDES HIS OWN SIN.HE INCLUDES KNOWN FAILURES OF THE PEOPLE.(7) NEHEMIAHUSED THE PRONOUN “WE” AND NOT “THEY” IDENTIFYING HIMSELF WITH THE SINSOF A GENERATION OF PEOPLE IN THE PAST THAT HE DIDN’T EVEN KNOW. ANUNDERSTANDING OF GOD’S WORKING CHARACTER. (8)
HE UNDERSTANDS WHY THE PEOPLE WERE DISCOURAGED.
HE CLAIMS GOD’S PROMISES.
READ DEU 28:1-3, 15-16, 63-67 DEU 30:1-5
A KEY WORD IN THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH IS “REMEMBER”. IN NEH 1:8 HE REMINDS GOD OFHIS WORD.
HE REMINDS GOD OF HIS FORGIVING MERCY. (9)
HE REMINDS GOD OF HIS REDEEMED PEOPLE. (10)
A SUBMISSION TO GOD’S WILL FOR GOD’S USE. (11)
I “WAS” THE KING’S CUPBEARER. HE IS OPEN TO CHANGE IN HIS LIFE EVEN THOUGHHE WILL HAVE TO LEAVE THE LUXURY AND COMFORT OF LIFE IN THE PALACE. HE ASKS FORFAVOR WITH THE KING.
**WHAT UNIQUE THINGS DO YOU SEE IN THIS LEADER’S PRAYER?
1. AN INTERCESSOR’S HEART THAT IDENTIFIES HIMSELF WITH THE PLIGHT OF THE PEOPLE FOR WHOMHE PRAYS.
2. AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW GOD WORKS.
3. A WILLINGNESS TO LAY EVERYTHING ON THE LINE AND GET INVOLVED.
APPLICATION: [PRINCIPLES OF LEADERSHIP] FOR A CHURCH OR FOR YOUR PERSONAL LIFE:
**WHAT IS LEADERSHIP?
THE ABILITY TO INFLUENCE AND MOVE PEOPLE; TO INSPIRE CONFIDENCE. THE CAPACITY AND WILL TORALLY MEN TO A COMMON PURPOSE.
A LEADER HAS:
[1] THE ABILITY TO RECOGNIZE THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE OUT OF PERSONAL CONCERN (1:2)
[2] A WILLINGNESS TO DO SERIOUS PRAYER (1:4)
[3] A PERSONAL SUBMISSION TO GOD’S WILL (1:11)
YOU MAY NOT HAVE A POSITION OF LEADERSHIP, BUT IF YOU WORK ON DEVELOPING THE PRINCIPLES OFLEADERSHIP, YOU WILL SEE GOD MATURE AND BLESS YOU BEYOND YOUR WILDEST IMAGINATION. YOUWILL TAP INTO GOD’S POWER AND GUIDANCE.
HOMEWORK FOR NEHEMIAH 2
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.
APPLICATION OF NEHEMIAH 1
1. DO PAST HURTS, FAILURES, AND DESTRUCTIONS IN YOUR LIFE CAUSE YOU TO STUMBLE OVERTHIS RUBBLE AND HINDER YOUR MATURE WALK WITH GOD? WHAT ONE PIECE OF RUBBLE DOYOU WANT TO GET RID OF?
2. DOES ANARCHY AND CHAOS REIGN IN YOUR PERSONAL LIFE? WHAT ONE AREA DO YOUWANT TO SEE CHANGED?
3. IS YOUR LIFE AN OPEN TERRITORY TO EVERY ATTACK OF THE ENEMY? IN WHAT ONE AREA DO YOUWANT FREEDOM?
RELATE NEHEMIAH’S MODEL PRAYER (1:4-11) TO EACH OF THE THREE QUESTIONS YOU ANSWEREDABOVE. FOR EXAMPLE: IN PRAYER:
A. PRAISE GOD FOR HIS POWER, FAITHFULNESS, AND MERCY
(RECORD YOUR RESPONSE)
B. CONFESS ANY SINS AND FAILURES THE HOLY SPIRIT BRINGS TO MIND RELATED TO THE 3 ANSWERSABOVE
(RECORD YOUR RESPONSE)
FIND A SPECIFIC SCRIPTURE PROMISE RELATED TO YOUR PROBLEM FOR EACH OF YOUR 3 ANSWERS (USEA CONCORDANCE IF YOUR HAVE ONE)
C. IN HONEST HUMILITY, SUBMIT YOURSELF TO GOD’S WILL NO MATTER WHAT THE COST OR HOW HARD
(RECORD YOUR RESPONSE)
PREPARATION FOR NEHEMIAH 2
READ NEH 2
WHAT PROVISIONS DID NEHEMIAH GET FROM THE KING?
WHO DO YOU THINK THE PERSON OF SANBALAT REPRESENTS?
WHY DO YOU THINK NEHEMIAH TOLD NO ONE WHAT HE AND GOD PLANNED TO DO? (2:12,16)
WHY DO YOU THINK NEHEMIAH WENT OUT AT NIGHT TO LOOK OVER THE CITY? (2:13-15)
MEMORY VERSE: PROVERBS 3:5
