Nehemiah 1 - 5
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Chapter 1 - 5 Review
Chapter 1 - 5 Review
Chapter 1
Nehemiah learns of the plight of the Jews who have returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the city. Nehemiah’s prayer is a model of prayer.
He confesses his sins and the sins of the nation and realizes that God will either bless or punish based on the nation’s obedience. The first chapter
introduces us to the first two principles of leadership
Chapter 2
Nehemiah prays for 4 months and plans for the expected question from the king. With his authority he returns to Jerusalem and surveys
the situation before offering a suggestion. He is met immediately with resistance. Criticism is an unwritten part of any leader’s job description
Chapter 3
The building of the wall commences. Everyone is assigned a task and all Israelites come together for the public good, even those who live outside the city. But Nehemiah faces opposition from an unexpected quarter; not from the enemies outside the city but from Jews inside the city
Chapter 4
As building of the wall continues criticism continues as well. The criticism is not only from the enemies surrounding Jerusalem but also from within the ranks.
The people grumble and are too tired to both work and fight. But Nehemiah has a plan to deal with discouragement and demonstrates that great leaders solve problems
Chapter 5
In the midst of spiritual strife no work is completed on the wall. The people can’t build the wall and be in the midst of strife at the same time.
Nehemiah provides a powerful lesson on leadership in the way he deals with a promotion. We see the cup bearer, builder and governor
Look for
— Prayers ( Blue )
— Promises ( Green )
— Warnings ( Red )
— Commands ( Purple )
Background
Background
Theme Exceptional Leadership
Author Ezra
— Scribe; Priest
— wrote rote 2 Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah
Line of Aaron A descendant of Aaron
— Line of the priests
— Memorized the entire law of Moses (first 5 books)
A short review of History
Abraham Started with Abraham 2,000 B.C.
— Apex was 1,000 BC during the reign of Saul and David
— Abraham -> Isaac -> Jacob
12 Tribes Twelve sons became a great nation
— Solomon compromised with the world
— Nation was divided after Solomon (1 Kings 11:11 )
11 Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant.
Civil War 10 Northern Tribes (Isreal) went North to Samaria
2 Southern Tribes (Judah) went South to Jerusalem
God judged Israel 10 Northern tribes ceased to exist
— Assyrians invaded in 772 BC
— Carried people away and scattered them all over the know world (2 Kings 17)
Judah remained The Southern Kingdom Judah remained for 300 years
— 605 BC Babylonians invaded (thousands deported)
— 597 BC Babylonians invaded again (10,000 deported; Ezekiel (25yrs old) and his wife included)
— King Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jersualem
— Broke down the walls; burned down the temple
— Carried off treasures ( 2 Kings 25:9-10)
Slaves again The Jews are carried off to Babylon
— Isaiah prophesied it (Isa 39:5-7) a century earlier
— March 800 miles; naked; hooks in their noses
Treasures taken All of the treasures of the temple are taken as well (2 Chronicles 36:18 )
18 And all the articles from the house of God, great and small, the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king and of his leaders, all these he took to Babylon.
70 Years of Captivity
Prophesied Jeremiah prophesied 70 years of Babylonian captivity (Jer 25:11)
11 And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
Q: Why 70 Years?
Furrow the land God commanded to furrow the land every 7 years (Lev 26:34)
34 Then the land shall enjoy its sabbaths as long as it lies desolate and you are in your enemies’ land; then the land shall rest and enjoy its sabbaths.
— You will be in captivity for every Sabbath that you did not rest the land (Lev 26:35; 2 Chron 36:21)
35 As long as it lies desolate it shall rest— for the time it did not rest on your sabbaths when you dwelt in it.
21 to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.
490 years It was 490 years from Saul to 586 BC when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon sacked Jersualem
— 490 / 7 (Sabbath) = 70 years
Not Complacent During these 70 years Daniel served 3 different Kings
— God preserved His people but did not want them complacent
— Did not want them to get to comfortable; put down roots
The world changed After 70 years the world changed
— Cyrus the king of Persia and Darius the King of the Medes overthrew Babylon
— Cyrus issued a decree to allow the Jews to return
Cyrus He allowed the people return to the land and rebuild the temple and the walls of Jerusalem
— He gave them financial incentive to return and aided to the rebuilding
— Nehemiah goes to Artaxerxes and the King gives the authority for the city to be rebuilt
— Dan 9 the angel says that it is 173,880 from that point (decree of Artaxerxes) until the Messiah would present himself
— March 14, 445 BC to April 6 32AD is exactly 173,880 days and Jesus himself wept over the city because you didn’t recognize
this day you will be blind to the truth (Luke 19) until Paul says (Rom 11:25) until the fullness of the Gentiles (Missler)
3 Waves The Jews returned in three (3) waves
— Company “A” Zerubbabel
— Company “B” Ezra; rebuilt the temple
— Company “C” Nehemiah; rebuilt the walls
New King Cyrus dies and is replaced by Artaxerxes
— Nehemiah is the cup bearer
Susa Capital city of Babylon
— Washington DC of the World
— 800 miles (4 months) from Jerusalem
Major Themes
1. Attention to God’s Word is necessary to carry out His Will
2. Obedience - Nehemiah demonstrated obedience; God worked through his obedience and the wicked hearts of His enemies
3. Opposition - Enemies opposed Nehemiah
4. Leadership - Nehemiah modelled extraordinary leadership
Outline
Nehemiah 1-12 Events take place in 1 year
Nehemiah 13 20 year gap; Malachi is written during this gap
— Nehemiah is governor twice
— Chapter 13 is the last book of Nehemiah and of the OT chronologically
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Overview Nehemiah learns of the plight of the Jews who have returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the city. Nehemiah’s prayer is a model of prayer.
He confesses his sins and the sins of the nation and realizes that God will either bless or punish based on the nation’s obedience. The first chapter
introduces us to the first two principles of leadership
Read and Summarize
Nehemiah 1: 1-6
(1:1) Month of Chislev in the twentieth Year
Nov - Dec 446 BC During the reign of the Persian king Artaxerxes (464-423 BC)
Wept (1:4) sat down and wept … fasting and praying
— Heard that the people were in great distress and reproach
— The gates were broken and burned down
— City wall was destroyed
#1 A Leader has clear recognition of the needs (1:1-4)
— He heard
— He wept
— He identified with the need and wept
#2 Leader goes first to God (1:5)
(1:5) “I pray, Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love
You and observe Your commandments
#3 A leader recognizes is part of the problem (1:6)
(1:6) and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned.
— I confess
— We have sinned
— I have sinned
— We have acted very corruptly
Q: How often did he pray ?
(1:6) Prayed day and night
— Prayed constantly not just one time
#4 Leadership takes initiative (Neh 2; Acts 27:1-12)
8 Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations; 9 but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.’
Judgment Promised God promised judgement against the 12 tribes if they
— Acted corruptly
— Took the false religions of the surrounding nations (adopted idols) (Deut 4:25-28)
25 “When you beget children and grandchildren and have grown old in the land, and act corruptly and make a carved image in the form of anything, and do evil in the sight of the Lord your God to provoke Him to anger, 26 I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that you will soon utterly perish from the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess; you will not prolong your days in it, but will be utterly destroyed. 27 And the Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord will drive you. 28 And there you will serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell.
— A future judgement fulfilled in Nehemiah’s life
But if you return (1:9) but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments
— He will have mercy and hear their cry
— He will not destroy them (Deut 4:29-31)
— Nehemiah quoted this scripture (Deut 4:25-28)
— If you are unfaithful I will scatter you
— He claimed the promise of Deut 4:29-31
The Petition He makes a bold petition - (1:11) Give me success
— Nehemiah claimed God’s promise to bring the people back into the Land
— Didn’t assume that he would be part of God’s action
— He made himself available (1:11; 2:5)
Q: Why was Nehemiah so upset when he learned of the plight of the Jews in Jersualem ? What was his response?
Q: What was the great distress and reproach that the Jews were facing in Judah? In what ways did this reflect on God’s glory?
Q: What can you learn about leadership and prayer from Nehemiah’s example?
Q: Why is prayer so important?
(a) Makes us wait You can’t work and pray at the same time
(b) quiets our heart You can’t worry and pray at the same time
Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Overview Nehemiah prays for 4 months and plans for the expected question from the king. With his authority he returns to Jerusalem and surveys
the situation before offering a suggestion. He is met immediately with resistance. Criticism is an unwritten part of any leader’s job description
Read and Summarize
1 And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, that I took the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had never been sad in his presence before.
Nissan March/April
— Nehemiah goes to the king on March 14, 445 BC (we know this as the beginning of Daniel’s 70 weeks, 173,880 days until April 6, 32AD when Messiah
Presents himself. And Jesus wept because the Jews should have known the time of His coming)
— Up until now Nehemiah has been praying for 4 months and didn’t see any results
— Solomon wrote this Proverb and Nehemiah would have been familiar with it
— But prayer was the only way to change the king’s heart (Prov 21:1)
1 The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.
(2:1b) when wine was before him
Q: What was the job of the cup bearer?
Cup Bearer Food taster, trusted position
— Not to make sure there was too much salt - but that the food wasn’t poisoned
— To quote Robert den Niro from “Meet the Fockers” (2004, Universal) “With the knowledge you’ve been given, you are now on the inside of what I like
to call the Byrnes Family ‘Circle of Trust’ “
— A privileged, trusted position
(2:1c) Now I had never been sad in his presence before
— After 4 months Nehemiah reaches the breaking point
2 Therefore the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing but sorrow of heart.” So I became dreadfully afraid, 3 and said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire?” 4 Then the king said to me, “What do you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5 And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.” 6 Then the king said to me (the queen also sitting beside him), “How long will your journey be? And when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.
(2:2c) So I became dreadfully afraid
Q: Why was he afraid?
Life/Death Kings had the power over life and death (Dan 2:12; 5:19)
12 For this reason the king was angry and very furious, and gave the command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
19 And because of the majesty that He gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whomever he wished, he executed; whomever he wished, he kept alive; whomever he wished, he set up; and whomever he wished, he put down.
— Daniel (536 BC) was written a short time before Nehemiah (446 BC) while the Jews were in captivity
(2:4) What do you ask?
#5 A Leader Prepares for the Questions that will come (2:4)
His response demonstrates what?
Anticipates That while he was praying he was planning
— He was planning for 4 months and praying
— He anticipated this question would one day come
(2:5) I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it
Faith does not mean the absence of organization
Nehemiah had a planned worked out
(2:6) and I set him a time
— From Susa, the capital city to Jerusalem was an 800 mile journey
7 Furthermore I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given to me for the governors of the region beyond the River, that they must permit me to pass through till I come to Judah, 8 and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he must give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel which pertains to the temple, for the city wall, and for the house that I will occupy.” And the king granted them to me according to the good hand of my God upon me.
Letters Authority to command local authorities to assist him
Timber Need timber to rebuild the walls and the gates
Esther Was the step-mother of Artaxerxes and influenced him positively to favor the Jews
Rebuild The king allowed him to rebuild the walls
— Demonstrates a lot of trust in Nehemiah
— Allows a captured city to be re-fortified
11 So I came to Jerusalem and was there three days.
What you do in private garners respect
Character Character is what you do when no one is watching
Q: What was Nehemiah doing? (v12)
12 Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me; I told no one what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem; nor was there any animal with me, except the one on which I rode.
No Room So much rubble that there was no room for the animals to pass through
Survey the problem
Before offering a solution survey the problem
17 Then I said to them, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.”
Challenge Challenges them to take responsibility for the common good
Q: A good leader identifies with the problem. What does a bad leader do?
A Bad Leader Casts blame, criticizes, kills motivation
— “You got yourself into this, I’ll be in my office”
A Good Leader Identifies, looks for co-operation
— Notice, “I”, “We”, “Us’
Opposition is immediate. Just because you are criticized doesn’t mean you are outside God’s will
Critics Sanballat and Tobiah were critical (2:10, 19)
10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard of it, they were deeply disturbed that a man had come to seek the well-being of the children of Israel.
19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed at us and despised us, and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?”
Handling criticism is an unwritten job description
Enemies everywhere
Jerusalem was surrounded by enemies
North The Samaritans; Sanballat the Horonite, governor of Samaria
South Arabs
East Ammonites ; Ancient enemy of Israel, Tobiah the governor
West Ashdod
Common Enemy These were not allies and would not normally come together
— Their shared hatred of Israel and God’s people united them
— No wall for 150 years
— Wanted status quo
20 So I answered them, and said to them, “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem.”
Authority Not only did he have the “God of heaven”
— But also the king’s authority
Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Overview The building of the wall commences. Everyone is assigned a task and all Israelites come together for the public good, even those who live outside the city.
But Nehemiah faces opposition from an unexpected quarter; not from the enemies outside the city but from Jews inside the city
Read and Summarize
1 Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests and built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and hung its doors. They built as far as the Tower of the Hundred, and consecrated it, then as far as the Tower of Hananel. 2 Next to Eliashib the men of Jericho built. And next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built. 3 Also the sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors with its bolts and bars. 4 And next to them Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz, made repairs. Next to them Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabel, made repairs. Next to them Zadok the son of Baana made repairs. 5 Next to them the Tekoites made repairs; but their nobles did not put their shoulders to the work of their Lord. 6 Moreover Jehoiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the Old Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors, with its bolts and bars. 7 And next to them Melatiah the Gibeonite, Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon and Mizpah, repaired the residence of the governor of the region beyond the River. 8 Next to him Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs. Also next to him Hananiah, one of the perfumers, made repairs; and they fortified Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall. 9 And next to them Rephaiah the son of Hur, leader of half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs. 10 Next to them Jedaiah the son of Harumaph made repairs in front of his house. And next to him Hattush the son of Hashabniah made repairs. 11 Malchijah the son of Harim and Hashub the son of Pahath-Moab repaired another section, as well as the Tower of the Ovens. 12 And next to him was Shallum the son of Hallohesh, leader of half the district of Jerusalem; he and his daughters made repairs. 13 Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the Valley Gate. They built it, hung its doors with its bolts and bars, and repaired a thousand cubits of the wall as far as the Refuse Gate. 14 Malchijah the son of Rechab, leader of the district of Beth Haccerem, repaired the Refuse Gate; he built it and hung its doors with its bolts and bars. 15 Shallun the son of Col-Hozeh, leader of the district of Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate; he built it, covered it, hung its doors with its bolts and bars, and repaired the wall of the Pool of Shelah by the King’s Garden, as far as the stairs that go down from the City of David. 16 After him Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, leader of half the district of Beth Zur, made repairs as far as the place in front of the tombs of David, to the man-made pool, and as far as the House of the Mighty. 17 After him the Levites, under Rehum the son of Bani, made repairs. Next to him Hashabiah, leader of half the district of Keilah, made repairs for his district. 18 After him their brethren, under Bavai the son of Henadad, leader of the other half of the district of Keilah, made repairs. 19 And next to him Ezer the son of Jeshua, the leader of Mizpah, repaired another section in front of the Ascent to the Armory at the buttress. 20 After him Baruch the son of Zabbai carefully repaired the other section, from the buttress to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest. 21 After him Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz, repaired another section, from the door of the house of Eliashib to the end of the house of Eliashib. 22 And after him the priests, the men of the plain, made repairs. 23 After him Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs opposite their house. After them Azariah the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, made repairs by his house. 24 After him Binnui the son of Henadad repaired another section, from the house of Azariah to the buttress, even as far as the corner.
Everyone Divided into group
Everyone knew what to do
— Everyone had a task
No Strife No contention, animosity, separate interests
#6 A leader sets the example (3:1; 5:6-8; Acts 27:39-40)
Eliashib High Priest
(3:1) Repaired the Sheep Gate
— This is where the sheep were let in to be sacrificed
What is done for the public good everyone should take a part in
Q: Did you ever have an all-hands on deck moment?
Many Hands Many hands make light work
— A team can accomplish more than any single individual
— Everyone had a part great and small
— In front of their own home (3:10, 23, 24, 28, 29, 30)
Sometimes Leadership requires all hands on deck (3:2-13)
The public welfare required that all Israelites even those not living in the city help
(3:2) The men of Jericho
(3:7) The men of Gibeon
(3:7) The men of Mizpah
(3:13) The inhabitants of Zanoah
A leader will face opposition within his own ranks (3:5; 30)
Nobles (3:5) The nobles refused to work and worked against him
(3:30) Hananiah 6 sons and other 5 brothers (younger) did no work
A leader recognizes those who contribute
Had a list of names
— Nehemiah knew everyone who involved in the task
— He knew the workers by name; those who contributed and those who did not
Q: What role did Nehemiah do?
Management His name is not mentioned in the list of workers
— He organized and assigned the work
— Measured and managed the project
Matthew Henry "The pilot needs not haul at a rope, it is enough for him to steer”
Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Overview As building of the wall continues criticism continues as well. The criticism is not only from the enemies surrounding Jerusalem but also from within the ranks.
The people grumble and are too tired to both work and fight. But Nehemiah has a plan to deal with discouragement and demonstrates that great leaders solve problems
Read and Summarize
NIV A note about the NIV which is a very popular translation
— Multiple revisions 1978, 1984, 1997 (inclusive language)
— 2002, 2011 (dropped gender and now neutral people, mankind, brethren, families)
— Dynamic equivalent not word for word
#7 A leader delegates authority (Neh 4)
Cup bearer to Builder
Nehemiah - cup bearer now a builder
The wall is half (1/2) built and the criticism comes
1 But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews. 2 And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish—stones that are burned?” 3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall.”
2nd Attempt to stop Nehemiah’s work
First (2:19) Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem mocked Nehemiah
Second (4:1-3) Sanballat and Tobiah mock Nehemiah, stir up the troops
Who were the Samaritans and why did the Jews disdain them?
Samaritans (4:2) 300 years earlier the Northern Kingdom of Israel (10) tribes were conquered (772 BC).
— Sargon of Assyria repopulated the region with other captives from other nations.
— These intermarried with the remaining Jews becoming Samaritans
Critics run with Critics
(4:3) Now Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him
Discernment Discernment is needed
— Every good leader has to ask, is it good criticism?
James What did James say about discernment? (James 1:5)
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
How did Nehemiah answer the critics?
6 So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
So we built (4:6) So we built the wall
— Keep mixing the mortar
— Hand me another brick!
#8 Critics Demoralize but leaders encourage (4:6)
3rd Attempt The 3rd attempt to stop Nehemiah’s work
— (4:7-23) The enemy threatened a military attack
7 Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry, 8 and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion. 9 Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night. 10 Then Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall.” 11 And our adversaries said, “They will neither know nor see anything, till we come into their midst and kill them and cause the work to cease.”
4 causes of Nehemiah’s discouragement
(1) Attack The Attack coming from all sides
— Samaritans - Sanballat (North)
— Arabs - Geshem (South)
— Ammonites - Tobiah (East)
— Ashdod (West)
United United by their hatred of Israel (Judah)
(2) Workers (4:10) The workers lost their strength to continue, “The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall.”
— Too tired to fight
— To tired to build the wall
#9 Leaders grapple with internal and external fears (4:10)
— The tribe of Judah was saying, “Let’s quite” at the same time the enemies were saying “Stop working on the wall”
(3) Lost vision They lost their vision of why they were building the wall
(4:10) we are not able to build the wall
11 And our adversaries said, “They will neither know nor see anything, till we come into their midst and kill them and cause the work to cease.”
(4) Fear (4:11) They thought the enemy would slip in and kill them all
4 Ways to deal with discouragement (4:9-16)
(1) Prayed (4:9) Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God
— Balance between faith and readiness (Matt 26:41)
41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
— If we pray only and are not watchful we tempt God
— We show ourselves lazy
— We forfeit protection
(2) Take Action I hesitate to use the phrase “Common sense” ; We can’t view the world wit our rationale; His ways are beyond finding out (Isaiah 55:8-9; Job 36:26; Deut 29:29)
— Watch and Pray tell us that there is a link between praying and action
— Out of a job? Pray but hit the road; have a resume
(4:9) and because of them we set a watch against them day and night
Q: What are some examples of praying but taking action?
Sick Pray but go see a Physician
— Have elders pray for you and over you
— Confess any confessed sin
#10 Leaders take action and have a contingency plan (4:9-16)
16 So it was, from that time on, that half of my servants worked at construction, while the other half held the spears, the shields, the bows, and wore armor; and the leaders were behind all the house of Judah.
Techniques 1. Pray, 2 Take Action, 3: Have a contingency plan and 4. Have a rallying point (4:20)
20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.”
(4) Rallying Point If you hear the trumpet run to that place
— Don’t try to fight alone
Q: How did Nehemiah divide the work on the wall? What were some benefits in this approach?
Q: Why did Nehemiah ask the Lord not to cover the sins of his enemies (4:5)?
5 Do not cover their iniquity, and do not let their sin be blotted out from before You; for they have provoked You to anger before the builders.
— Not that they abused us, rather provoked you Lord
— We should be angry because it is offensive to God
— Attacking God not him
— We are not to imitate this; Jesus said pray for those that persecute you (Matt 5:44)
— Don’t seek retaliation (Matt 5:38-42)
—Not paying for revenge but God’s justice (cf. Psalm 7:1-6)
Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Overview In the midst of spiritual strife no work is completed on the wall. The people can’t build the wall and be in the midst of strife at the same time.
Nehemiah provides a powerful lesson on leadership in the way he deals with a promotion. We see the cup bearer, builder and governor
Read and Summarize
1 And there was a great outcry of the people and their wives against their Jewish brethren. 2 For there were those who said, “We, our sons, and our daughters are many; therefore let us get grain, that we may eat and live.” 3 There were also some who said, “We have mortgaged our lands and vineyards and houses, that we might buy grain because of the famine.” 4 There were also those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our lands and vineyards. 5 Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children; and indeed we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have been brought into slavery. It is not in our power to redeem them, for other men have our lands and vineyards.”
Nehemiah faces a money problem - This book illustrates nearly every leadership challenge and this should not surprise us
The Picture People are fatigued from hard labor
— Harassed and threatened by enemies
— Poor and lacking basic necessities
— Borrowing tax money
— Exploited by the rich who refuse to work
— Forced to sell their homes, children and land
— No ability to redeem it back
— Rich rulers were disobeying the law;
— Lend without interest (Ex 22:25);
25 “If you lend money to any of My people who are poor among you, you shall not be like a moneylender to him; you shall not charge him interest.
— Treat others with respect (Lev 25:39-40);
39 ‘And if one of your brethren who dwells by you becomes poor, and sells himself to you, you shall not compel him to serve as a slave. 40 As a hired servant and a sojourner he shall be with you, and shall serve you until the Year of Jubilee.
— Debts could not include property(Num 36:7-9)
7 So the inheritance of the children of Israel shall not change hands from tribe to tribe, for every one of the children of Israel shall keep the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers. 8 And every daughter who possesses an inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel shall be the wife of one of the family of her father’s tribe, so that the children of Israel each may possess the inheritance of his fathers. 9 Thus no inheritance shall change hands from one tribe to another, but every tribe of the children of Israel shall keep its own inheritance.”
Indentured servitude was only 7 years
Materialism
(Isaiah 5:8) Houses made larger and larger. Drive up prices, squeeze the poor, inflate prices. Ruthless greed, avarice,
materialism. Every empty piece of land is occupied - no place where you can be alone. Gentrification - we have a word for this.
Judas’s sin
This was the sin of Judas (corrupted for money), the apostle that betrayed our Lord. The sin that corrupted Judas
corrupted Zion. Think of Ahab, he coveted Naboth’s vineyard and killed him for it (1 Kings 21)
Q: How did God design it so that this would never happen in Israel ?
7th Year Every 7th year the land would rest
50th Every 50th year the land would return to its original owners.
— It would reset the economy. This prevented inflation.
— If you bought piece of land in year 45 and knew that it would return to its owner in 5 years, you wouldn’t pay too much.
Slaves Slaves were also released in the year of Jubilee. Some people would offer themselves as “slaves” to work. You couldn’t afford
the land but you could work as a slave.
Ignored But Israel ignored God’s design. They didn’t :
— Rest the land
— Free the servants
— Forgive the debts
— Or give the land back
Nehemiah leads by example (5:6-8)
6 And I became very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. 7 After serious thought, I rebuked the nobles and rulers, and said to them, “Each of you is exacting usury from his brother.” So I called a great assembly against them. 8 And I said to them, “According to our ability we have redeemed our Jewish brethren who were sold to the nations. Now indeed, will you even sell your brethren? Or should they be sold to us?” Then they were silenced and found nothing to say.
Own Money Nehemiah uses his own money to redeem
— Sets the example
Stop the problem quickly (5:9-11)
9 Then I said, “What you are doing is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies? 10 I also, with my brethren and my servants, am lending them money and grain. Please, let us stop this usury! 11 Restore now to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, also a hundredth of the money and the grain, the new wine and the oil, that you have charged them.”
Return Money We should not profit from other’s misfortunes
— When one brother suffers, we all suffer (2 Cor 12:26)
— God’s concern for the poor is seen in every book; here, fairness to the poor
Promise Make a promise before the Lord
(5:12) Make an oath, pubic announcement
12 So they said, “We will restore it, and will require nothing from them; we will do as you say.” Then I called the priests, and required an oath from them that they would do according to this promise.
— Took an oath before the People
— No mention of the wall (5:1-13)
— Can’t build the wall in the midst of spiritual strife
How to handle a promotion (5:14)
14 Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year until the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the governor’s provisions.
What he did not do (5:16) He did not buy any land
— He could have gotten rich, had his choice of prime real estate
— Wasn’t distracted
— His mission was from God
— Blues Brothers (1980) Elwood: We're on a mission from God. There are 106 miles to Chicago, we have a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark and we're wearing sunglasses
— Cup bearer - builder - Governor
Don’t be corrupt
15 But the former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people, and took from them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver. Yes, even their servants bore rule over the people, but I did not do so, because of the fear of God.
Previous Governors Corrupt, over taxed
(5:15) Laid heavy burdens on the people
Payola (5:15b) Took bread, wine, payola; and took from them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver
Nepotism (5:15c) Yes, even their servants bore rule over the people (nepotism);
His Motives
He saw the burdens of the people and he wanted to lighten it
— He wanted to build the wall so that God’s temple would be protected
Additional Resources
Swindoll, Chuck R. Hand Me Another Brick. Thomas Nelson, 1978.
Henry, M. (1994) Matthew Henry’s commentary on the Whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume. Peabody: Hendrickson
MacArthur, John. The Book on Leadership. Thomas Nelson, 1979.
