Agere Sequitur Esse

Nehemiah

Book of Nehemiah

Notes.. .

. ..Introduction. By Nehemiah to record the history of the third return to Jerusalem after captivity and tell how the walls were rebuilt and the people renewed in their faith. People include Nehemiah, Ezra, Sanballat, and Tobiah. The place is Jerusalem
. ..Themes. Jerusalem’s Walls, Prayer, Leadership, Problem, Repentance and Revival.
. ..Outline. See Ezra
. ..Application. See Ezra.
. ..Timeline. Return from exile in Babylon in 538. Begins to rebuild the temple in 536. The temple is completed in 515. Ezra goes to Jerusalem in 457. Nehemiah goes to Jerusalem in 443. Jerusalem’s wall is built in 443.

Introduction. 3:45 – The purpose was to be the last of the OT historical books. It records the history of the third return to Jerusalem after captivity telling how the walls were rebuilt and the people renewed in their faith. Much of the book is written in the first person, suggesting Nehemiah is the author with Ezra serving as editor. The key people are Nehemiah, Ezra, Sanballat, and Tobiah. The key place is Jerusalem.

Themes. 4:50 – There are five major theological themes. (i) Jerusalem’s Walls. Although the Jews completed the temple in c. 516 BC, the city walls remained in shambles for the next seventy years. These walls represented power, protection, and beauty to the city of Jerusalem. The walls were also desperately needed to protect the temple from attack and to ensure the continuity of worship. God put the desire to rebuild the wall in Nehemiah’s heart, giving him a vision for the work. (ii) Prayer. Both Nehemiah and Ezra responded to problems with prayer. When Nehemiah began his work he recognized the problem, immediately prayed, and then acted on the problem. (iii) Leadership. Nehemiah demonstrated excellent leadership. He was spiritually ready to heed God’s call. He used careful planning, teamwork, problem solving and courage to get the work done. Although he had tremendous faith he never avoided the extra work necessary for good leadership. (iv) Problem. After the work began, Nehemiah faced scorn, slander, and threats from enemies as well as despair and conflict from his own workers. Although these problems were difficult, they did not stop Nehemiah from finishing the work. (v) Repentance and Revival. Although God had enabled them to build the wall, the work was not complete until the people rebuilt their lives spiritually. Ezra instructed the people in God’s Word. As they listened, they recognized the sin in their lives, admitted it, and took steps to remove it.

Outline. See Ezra
Application. See Ezra
Timeline. See Ezra

Ref.

Seay, William. 2019. Old Testament Theology [MP3]. Andersonville Theological Seminary (ATS). Camilla, GA: ATS