Hello, Here are my Bible study questions I have come up with. Again, I'm not a
Bible scholar, but I am more of a facilitator. So, please feel free to come
back with more questions for these chapters I feel like I'm missing something.
To night is Bible study and we were going to go over both chapters unless you
all think I should do one at the time. Then we will have another whole week to
work on chapter 8. I actually wish I could have just gone from a book that had
the study already prepared, but I couldn't fine one. I found some studies but
they liked to lump and jump chapters. I didn't care for that much.
Friends,
Seany
Nehemiah 6
Further Opposition to the Rebuilding
1 When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of our
enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it-though up to
that time I had not set the doors in the gates- 2 Sanballat and Geshem sent me
this message: "Come, let us meet together in one of the villages [a]
on the plain of Ono."
But they were scheming to harm me; 3 so I sent messengers to them with
this reply: "I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should
the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?" 4 Four times they sent me
the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.
1. What is happening in verses 1 through 4? How can we make this method of
handling conflict valid for us today? Even if we are the ones in the middle of
a conflict, what is the method used and could you see yourself using it?
5 Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message,
and in his hand was an unsealed letter 6 in which was written:
"It is reported among the nations-and Geshem [b]
says it is true-that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore
you are building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports you are about
to become their king 7 and have even appointed prophets to make this
proclamation about you in Jerusalem: 'There is a king in Judah!' Now this
report will
get back to the king; so come, let us confer together."
What would you do in this situation? What do you see happening here?
8 I sent him this reply: "Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you
are just making it up out of your head."
What does Nehemiah do here? How do you think he's feeling right now? He seems
to be staying calm.
9 They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, "Their hands will get too weak
for the work, and it will not be completed."
But I prayed, "Now strengthen my hands."
What did Nehemiah do in the face of fear? What should we do Pray and what else?
10 One day I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of
Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home. He said, "Let us meet in the house of
God,
inside the temple, and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to
kill you-by night they are coming to kill you."
What do you see this other man doing in this section? Is he protecting or
living in fear?
11 But I said, "Should a man like me run away? Or should one like me go into
the temple to save his life? I will not go!" 12 I realized that God had not
sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat
had hired him. 13 He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit
a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me.
What do we need to do when people are trying to deceive us. What do you see
Nehemiah doing?
14 Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, because of what they have done;
remember also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who have been
trying to intimidate me.
How can we pray in the face of a bunch of intimidators? Answer is pray with
faith.
The Completion of the Wall
15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. 16
When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were
afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had
been done with the help of our God.
What happened in this section? What does it mean to us during our present day
in our trials?
17 Also, in those days the nobles of Judah were sending many letters to Tobiah,
and replies from Tobiah kept coming to them. 18 For many in Judah were under
oath to him, since he was son-in-law to Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son
Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah. 19 Moreover,
they kept reporting to me his good deeds and then telling him what I said. And
Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.
What does this kind of treatment sound like to you? Answer: Sounds like
blackmail, intimidation and people being unsafe and gossiping. What can we do
in our present day trials and situations? Who was giving the oppositiion now?
Answer, some of his own people in the upper echelon.
Nehemiah 8
1 all the people assembled as one man in the square before the Water Gate. They
told Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the
LORD had commanded for Israel.
IN contrast, what do we see happening here in the beginning of chapter 8?
2 So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law
before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able
to understand. 3 He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the
square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who
could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the
Law.
What was happening? What do you think is going through peoples' minds? What do
you think Nehemiah is feeling and thinking?
4 Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion.
Beside him on his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and
Maaseiah;
and on his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah,
Zechariah and Meshullam.
5 Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing
above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. 6 Ezra praised the
LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded,
"Amen! Amen!" Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to
the ground.
What do you see the people doing in this passage? Praising God. Lifting hands.
Repenting. Opening themselves up to God. Agreeing with the Word.
7 The Levites-Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah,
Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah-instructed the people in
the Law while the people were standing there. 8 They read from the Book of the
Law of God, making it clear [a]
and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being
read.
9 Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who
were instructing the people said to them all, "This day is sacred to the LORD
your God. Do not mourn or weep." For all the people had been weeping as they
listened to the words of the Law.
What did Nehemiah tell the people? What was happening in this passage?
10 Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to
those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve,
for the joy of the LORD is your strength."
11 The Levites calmed all the people, saying, "Be still, for this is a sacred
day. Do not grieve."
Why do you suppose the people were grieving? What were Nehemiah and the Levites
trying to do? Are there any similarities in these passage for our day?
12 Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and
to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that
had been made known to them.
What do you notice that a leader has? Answer: support staff. How effective are
Nehemiah and his other people in the leadership roles? Why?
13 On the second day of the month, the heads of all the families, along with
the priests and the Levites, gathered around Ezra the scribe to give attention
to the words of the Law. 14 They found written in the Law, which the LORD had
commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to live in booths during
the feast of the seventh month 15 and that they should proclaim this word and
spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem: "Go out into the hill
country and bring back branches from olive and wild olive trees, and from
myrtles, palms and shade trees, to make booths"-as it is written. [b]
What did the people and leadership do? Started to obey the law and ceremonies.
16 So the people went out and brought back branches and built themselves booths
on their own roofs, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of God
and in the square by the Water Gate and the one by the Gate of Ephraim. 17 The
whole company that had returned from exile built booths and lived in them.
>From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not
>celebrated it like this. And their joy was very great.
How often did this ceremony get celebrated? How willing were they to partake in
this celebration? Sometimes we get complacent about the celebrations of Jesus,
like worshiping in church or Resurrection day, or remembering to read his word.
What would happen if we really did these things with joy?
18 Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of
the Law of God. They celebrated the feast for seven days, and on the eighth
day, in accordance with the regulation, there was an assembly.
What does this whole chapter talk of. Celebration, repentance, obedience, and
zeal for God.
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"Deaf-Blind Inspirational Life Group" group.
To post to this group, send email to [email protected]
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/DBILG?hl=en
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
