And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate. In an individuals life the rebuilding of the walls is a picture of reestablishing the strength of that life. And all of them conspired together to come and fight against jerusalem and to cause a disturbance in it. Nehemiah was one of the most underrated heroes in the bible, cupbearer to the powerful persian king artaxerxes i longimanus. Visit our library of inductive bible studies for more in depth inductive studies on this and other books of the bible you can use in your small group. People like sanballat will always be indignant when gods work begins. Nehemiah was a man of character who loved and feared god. He ridiculed the jews, 2and in the presence of his associates and the army of samaria, he said, what are those feeble jews doing. Nehemiah 4 teaches us that when the enemy opposes us as he surely will, we should respond with prayer, work, vigilance, and focus on the lord.
The project seemed to go well until it was about half complete. Hear, o our god these mocks and menaces lay so heavy upon nehemiahs spirit, that he could not ease himself but by breathing heavenward. The nobles try to make tobiah sound good in nehemiahs presence, while tobiah sends nehemiah letters designed to intimidate him. Nehemiah 4 commentary matthew henry commentary on the whole.
Nehemiah 4 new international version niv opposition to the rebuilding 4 awhen sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. Nehemiah 24 new international version niv artaxerxes sends nehemiah to jerusalem. Nehemiah wrote it to records the events of returning to jerusalem and rebuilding the walls in 445 b. This section describes the intimidation and opposition to the project. I counted more than 40 individual names, and more than 10 groups names. The book of nehemiah, chapter 4, is taken from jimmy swaggarts, the expositors study bible. So lets briefly survey how we got to this point in the story. Do we have friends that can help us in the hour of need. Jewish tradition states that ezra is the author of ezranehemiah as well as the book of chronicles, but modern scholars generally accept that a compiler from 5th. Nehemiah was a person of prayer who risked his life of power, privilege and lux ury to bring stability, reform and spiritual awakening to the people of jerusalem. Yet nehemiah and the people directed their attention to god, and then they returned to work after praying. The nobles try to make tobiah sound good in nehemiah s presence, while tobiah sends nehemiah letters designed to intimidate him. Jerusalem had a temple but there was no protection for the city from further attack.
Thats where nehemiah comes to jerusalem after he heard of the jews plight and after he petitioned king artaxerxes to be able to come. We left all hands at work for the building of the wall about jerusalem. The 4 cs of nehemiahs leadership leadership lesson. Nehemiah chapter 4 7 but it came to pass, that when sanballat, and tobiah, and the arabians, and the ammonites, and the ashdodites, heard that the walls of jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth. Nehemiah 4 niv bible when sanballat heard that we were. Nehemiah with book summary versebyverse bible commentary. Gate master after finishing the wall and appointing people to positions at the temple, nehemiah puts his brother hanani and another guy, hananiah the commander of the citadel, in charge of jerusalem. Our messages for this quarter are based on the theme, arise and build. He ridiculed the jews, 2 and in the presence of his associates and the army of samaria, he said, what are those feeble jews doing. Many jews had returned from the babylonian captivity.
Book of nehemiah 16 questions by gcup last updated. But it came to pass, that when sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation. A worker of weak faith and purpose will quit, but a person of resolution and confidence will overcome the opposition and finish the job. When i heard these words i sat down and wept, and mourned for days. In the hebrew bible the book of nehemiah comfort of jah forms a unity with the preceding book of ezra compare with the notes on ezra. The books of ezra and nehemiah were originally combined into a single book. It happened at a time when the captivity of the jews had already come to an end. But such good work is not wont to be carried on without opposition. But it so happened, when sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the jews.
Dec 05, 2017 the book of nehemiah, chapter 4, is taken from jimmy swaggarts, the expositors study bible. Nehemiah 4 new international version niv opposition to the rebuilding. Key personalities include nehemiah, ezra, sanballat, and tobiah. Nehemiah 4, new international version niv the bible app. Chapter 4 page 417 nehemiah is an account the rebuilding of the temple, the city of jerusalem, the laws and the nation following the long period in exile. Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens took their load with one hand. And that s the leaders of today should ask of the lord to help them in everything they do. He was a highranking official in the persian kings court. The people listed in nehemiah 3 had been living there for years. Nehemiah 4 opposition to the rebuilding when bible gateway. Nehemiah 4, new king james version nkjv the bible app.
The book of nehemiah is designed to teach us that only with gods help can we actually change ourselves and recover from the damage and ruin of the past. The book of nehemiah is the last of the historical books of the bible, originally part of the book of ezra, but split off into its own volume by the church in 1448. Its interesting that nehemiah is never mentioned in chapter 3 3. The enemy became more and more worried about the progress. He ridiculed the jews, 2 and in the presence of his associates and the army of samaria, he said, what are those feeble jews doi. This theme actually comes from the book of nehemiah 2. It has subdivisions of nehemiah opposed and ridiculed, and prayer and work in the face of. Nehemiah 3 is the third chapter of the book of nehemiah in the old testament of the christian bible, or the th chapter of the book of ezranehemiah in the hebrew bible, which treats the book of ezra and book of nehemiah as one book. Note the manner in which nehemiah moved to meet this crisis. Stand up and bless the lord your god forever and ever. The book of nehemiah lesson 4 chapter 4 build and guard whenever the people of god start doing the work of god, there will be opposition.
If you read chapter 3 in its entirety you will notice one name missing, nehemiahs. Nehemiah had a sidekick who would rush to the place of need and sound the alarm. This is part of the reason some scholars think that ezra wrote both books. Nehemiah 4 commentary matthew henry commentary on the. The book of nehemiah starts by describing the circumstances that brought nehemiah to jerusalem. But it came to pass, that when sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the jews. Before you attempt to answer the questions below you should read these chapters in the bible and answer the questions at the end of each chapter found at the website answer the questions below and then click ok to send your answers. Nehemiah chapter 4 explained discover the 66 books of. Nehemiah stopped the rich from taking advantage of the poor leaders canceled debts. Were just finishing up the section in nehemiah that started in chapter 2. Home bible studies nehemiah nehemiah 4 these small group studies of nehemiah contain outlines, crossreferences, bible study discussion questions, and applications. If we only had chapter 3, we would get the impression that the work on the wall went without a snag. Nehemiah 4 is the fourth chapter of the book of nehemiah in the old testament of the christian bible, or the 14th chapter of the book of ezra nehemiah in the hebrew bible, which treats the book of ezra and book of nehemiah as one book.
Nehemiah and the inhabitants of jerusalem prayed to god for safety. Chapter 3 is when we really find out nehemiah is a leader. Nelson on nehemiah 4 the lord god is a god of order and keeps his promises, he gave nehemiah that burden to build the walls of jerusalem and did not disappoint them by giving them the focus,zeal and unity to labour together. The chapters 7 and 1012 contain lists of names on which the author. Community chapter 3 this is one of the most import chapters in nehemiah. They tried to descend on jerusalem secretly to fight. But the wall didnt get built until god raised up nehemiah to lead the charge. I had not been sad in his presence before, 2 so the king asked me, why does your face look so sad when you are not ill. The book is a first person account of the events from the perspective of nehemiah. Sections i and iii will be treated first, and section ii, which raises special literary problems, will be discussed at the end.