In vv.2-4 a man named Shechaniah encourages Ezra to be strong and take action. “Yet now there is hope in Israel in spite of this,” Shechaniah says. Later, in Neh.8, Ezra’s own advice to the people was “do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength” (v.10). All of us have experienced the wave of shame and guilt which sweeps over us when we realize how far short we have fallen of the glory of God. But like Shechaniah, we must realize that we can still turn to God for forgiveness and build anew. Study 2 Cor.7:8-11 to define “godly sorrow” and explain how it can “lead to salvation”. In contrast, explain how “worldly sorrow” can eat us up if we’re not careful. In v.5 Ezra arises and compels the leaders of the priests, the Levites and the people to swear an oath that they would commit to taking drastic steps to heal their nation before it decayed from the inside out. Incidentally, we read in v.18 that even some of Ezra’s own relatives had been implicated in this trespass. This was not a theoretical problem for Ezra— it was emotional and close to home. Ezra 10 is a difficult section of scripture to understand. Appendix M reviews some of the relevant scriptural principles on intermarriage with pagans and the issue of putting away. You may find it helpful to read through Appendix M before answering the next few questions. Read Ezra 10:7-17 and fill in the table below: ‘NO ONE CAN BEFORE YOU BECAUSE OF THIS’ (9:15) QUESTION REFERENCE COMMENTS What was their plan to restore the spiritual integrity of the ecclesia? 10:3,11 Whose advice were they acting on? 10:3,10-11 Was this in accordance with God’s will, or not? 10:11 In what way was the plan to be implemented? 10:3 What law is being referred to? Deut. 24 Who was to be put away: just the pagan wives, or their children as well? 10:3, 44 Who else was to be separated from? 10:11 Who supported this plan? Did anyone resist it? 10:12,15-16 What was the goal of this plan? 10:14 (cp. Num.25:11)
What is the purpose of building walls around a city? What is the spiritual analogy to us? (don’t say it’s keeping out everybody, since Jesus has asked us to go ‘into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature’). Please be as detailed in your thoughts here as you can be. Cruel mockings In Nehemiah 4, we come across some of the largest challenges that the team of builders in Jerusalem come across. This chapter was happening at the same time as Nehemiah 3 – not after. We will witness some of the most hateful, angry and godless men in scripture in this chapter. In Neh.4:2-3 Sanballat and Tobiah mock and make fun of the Jews – this is never a good idea! In v.1 Sanballat is FURIOUS and very indignant that the Jews would even THINK of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem! How dare they! In v.2 he calls the Jews ‘feeble’. Why would he have thought this? (Hint: Zech.12:8) Show some examples about how God chooses the weak to demonstrate his strength. (Hint: look at 1Sam.14:11-12; 17:43-44 to start off with) In v.2 Sanballat sneers, ‘Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish – stones that are burned?’ Rotherham’s says, ‘Will they bring to life the stones out of the heaps of dust, when they have been burned up?’ There is more to what Sanballat says than even he knows! God WAS reviving the stones! There are some incredible echoes to this phrase. Explain how this phrase could tie in with Ezekiel 37. Find other scriptures where God talks about bringing to life the nation. (Hint: Isa.66:8) Bringing the point home to us, what do you make of 1Pet.2:4-5? What is Peter trying to tell us here? In v.3, Sanballat’s ‘sidekick’, Tobiah, joins in the mockery. What does he say here and what happens in Nehemiah 12 that would see Tobiah singing a different tune?
Nehemiah’s personal vigilance and work was an incredible example to the rest. V.23 shows how obsessively Nehemiah and his brethren worked. How does Rev.16:15 tie into this and what is the lesson for us? Any other interesting scriptures on this that you can find? Oppression from within For the time being, the enemies of the Jews had been held off – but Nehemiah and the rest of the builders were on constant watch against them in case any surprise invasions should happen while they were still vulnerable without a fully functional wall. The trumpet was at the ready. But all was not good within the walls. Nehemiah 5 shows us that, just when we think things may be bad enough, there is still more things to go wrong - at least according to what WE consider ‘wrong’. These pressures and difficulties of life are the very things God uses to shape our character so that we manifest His glory. Let’s take a look at the other side of the wall – the inside. What we have in v.1 is an ‘outcry’ from the people against their Jewish brethren. What does this word mean and where else does it occur? (Hint: Gen.27:34; Psalm 9:12) In v.2-5 we have two main problems the poor Jews are crying out (we will come back to these in a bit): Debt and Usury – v.2-4 – What does the law tell us about this? Slavery – v.5 – What does the law say about this? Even more sinister and against the law is what is being conveyed in this: ‘some of our daughters have been brought into slavery.’ This time the word slavery is different – what does it mean and what is the implication? (Hint: Est.7:8) Stimulus – GAP - Response As soon as Nehemiah hears about this, he is incredibly angry as v.6 says. His emotions probably were telling him to throttle whoever these rich Jews were that would be so ungodly and unmerciful towards
If Nehemiah is asking God to remember him, what can we assume about Nehemiah’s belief in the resurrection? Do we ask God to remember us? Before we answer, we may want to ask this question first: How can we, as sinners and transgressors, ask God to remember us? (Hint: it may help to think of the different attitudes towards God, as displayed in the publican and the Pharisee in Lk.18:10-14 or understanding Hebrews 11:13-16) How much did Nehemiah know about faith and works and about God’s eventual kingdom with the Messiah sitting on the throne of David? (Hint: Zechariah 3:8-10; 6:11-13; 9:9) So then, asking God to remember us is a display of our understanding that he has justified us by faith and that we are forgiven. We now ask the next question: Do we ask God to remember us – for good? It’s what we want, but do we ask him? Why or why not? From verses, list who else asked to be remembered by God - Judges 16:28; 2Kings 20:3; Psalm 25:6-7; Jer.18:20. Does God remember us? Does he care for us even though we can’t see him? (Hint: Deut.2:7; Lev.26:42; Isaiah 49:14-16) In Luke 23:40-43 we come to a in a place near Jerusalem where the Savior is on a cross, in the last moments of his life after years of desiring to do God’s will and not His own. And he is there between two men – both thieves. The one thief understands that he is there because he deserves death since he has done something deserving it. He is not named, but we can see his heart in the exchange that he has with Jesus in these last few moments of their lives. What does the thief ask of Jesus?