1. …

2. Important Dates To Remember
612 B.C.
606 B.C.
586 B.C.
539 B.C.
536 B.C.
520 B.C.
516 B.C.
483 B.C.
458 B.C.
445 B.C.
430 B.C.
Babylon defeats Assyria
1st captives taken (Daniel & 3 friends)
Judah falls to Babylon; captivity begins
Medo-Persia defeats Babylon
– Zerubbabel (temple)
Prophecies of Haggai & Zechariah
Temple completed
Story of Esther (between Ezra 6-7)
– Ezra (spiritual infrastructure)
– Nehemiah (city walls)
Prophecy of Malachi 70
yrs
RETURN #1
RETURN #2
RETURN #3

3. Quarter 8
Captivity
Return From Captivity
Years Of Silence

4. Nehemiah Overcomes Numerous Challenges
Quarter 8
Lesson 15
Nehemiah Overcomes Numerous Challenges

5. Nehemiah Overcomes Challenges
Nehemiah, the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes had asked permission to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the city walls
140 years since Jerusalem had been burned
90 years since Cyrus gave permission to go home

6. Nehemiah Overcomes Challenges
Plenty of time for the city to have become prosperous again
However, the city was still a charred pile of rubble
They had a temple, but nothing else
Nehemiah was grieved over the situation

7. Nehemiah Overcomes Challenges
The bulk of the trouble Nehemiah faces in leading the remnant to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls doesn’t start until ch. 4
Examining these “challenges” one after another should impress us with Nehemiah’s godly resolve
We’ll also notice they fall into 1 of 2 types… external or internal E I

8. Nehemiah Overcomes Challenges
More mocking 4: [psychological]
Sanballat said: “Feeble Jews” can’t possibly succeed
Spoken in front of wealthy men (pressure)
Tobiah said: “…wall couldn’t even hold up a fox”
Nehemiah again prays…they just keep working
Wall was built to half its height because “…the people had a mind to work” E
An attack 4: [physical]
Enemies employ more drastic actions
Plot to assault/attack the builders E

9. Nehemiah Overcomes Challenges
An attack 4: [physical]
Again, the remnant prays, vs 4 & 9
But they also help themselves
– Posted a guard day & night
– They had to overcome despair v. 10
– They received 10 warnings re: the enemies
from Jewish brethren on the outside
– Their enemies heard that the Jews were prepared and God frustrated their plan. E

10. Nehemiah Overcomes Challenges
An attack 4: [physical]
From that day onward, ½ of the men worked while the other ½ stood guard.
Those who worked carried their load with one hand and their weapon in the other.
They were ready to rally to the sound of the trumpet if they were attacked.
All the laborers stayed inside Jerusalem at night and even slept with their clothes on. E

11. Nehemiah Overcomes Challenges
Exacting usury among brethren 5:1-19
The remnant had and were facing a famine
Some Jews had mortgaged their property
Others had sold their families into slavery
Nehemiah had to first get himself under control before dealing with brethren vv. 6-7a
Sin was involved: Ex 22:25 If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him. Lev 25:36 Take no interest from him or profit, but fear your God, that your brother may live beside you. I

12. Nehemiah Overcomes Challenges
Exacting usury among brethren 5:14-19
Nehemiah also offered himself as an example
Later, Nehemiah continued with practices that never added financial burdens to the remnant
He fed 150 people each day v 17
In verse 19, Nehemiah asks of God, “Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people. I

13. Nehemiah Overcomes Challenges
Compromise 6:1-14
Possibly the most dangerous challenge… because it is very subtle
Meeting with the enemy under the guise of “their concerns” only accomplishes 1 thing… stoppage of Lord’s work
Enemies wanted to set up a meeting in plains of Ono vv. 1-9
Nehemiah saw right through it…flat refusal E

14. Nehemiah Overcomes Challenges
Compromise 6:1-14
“Open letter” = tough public pressure v. 5
Another false charge of treason & rebellion to Artaxerxes
Enemies got Shemaiah to try to set up a meeting in the temple vv
An attempt to discredit Nehemiah…cause him to commit sin
Damage to his credibility would halt the work
Both times, Nehemiah prays E

15. Nehemiah Overcomes Challenges
The wall is completed !!! 6:15-16
Such a challenge (1:3) was fixed in 52 days !!
Remember all the years they could have worked
This completely deflated the enemies
Nepotism vv
Tobiah exerted pressure on relatives
These Jews constantly praised Tobiah in front of Nehemiah E I

16. Nehemiah Overcomes Challenges
His wall rebuilding work is over
Now Nehemiah seems to focus on building something else…the remnant Jews into a “community of believers”
He will enlist the aid of Ezra
He enrolls everyone by genealogies (census)
He finds the listing of those who returned 91 years earlier under Zerubbabel…he records it again 7:5-73

17. Nehemiah Overcomes Challenges
Ezra continues to teach 8:1-18
The people asked him to read the Law (Actually required Deut 31:9-13)
When he opened the book, they stood and listened (from early morning until noon)
This reading caused the people to weep & mourn
They also observed the Feast of Booths
He read publicly each day of the 7-day feast… a solemn assembly was held on the 8th day

18. Nehemiah Overcomes Challenges
The remnant confess their sins 9:1-37
Another great indication of the remnant taking their return home seriously
Additional reading of the Law…then a review of Israel’s sinful past (historical)
An admission that God had dealt with them justly and fairly
The covenant is renewed 9:38 – 10:39
In writing, the remnant pledge their faithfulness
Indicated by numerous actions…

19. Nehemiah Overcomes Challenges
The covenant is renewed 9:38 – 10:39
No more inter-marrying with the pagans
No more Sabbath trading with pagans
Annual contribution re: temple upkeep
Shared responsibilities re: temple functions
“…we will not neglect the house of our God.” v. 39b

20. Nehemiah Overcomes Challenges
Jerusalem is again inhabited 11:1 – 12:26
Nehemiah’s earlier comment 7:4 (few people)
Another listing of Levites & priests who returned with Zerubbabel 91 years earlier
Jerusalem’s walls are dedicated 12:27-43
2 groups, each led by Ezra and Nehemiah marching around the top of the wall
The temple’s “operational functions” are taken care of 12:44-47

21. Nehemiah Overcomes Challenges
Foreigners are excluded 13:1-9
Why were foreigners excluded? Deut. 23:3-5
This included Tobiah and his “private room” in the Temple
Nehemiah had returned to Susa (after going back to see the king) to find out about this and he threw him out, cleansed the room and started using it for what it was intended to be use for.

22. Nehemiah Overcomes Challenges
Not sure how long Nehemiah was away from Jerusalem, but it was long enough for the people to “backslide”
Tithes are restored 13:10-14
Sabbath observance reinstituted 13:15-22
Mixed marriages forbidden 13:23-31
He reminded them about Soloman sinned because of mixed marriages.

23. Nehemiah Overcomes Challenges
Throughout all these “challenges” do not lose sight of one of the most constant attributes of Nehemiah’s relationship with God…
…how often he prayed.

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