1. Nehemiah
let us rise and build
The Kettering Weekend
11-13 March 2016

2. Nehemiah let us rise and build
Introduction what, who and when
Session 1
Rebuilding the walls
Session 2
SATURDAY
Problems inside the walls
Session 3
The body of Christ
Devotional
Problems outside the walls
Session 4
Prayer remember me, O God
Session 5
SUNDAY
Covenants made and broken
Session 6
The good hand of God
Exhortation
Nehemiah let us rise and build
The Kettering Weekend March 2016

3. But which Andrew Walker is speaking?

4. AIMS Nehemiah let us rise and build the body is one many parts
prayer instant in prayer
responding to problems inside & out
loyalty to God
preparing for the messenger
remembering and being remembered
Nehemiah let us rise and build
The Kettering Weekend March 2016

5. QUESTIONS Nehemiah let us rise and build
Why are there so many people mentioned in Nehemiah?
Why are we given minute details about things like the walls?
How does Nehemiah deal with problems inside and out?
Was Nehemiah right to pluck out people’s hair?!
Nehemiah let us rise and build
The Kettering Weekend March 2016

6. Who, what and when? 1. Introduction Nehemiah let us rise and build
The Kettering Weekend March 2016

7. THEN AND NOW
SESSION 1

8. THEN AND NOW
SESSION 1

9. THEN AND NOW
SESSION 1

10. Timeline (pre-Nehemiah)
Revived nation small and weak
Enclave among hostile groups
Ezra 1-6, Haggai & Zechariah describe initial restoration following Decree of Cyrus 538BC
Local opposition halts rebuilding
Temple completed 516BC following further decree by Darius
OVERVIEW
SESSION 1

11. Persian kings KINGS SESSION 1 Xerxes 1 Darius 1 Artaxerxes 1 522-486
= Ahasuerus
Darius 1
Artaxerxes 1
KINGS
SESSION 1

12. Who came back & when? EXILES RETURN
42, singers & servants with Zerubbabel
736 horses, 245 mules, 435 camels, 6,720 asses
Ezra 2 & Neh 7 virtually identical
6-7,000 with Ezra (Ezra 8)
Why all the lists?
EXILES RETURN
SESSION 1

13. Who was in the land? IN THE LAND SAMARITANS SESSION 1
Dinaites
Apharsathchites
Tarpelites
Apharsites
Archevites
Babylonians
Susanchites
Dehavites
Elamites
+ Remnant of Israelites
SAMARITANS
Led by Sanballat – Governor of Samaritans according to one of Elephantine papyri
IN THE LAND
SESSION 1

14. Timeline (Ezra & Nehemiah)
486
Complaint by “people of the land” to Xerxes (Ahasuerus)
Ezra 4:6
458
Ezra’s journey from Babylon (Artaxerxes)
Ezra 7:7
?450
Samaritans complain again: command to stop building city
Ezra 4:7-23
Dec 446
Hanani tells Nehemiah of affliction of Jews in Jerusalem.
Neh 1:1&2
Mar 445
Nehemiah seeks leave of absence. Goes to Jerusalem
Neh 2:1ff
• Walls built • Opposition from Sanballat • Hanani given charge of Jerusalem •
Neh 3-7
TIMELINE [1]
SESSION 1

15. Timeline (Ezra & Nehemiah)
?443
Ezra leads rededication of people
Neh 8
Mixed marriages tackled; atonement sought; promises made
Ezra 8; Neh 9, 10
?441
Nehemiah returns to Susa
?435
Malachi speaks out against corruption of priests and people. Warns that Nehemiah will come as a refiner’s fire
Mal 1-3
433
Nehemiah gets permission from Artaxerxes to return to deal with Eliashib’s corruption
Neh 13:6&7
TIMELINE [2]
SESSION 1

16. TIMELINE JERUSALEM Artaxerxes stops building work [464-458 BC]
PERSIAN RULERS
CYRUS
CAMBYSES
SMERDIS
DARIUS I
XERXES
ARTAXERXES I
Artaxerxes stops building work
[ BC]
Edict of Cyrus
[538 BC]
540
530
520
510
500
490
480
470
460
450
440
550
Zerubbabel + first exiles return and begin to build temple
[536 BC]
Temple finished
[515 BC]
Second wave of exiles return with Ezra
[458 BC]
Nehemiah returns + begins rebuilding of walls
[444 BC]
Timeline based on The Bible Knowledge Commentary
TIMELINE
JERUSALEM

17. What is there to learn? LESSONS SESSION 1 Ezra a ready scribe
He entreated God, who heard
Ezra & Nehemiah confessed people’s sins
Nehemiah leads building; Ezra deals with mixed marriages
Reading with meaning
Ezra taught the people
Preparation Trust Intercession Leadership Hearing Teaching
LESSONS
SESSION 1