HISTORY BOOKS | NEHEMIAH
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NEHEMIAH | RISE AND BUILD
Nehemiah is a book famed for it's gates and walls but really is the memoirs of this man whose heart God touched. In fact the book can be divided using the word heart. Chapters 1-6 look at the work that God put in his heart to do (2:12). In Ch 7-13 God put on his heart to gather the people with the focus on the word not the work.
The time period
Israel's history can be divided into 3 periods of exile, the first in Egypt when a family became a nation and under bondage of slavery in Egypt they were redeemed out by blood, saved from the judgment of God and then separated from the world of Egypt through the waters of the Red Sea. Moses the prophet led them out and over the next 1400 years they consistently disobeyed God until eventually the kingdom in its zenith under David and Solomon was rent apart into the Northern Kingdom of Israel and Benjamin and Judah in the south. The northern kingdom was taken into captivity by Assyria and around 605BC Benjamin-Judah were taken into exile by Babylon. After 70 years as Daniel found out reading Jeremiah the captivity came to an end and over a period of 92 years some of the exiled nation returned. The return was led by three men: Zerubbabel, Ezra and Nehemiah. Ezra and Nehemiah were contemporary. This second period of return was short-lived and today the nation find themselves scattered throughout all nations. They will be regathered again according to Isaiah Ch 11 and the person who will regather them will be prophet, priest and King the Lord Jesus. The book of Nehemiah covers the work of the children of Israel under Nehemiah in this latter stage of their return from captivity. Some stayed in Babylon but one thing had changed for the nation when they returned they were still under Persian rule with no king of their own. This return under the command of King Artarxxes was the beginning of the period called the times of the Gentiles when Jerusalem was under Gentile rule. This period will end at the coming of Christ back to earth in glory to reign.
The key to the book
Nehemiah is not presenting an ideal but a real firsthand account of the work of God. The key to the book is the prayers of Nehemiah which saturate his work and leadership. God is attentive to his prayers and they are answered in a remarkable way whether it is in the moving of a man 900 miles by moving the heart of a Gentile King. Whatever the case Nehemiah reveals God in all the facets of His holy character and power. The book should be read in one sitting and the various time markers noted. It would seem for example there was around 4 months between Ch 1 and Ch 2 indicating Nehemiah not only praying to God but waiting upon God for an answer to prayer.
The time period
Israel's history can be divided into 3 periods of exile, the first in Egypt when a family became a nation and under bondage of slavery in Egypt they were redeemed out by blood, saved from the judgment of God and then separated from the world of Egypt through the waters of the Red Sea. Moses the prophet led them out and over the next 1400 years they consistently disobeyed God until eventually the kingdom in its zenith under David and Solomon was rent apart into the Northern Kingdom of Israel and Benjamin and Judah in the south. The northern kingdom was taken into captivity by Assyria and around 605BC Benjamin-Judah were taken into exile by Babylon. After 70 years as Daniel found out reading Jeremiah the captivity came to an end and over a period of 92 years some of the exiled nation returned. The return was led by three men: Zerubbabel, Ezra and Nehemiah. Ezra and Nehemiah were contemporary. This second period of return was short-lived and today the nation find themselves scattered throughout all nations. They will be regathered again according to Isaiah Ch 11 and the person who will regather them will be prophet, priest and King the Lord Jesus. The book of Nehemiah covers the work of the children of Israel under Nehemiah in this latter stage of their return from captivity. Some stayed in Babylon but one thing had changed for the nation when they returned they were still under Persian rule with no king of their own. This return under the command of King Artarxxes was the beginning of the period called the times of the Gentiles when Jerusalem was under Gentile rule. This period will end at the coming of Christ back to earth in glory to reign.
The key to the book
Nehemiah is not presenting an ideal but a real firsthand account of the work of God. The key to the book is the prayers of Nehemiah which saturate his work and leadership. God is attentive to his prayers and they are answered in a remarkable way whether it is in the moving of a man 900 miles by moving the heart of a Gentile King. Whatever the case Nehemiah reveals God in all the facets of His holy character and power. The book should be read in one sitting and the various time markers noted. It would seem for example there was around 4 months between Ch 1 and Ch 2 indicating Nehemiah not only praying to God but waiting upon God for an answer to prayer.
39 OLD TESTAMENT BOOKS
Genesis / Exodus / Leviticus / Numbers / Deuteronomy / Joshua / Judges / Ruth / 1 Samuel / 2 Samuel / 1 Kings / 2 Kings / 1 Chronicles / 2 Chronicles / Ezra / Nehemiah / Esther / Job / Psalms / Proverbs / Ecclesiastes / Song of Solomon / Isaiah / Jeremiah / Lamentations / Ezekiel / Daniel / Hosea / Joel / Amos / Obadiah / Jonah / Micah / Nahum / Habakkuk / Zephaniah / Haggai / Zechariah / Malachi
Genesis / Exodus / Leviticus / Numbers / Deuteronomy / Joshua / Judges / Ruth / 1 Samuel / 2 Samuel / 1 Kings / 2 Kings / 1 Chronicles / 2 Chronicles / Ezra / Nehemiah / Esther / Job / Psalms / Proverbs / Ecclesiastes / Song of Solomon / Isaiah / Jeremiah / Lamentations / Ezekiel / Daniel / Hosea / Joel / Amos / Obadiah / Jonah / Micah / Nahum / Habakkuk / Zephaniah / Haggai / Zechariah / Malachi