Nehemiah 6:15-8:18

 Homiletics                                                         Study:        Exile & Return                               

Lesson    25                                                     Passage:    Nehemiah 6:15-8:18

Content (List of Topics or Events)

Walls and Doors to Jerusalem in Place (Nehemiah 6:15-7:4) 1. Walls completed in 52 days, done with help of God (6:15-16) 2. Letters to and from Tobiah to nobles of Judah telling of Nehemiah’s words with Tobiah trying to intimidate (6:17-19) 3. Doors of Jerusalem set in place with gatekeepers, musicians and Levites appointed (7:1) 4. Nehemiah put his brother in charge of Jerusalem along with Hananiah as commander of citadel; they were men of integrity and feared God (7:2) 5. Nehemiah instructed when gates to be opened with gatekeepers on guard; appointing residents as guards (7:3) 6. Jerusalem summarized as large and spacious with few residents (7:4)

Registration of Returnees to Jerusalem and Judah (Nehemiah 7:5-7:73a) 1. Nehemiah assembled nobles, officials and common people calling for a census matching to genealogical records of first returnees (7:5) 2. People coming from captivity to Jerusalem and own towns in company of Zerubbabel: a. List of men of Israel (7:7-38) b. Priests (7:39-42) c. Levites (7:43) d. Musicians (7:44) e. Gatekeepers (7:45) f. Temple Servants (7:46-56) g. Descends of Solomon’s servants (7:57-60) h. Those could not show descended from Israel (7:61-62) i. Among priests and excluded from priest as unclean (7:63-65) j. Totals include slaves, singer, and animals (7:66-69) 3. Funds added to treasury 7:70-72) 4. Priest, Levites, gatekeepers, temple servants and rest of Israelites settled in their towns (7:73)

Teaching the Law and Celebration the Festival of Tabernacles (Nehemiah 7:73b-8:18)  1. People come together at Water Gate telling Ezra to bring out Book of the Law (7:73b-8:1) 2. Ezra reads aloud the Book of the Law to people assembled (8:2-5a) 3. As Ezra read the people stood up, they praise the Lord “Amen” (8:5b-6) 4. Levities read the book giving meaning (8:7-8) 5. Nehemiah declares “Holy day”, no more weeping (8:9) 6. Nehemiah tells to have choice food and sweet drinks “Lord is your Strength”; a holy day (8:10-12) 7. Heads of families, priests and Levites gather giving attention to the Law; learning of temporary shelters of branches and doing it (8:13-16) 8. Returnees from exile built temporary shelter and celebrated with joy (8:17) 9. Seven days Ezra read the Book of the Law (8:18)

Divisions (Main Blocks of Thought)

Walls and Doors to Jerusalem in Place	Nehemiah 6:15-7:4
Registration of Returnees to Jerusalem and Judah	Nehemiah 7:5-7:73a
Teaching the Law and Celebration the Festival of Tabernacles	Nehemiah 7:73b-8:18

Subject Sentence (Summarizes the contents of the Divisions – No more than 10 words)

Wall protection, census, law reading brings celebration of tabernacle feast

Aim (Main Teaching Point of the Passage)

CTATL that doing what God has for us requires focus, removing distractions, pure motives and prayer.

Application Questions

How are you guarding those sacred things in your life?

In what ways are you taking inventory of the blessings given to you? (Count them one by one and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.)

How are you being doers of the word and not hearers only?

Principles to Remember

Those of Good Report are Blessed

Faithful Families Count

Experiencing God is cause for celebration

Characteristic of God

Carries us through

Theme

Nehemiah shares the completion of the wall, vigilance in watching and celebration of God’s truth.