Joy of Living bible study on the book of Nehemiah

2. He Knows My Name by Tommy Walker
I have a Maker
He formed my heart
Before even time began
My life was in his hands
Chorus: He knows my name
He knows my every thought
He sees each tear that falls
And He hears me when I call
I have a Father
He calls me His own
He'll never leave me
No matter where I go

4. Jesus’ example: When you are mocked
for your faith or criticized for doing
what you know is right, refuse to
respond in the same way or to become
discouraged. Tell God how you feel and
remember his promise to be with you.
This will give you encouragement and
strength to carry on.
LIFE Application

5. Do you see what this means—all these pioneers
who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us
on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down,
start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual
fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who
both began and finished this race we’re in. Study
how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where
he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with
God—he could put up with anything along the way:
cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the
place of honor, right alongside God. When you find
yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story
again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he
plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into
your souls! The Message

6. Hear, O our God, for we are
despised. Return their reproach on
their own head. Reduce them to
plunder in a land of exile! Do not
cover their iniquity, and do not wipe
out their sin from your sight, for
they have bitterly offended the
builders.
Nehemiah 4:4-5

7. Be subject to every human institution for
the Lord’s sake, whether to a king as
supreme or to governors as those he
commissions to punish wrongdoers and
praise those who do good. For God wants
you to silence the ignorance of foolish
people by doing good. Live as free people,
not using your freedom as a pretext for
evil, but as God’s slaves. Honor all people,
love the family of believers, fear God,
honor the king.
1 Peter 2:13-17

8. Slaves, be subject to your masters with all
reverence, not only to those who are good
and gentle, but also to those who are
perverse. For this finds God’s favor, if
because of conscience toward God someone
endures hardships in suffering unjustly. For
what credit is it if you sin and are mistreated
and endure it? But if you do good and suffer
and so endure, this finds favor with God. For
to this you were called, since Christ also
suffered for you, leaving an example for you
to follow in his steps.
1 Peter 2:18-21

9. He committed no sin nor was deceit found in
his mouth. When he was maligned, he did not
answer back; when he suffered, he threatened
no retaliation, but committed himself to God
who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in
his body on the tree, that we may cease from
sinning and live for righteousness. By his
wounds you were healed. For you were going
astray like sheep but now you have turned
back to the shepherd and guardian of your
souls.
1 Peter 2:22-25

10. So the person who resists such authority
resists the ordinance of God, and those who
resist will incur judgment (for rulers cause
no fear for good conduct but for bad). Do you
desire not to fear authority? Do good and you
will receive its commendation because it is
God’s servant for your well-being. But be
afraid if you do wrong because government
does not bear the sword for nothing. It is
God’s servant to administer punishment on
the person who does wrong.
Romans 13:2-7

11. Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection,
not only because of the wrath of the
authorities but also because of your
conscience. For this reason you also pay
taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants
devoted to governing. Pay everyone what is
owed: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue
to whom revenue is due, respect to whom
respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.
Romans 13:2-7

12. So we rebuilt the wall, and the
entire wall was joined together up
to half its height. The people were
enthusiastic in their work.
Nehemiah 4:6

14. Then, as soon as the copy of the letter from
King Artaxerxes was read in the presence of
Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their
colleagues, they proceeded promptly to the
Jews in Jerusalem and stopped them with
threat of armed force.
Ezra 4:23

15. Then those in Judah said, “The strength of the
laborers has failed! The debris is so great
that we are unable to rebuild the wall.” Our
adversaries also boasted, “Before they are
aware or anticipate anything, we will come in
among them and kill them, and we will bring
this work to a halt!” So it happened that the
Jews who were living near them came and
warned us repeatedly about all the schemes
they were plotting against us.
Nehemiah 4:10-12

16. Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand
firm and see the salvation of the LORD that he
will provide for you today; for the Egyptians
that you see today you will never, ever see
again. The LORD will fight for you, and you
can be still.”
Exodus 14:13

17. Obstacles and foes can make us work smarter
and live wiser or make us give up our
purpose and our way of living. If they
accomplish the latter, they have won even if
they haven’t actually attacked us. But if we
adjust our way of living wisely while
continuing resolutely to live under God’s
instructions, the opposition will fail.
LIFE Application

18. Problems:
1. Food shortage; they need grain in order to eat and stay alive.
• Those without land families were suffering while they
worked on the wall
2. They were not able to tend their crops, which if they failed
would be famine
• Those with land were falling behind because they were
working on the wall if the harvest failed they could not pay
their debts
3. Some people had grain the workers had to mortgage their fields
and homes to purchase food.
4. They had to borrow money from their fellow Jews to pay their
taxes; they were being charges exorbitant interest rates by their
fellow Jews.
5. To repay their creditors they had to sell their children into
slavery;
• Slavery was not prohibited in the Law; but were to regard
their fellow Jews as laborers not as slaves.
6. They are powerless and feel hopeless

19. “This is how I want you to conduct
yourself in these matters. If you enter
your place of worship and, about to
make an offering, you suddenly
remember a grudge a friend has against
you, abandon your offering, leave
immediately, go to this friend and make
things right. Then and only then, come
back and work things out with God”.
The Message

20. I also shook out my garment, and I said,
“In this way may God shake out from his
house and his property every person
who does not carry out this matter. In
this way may he be shaken out and
emptied!” All the assembly replied, “So
be it!” and they praised the LORD. Then
the people did as they had promised.
Nehemiah 5:13

21. Please remember me for good, O my
God, for all that I have done for this
people.
Nehemiah 5:19