Sermon Reflection & Discussion Questions

As the people gathered to listen to the reading of the Law, they also made time to worship their God. In their worship, they began with affirming the greatness of God: “You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the...

The people gathered together to listen to the reading of scriptures by Ezra the priest. However, not everyone could understand or appreciate what they heard. Thirteen Levites “helped the people to understand the Law… they gave the sense, so that the people understood...

After the physical infrastructure of the wall was up and the security arrangements in place to guard the city, Nehemiah turns to the purpose of the work done—the well-being of the people of Jerusalem. He begins with recognizing the earliest groups of exiles who had...

Those who opposed the building of the wall tried various tactics to stop the work. They tried to discourage Nehemiah by insulting and ridiculing his idea of building the wall. They questioned his motives by implying that there were rebellious intentions for building...

When the king allowed Nehemiah to go to Jerusalem, he also appointed Nehemiah as governor of the area (Judah). In the twelve years that Nehemiah functioned as governor, he did not follow the practice of governors before him in levying a tax on the people for the cost...

Various people helped in repairing the wall of Jerusalem. Some may have been familiar with construction work but others such as the goldsmith, the perfumer and the high priest were not. Some repaired the areas near their homes, others who were not living within the...

“And they said, let us rise up and build.” Eight to nine decades before Nehemiah’s visit, two different groups of exiled Jews returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the city —yet, the wall of Jerusalem remained in ruins and its gates burnt. But now, after listening to...

“How are the Jews who survived the exile and how is the city of Jerusalem?” Why did such a simple and basic, even common, question bring about so many changes to the life of Nehemiah? Working in the King’s court meant Nehemiah was in a comfortable position.  He...