Nehemiah Interduction

The word Nehemiah means Jehovah has comforted. The book was written by Nehemiah and Ezra. The events happened 12 years after Ezra and covers 12 years. There are 9 major prayers in the book.
The key words are:
1. 41 times gate 4. 34 times builders
2. 36 times wall 5. 23 times work
3. 35 times repair 6. 8 times prayer
The for-fold message of Nehemiah is:
1. G-dly leadership and a mind to work gets accomplish.
2. Principles of rebuilding.
3. G-d finishes what he started.
4. His example of giving up luxury.
There were 12 gates in Jerusalem that were repaired or rebuilt. Note 10 major gates:
1. Sheep 6. Fountain
2. Fish 7. East
3. Old (main) 8. Horse
4. Valley 9. Miphrad (appointed place)
5. Dung 10. Water
Eight things about ancient city gates: (Gen. 23:10)
1. Legal transactions done at the gates.
2. Elder meet there (Deut. 21:19)
3. King met with their subjects (2 Sam. 19)
4. Priest and prophets gave words (2 Kg. 7 and Neh. 8).
5. Criminals punish outside (1 Kg. 22).
6. Strengthen by towers. (2 Chron. 26).
7. Gate meant cities by them.
8. Gate meant power be hind it.
Eight things about the character of Nehemiah:
1. Prov. 27:23 knew the condition of his people.
2. 8:10 keep the joy of the L-rd.
3. Was a cupbearer (rich and with honor).
4. Sign the people to work were they live.
5. Got organization.
6. Knew the secret not to stop working.
7. Not fooled by religious games and words.
8. Sid he was doing it for the L-rd.

Jewish history begins with Abraham at about 2,000 B.E., but it wasn’t until 1,000 years later under three kings, Saul, David, Solomon that Israel became recognized as a world leader and power. In fact it was under King David 40 ear reign that Israel was recognized as a world military power. G-d became angry with the rule of King Solomon that after his death Israel was divided into two kingdoms. The Ten tribes settled in Samaria (Israel) and two in Jerusalem (Judah). It was a terrible division very similar to when the United States went through its Civil War.
Four things about the Great revival in his day:
1. Obey the Law and revival begins.
2. Cooperation among the people.
3. Equal amount of time, do the Word and read the Word.
4. Leading men sign a covenant to work and sealed it.
5. Jobs for everyone work hard - better treatment.
Five things about Mt. Gerizim:
1. Head quarters of the Samaritans.
2. Highest of the entire hill (strongest).
3. Rival Temple between Samaritans and Judah
4. Samaritans claim this was were Abraham sacrifice Isaac (wrong)
5. Samaritans still worship there today.
Six things about the Samaritans: Half -Jews.
1. Part of the 10 Northern tribes (Israel).
2. 721 B.E. 27,000 people (Pagans) to intermarry.
3. Built their own Temple because Judah wouldn’t let in theirs.
4. Woman at the well was from Samaria
5. Good Samaritan by the road side was Samaria.
6. Does anything good come out of Samaria.
7. Was called a dog.

Cudbear - tasted the wine by pouring in the palm of his hand to make sure it was not poison. Held cup in left hand and a fly swatter in the right hand to fan the king. “If you drank anything poison and eat it will not kill you” was for believing cudbears.
People backslid because:
1. Their leader left for seven days.
2. The people made a place for his enemy.
3. They intermarried.
4. They stop tithing.
5. They did not keep the Sabbath.

Samaritans do not intermarry now today but marry only in their own group - cousins’ ext. (Almost died out). They keep the feasts and only recognize the Torah.
An early Jewish tradition considered the books of Ezra and Nehemiah to be 'one book', which was entitled “Ezra.”
This circumstance raised the question: Why was not a biblical book named for Nehemiah? The answer was twofold:
1. He was too proud (13:31)
2. He was too critical of other leaders who served before him (5:15).
Nevertheless, some in the rabbinic tradition appreciated him for he was considered to be a prophet and he was associated with David and Hezekiah.
Nehemiah’s name is also absent from the NT although Acts 4:24 probably alludes to 9:6
G-d’s promises for the future seldom come to pass unless some person catches the vision and works with Him to bring the future to reality. Nehemiah was such a person; he caught the vision of a restored, secure Jewish community.