Nehemiah #8 – Study Questions

Kyle Bartholic   -   October 20, 2022

Confession – The path of introspection.

Nehemiah 9:1-38

 

INTRODUCTION:  Here, in chapter nine, we are in the middle of a high point in the book of Nehemiah. Over the three chapters of 8, 9, & 10, we will see the people of Israel take specific steps to realize life as a restored covenant community.

  1. Chapter 8 – Reading of God’s Word and Feast of Booths
  2. Chapter 9 – Confession and Repentance
  3. Chapter 10 – Recommitment to Covenant

 

Continuing on the path of right worship, they turn as a group and confess their sins. What is interesting in this chapter is that they don’t just confess their individual sins, but they also confess the sins of their fathers. That is, they confess personally and corporately, in the present and in the past. This should strike us as an important practice. So often, as modern people of faith, we see only ourselves, and that extends to the reality of sin. When we think of confession, we tend to think of confession as an individual action. But, what happens in their corporate practice of confession is that they get a right view of themselves, their current situation, their history, and ultimately of God. Then, they repent and walk in the ways of the Lord. Confession is the path of introspection that allows us to learn from the past so that we may have a healthier future with the Lord. The beautiful thing is that while confession and repentance often feel very heavy and vulnerable to us, and they can be, it leads us to humility with others and intimacy with God. In other words, confession restores and builds trust.

 

GETTING STARTED – As you begin your group time, talk about the following questions, what has confession most commonly looked like in your life? Or, what was your earliest memory of confessing something (to God, your parents, or a friend)?

 

 

IN THE WORD –   Let’s dig back into the passage. It is important to strengthen our muscles in reading God’s Word. On Sunday, we walked through the passage in the sermon. Hopefully, that helped you to see the landmarks of the passage with fresh eyes. Now, with your group, go back through it and see what God is saying to you specifically.

First, before you read the passage, take a moment to ask God’s Spirit to quiet your mind and heart and to illuminate the text to you. Second, read the passage aloud to the group. Then, follow the simple method below. (O.P.A)

 

Observe: Make 8-10 observations from the passage. Pay close attention to observe and note repeated words and phrases, names, places, and themes.

Here are some good questions to help make observations in this chapter:

  1. What has happened so far in the narrative? Have there been any major events, characters, or
    themes?
  2. What do you learn about the main characters in this section? How does the author describe
    them? How do they describe themselves?
  3. Is there a conflict or high point in the passage?
  4. What surprises are there?

 

 

 

Principles: From your list of observations, what patterns or big ideas do you see emerging? Can you distill it down into 2-4 big idea truths?

 

 

 

Apply: Moving from your list of principles, it is time to apply God’s Word. Remember, we believe that God’s Word is living and active and that it can change the way we live Monday- Friday. What is one tangible way to apply a truth from your list above?

 

One of the realities of sin is that it is generational. I.e., It impacts more than just my personal self. One step of application could be to examine the generational impact of sin in your life. How do you do this? A few steps:[1]

  1. Grab some paper and make a family tree.
    1. On this family tree, note any dysfunctions or broken relationships.
      1. Examples of generational dysfunctions:
        1. Divorce
        2. Substance abuse / addiction
        3. Jealousy / Manipulation
        4. Anger / Speaking before thinking.
      2. Begin to trace how many generations those dysfunctions persisted.
        1. Note names and relationships that were impacted.
      3. Did they impact you (personally) at all?
        1. If so, how?
        2. How has following Jesus helped bring healing to those dysfunctions in your life?
  • Important: The point of doing an exercise like this is to get after the why of some of our dysfunctional and sinful behaviors.
    1. Once we are able to understand the why we are then better positioned to confront those behaviors and pursue Jesus’ preferred way of living in those areas. That pursuit is not to be done alone. We need community of other believers to help support us and keep us accountable.
    2. Secondly, understanding the generational impact of sin on my life does not excuse the sin in my life. It didn’t for Nehemiah and the people of Israel, nor does it for me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1] A helpful resource on working through a genogram and generational patterns of brokenness can be found in chapter 2 of Pete Scazzero’s, The Emotionally Healthy Leader.