Nehemiah #10 – Study Questions
Consecration – Something to be faithful to.
Nehemiah 11:1 – 12:47
INTRODUCTION: We are almost to the end of the book. And as we examine the last three chapters of Nehemiah, we will find the chronicler re-recording the re-populating effort of Jerusalem and its outlying areas. We first encountered this back in chapter 7. With that, we again find ourselves with long lists of names and titles, and for our modern sensibilities, it feels like a fly-over passage. Yet, we should be struck with the size and scope of the people who have come back to Jerusalem to worship God. God has done a mighty thing, and Nehemiah gathers them to rejoice and give thanks to God for what he has done. I’m sure that some were filled with national pride. This great city of their ancestors and of David has been repaired, its people are back, and its enemies are held at bay. And while that is a monumental thing, it misses the whole point of what has happened and will cloud the future with confusion that will lead to fracture. Nehemiah gathers the people, and they give praise to God for what he has done, and that includes the wall, but it is so much bigger than the wall. Again, we are confronted with the purposes of God to be in relationship with his people. The wall, the city, and the structures were forms to accomplish that purpose. They are to be faithful to God, who has been faithful to them, and this wall serves as a reminder, not an object of pride or worse yet, worship. After all, they are still under the Persians, they are exiles in their own homeland. They will never rule themselves again. But, it was never about being a nation. It was about being in faithful covenant relationship with God. The reality though that stands out to us is that, faithfulness isn’t a part-time job.
GETTING STARTED – As you begin your group time, share about a time that you were asked to do something that was supposed to be a minimal commitment or part-time but turned out to be so much more than that. What was your experience? What did you learn from it?
Example: I (Kyle) might be the worst at estimating how long home projects will take. Danielle will ask me about a project, and I always, I mean, ALWAYS underestimate the time it will take. Paint the living room? Can get that done in an afternoon… three days later, I’m just finishing it. Replace the dishwasher? I’ll have that done by 10 am…. Then at 2pm, I’m just finishing it up. Danielle now triples any timeline I give her on a project. LOL!
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:
- What has happened so far in the narrative? Have there been any major events, characters, or
themes? - What do you learn about the main characters in this section? How does the author describe
them? How do they describe themselves? - Is there a conflict or high point in the passage?
- 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?
Faithfulness may not be a part-time job, but that doesn’t mean faithfulness requires perfection. Or another way to say that is faithful people aren’t perfect people, but that doesn’t mean they only try to be faithful occasionally. When you think of application, consider how you approach your day. Do you set out with the goal or ambition to be faithful? Or is faithfulness something that happens incidentally or accidentally throughout your day? How can you take a step to increase the intentionality of your faithfulness this week?