Nehemiah #5 – Study Questions

Kyle Bartholic   -   September 29, 2022

Staying Faithful ­– Faithfulness is easier said than done. 

Nehemiah 6:1-19

 

INTRODUCTION:  The conflict does not stop for Nehemiah. Life as an exile is hard. Life as spiritual exiles in our current cultural moment is hard. That’s the thing about faithfulness to God; if it was easy, everyone would be known for it. We should be encouraged by Nehemiah’s struggle. It affirms our own struggle. He did life God’s way and faced trials. It is the same for us, at least that is what James and Peter think. The key question in our struggle needs to be, are we facing trials because we’re doing life God’s way or because we’re picking fights? Nehemiah faced trials because he was directly following God. But, too often, we think we’re following God, but really we’re picking fights over non-essentials or wording. We need to be careful. We also need to realize that faithfulness is never a walk in the park. But, there is good news. God has filled us with his Spirit and helps us to walk in faithfulness both through strength and discernment. If we want to be known as faithful people, we need to be concerned not just about having right theological convictions but also about right methodology (living those convictions out), particularly when it comes to living in a religiously and philosophically pluralistic world. For Nehemiah and gang, their worldview was not the dominant perspective. They were exiles in their own homeland and theological minorities. Yet, we continue to see Nehemiah lead and live with right theology and right methodology. No, his opposers don’t become his best friends. But, he lives in a way that is thoughtful about how he interacts and doesn’t unnecessarily stir up trouble or get duped by them. Faithfulness is easier said than done. But, if we want to be faithful, Nehemiah’s example teaches us that how we handle things is just as important as the convictions we hold. 

 

 

 

GETTING STARTED – As you begin your group time, share about a time when you were able to handle a conflict in a way that was respectful but didn’t compromise on your convictions. Or, share tips and lessons learned about how to handle conflict well. Maybe you have a good story to illustrate your experience. Or a tough story of a lesson learned the hard way. After all, experience is the mother of knowledge.

 

 

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?

 

For principles or lessons from this passage, it might be helpful to look at how Nehemiah has handled the conflicts (internal and external) over the course of the book to this point and note patterns in his responses.

  1. 1:3 – He hears the news of the ruin of Jerusalem.
  2. 2:3,9ff – He makes his appeal to the king and then surveys Jerusalem.
  3. 3:5 – We learn of a group that would not stoop to serve the Lord.
  4. 4 – They face external opposition (mocking and threats of violence).
  5. 5 – They face internal opposition (fear and lending extortion).
  6. 6 – Nehemiah faces slander and a conspiracy to trap him.

 

 

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?