Nehemiah, also spelled Nehemias, (flourished 5th century bc), Jewish leader who supervised the rebuilding of Jerusalem in the mid-5th century bc after his release from captivity by the Persian king Artaxerxes I. He also instituted extensive moral and liturgical reforms in rededicating the Jews to Yahweh.
What is the book Nehemiah about in the Bible?
The Book of Nehemiah, in the Hebrew Bible, largely takes the form of a first-person memoir concerning the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile by Nehemiah, a Jew who is a high official at the Persian court, and the dedication of the city and its people to God’s laws (Torah).
What kind of person was Nehemiah?
He was more like a house manager who ran the king’s palace. He was distinguished, efficient, and noble and the king loved him. Nehemiah was also a godly man who feared God. Let us examine his great leadership qualities and compare it to modern leaders.
Why was Nehemiah a good leader?
Nehemiah, a rather ordinary person in a servant position, became a transformational leader when apprised of the discontent of the postexilic Jews in Jerusalem and Judah. By praying to God for discernment of His holy will, Nehemiah followed God’s calling to rebuild the walls of the city of Jerusalem.
Is Nehemiah a prophet?
Nehemiah was a Jewish prophet who served the Persian king Artaxerxes as a cupbearer, built the walls of Jerusalem, and wrote the Book of Nehemiah. He built the wall with the help of the Jews who returned from their exile in Babylon.
What can we learn from the book of Nehemiah?
One of the powerful messages of Nehemiah is how much you can accomplish when you align yourself with the will and plan of God. Nehemiah and his followers do what seems to be the impossible because they are doing what God has called them to do. You don’t have to rebuild a wall to do the will of God.
Why is the book of Nehemiah important?
The book of Nehemiah records an important time period in Jewish history, which included the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem as well as the rebuilding of the spiritual lives of the Jews who had returned from captivity. … Under the direction of Nehemiah, the Israelites began to rebuild the wall.
What was the prayer of Nehemiah?
Nehemiah 1:4-11
“Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel.
Did Nehemiah return to the King?
After 12 years as governor, during which he ruled with justice and righteousness, he returned to the king in Susa. After some time in Susa he returned to Jerusalem, only to find that the people had fallen back into their evil ways.
What is the Nehemiah principle?
Principle #1: When You Pray, Expect Answers
He seems to have been a thoughtful, compassionate, caring king who sought the wellbeing of his people more than his own personal welfare. Nehemiah 1:11 tells us that Nehemiah was King Artaxerxes’ cup-bearer.
Why did Nehemiah fast?
So Nehemiah fasted and prayed. It appears he prayed for four months, confessing the sins of Israel, asking God to remember his Covenant with His people, and asking God to grant him favor with the King. … Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the walls—in 52 days.
Was Nehemiah humble?
Nehemiah regularly put his life on the line for the king. … Mercifully, God softened Artaxerxes’ heart, and Nehemiah was permitted to return to the city of his fathers to rebuild the walls. From the first chapter and a half of Nehemiah, we learn about character; and more specifically, humility.
What does the wall of Jerusalem symbolize?
A wall built for Gods Glory
In Old Testament times the city walls represented not only the strength of the people within that city, but also the strength of the God they served. Nehemiah depicts the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. … Eternal Wall represents the strength of God.
What wall did Nehemiah rebuild?
He gathered his people together, he equipped them, and he led them in rebuilding the city walls of Jerusalem. After the wall was built, Nehemiah ensured that the people were read God’s Law, and they understood it.
What leadership qualities did Nehemiah have?
- Burden for his people: …
- Favor before the king: …
- A man of discreet: …
- How he handles his opponents: …
- Encouraging his people: …
- A man of vision & goal: …
- Confronts Jewish oppression of the poor: …
- Vigilance against enemies:
What did God write on the wall?
According to the accounts in the Bible and Xenophon, Belshazzar held a last great feast at which he saw a hand writing on a wall the following words in Aramaic: “mene, mene, tekel, upharsin.” The prophet Daniel, interpreting the handwriting on the wall as God’s judgment on the king, foretold the imminent destruction of …
Who destroyed the wall of Jerusalem?
The entire city was destroyed in 587/86 BCE during the siege led by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.
Where did Jesus get born?
Bethlehem lies 10 kilometres south of the city of Jerusalem, in the fertile limestone hill country of the Holy Land. Since at least the 2nd century AD people have believed that the place where the Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, now stands is where Jesus was born.
Who was a good leader in the Bible?
- 12 Most Inspiring Leadership Lessons from Bible Characters. …
- Noah: Leaders do what’s right even if they are alone. …
- Abraham: Leaders embrace the unknown. …
- Joseph: Leaders endure in spite of circumstances. …
- Moses: Leaders stick up for their people. …
- Joshua: Leaders rule by example rather than command.
What is the duty of a cupbearer?
A cup-bearer was historically an officer of high rank in royal courts, whose duty was to pour and serve the drinks at the royal table. On account of the constant fear of plots and intrigues (such as poisoning), a person must have been regarded as thoroughly trustworthy to hold the position.
What does Nehemiah Chapter 5 mean?
Ezra and Nehemiah Nehemiah Chapter 5: Predatory Lending
People are coming to Nehemiah with various complaints. … They say that they’re borrowing money in order to pay their taxes to the king, and the people who are lending the money—fellow Jews—are forcing them to essentially rent out their sons and daughters as slaves.
Why did Nehemiah build a wall?
God instructed Nehemiah to build a wall around Jerusalem to protect its citizens from enemy attack. You see, God is NOT against building walls! And the Old Testament book of Nehemiah records how Nehemiah completed that massive project in record time — just 52 days.
Is the Lord’s Prayer?
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
How many prayers are there in Nehemiah?
There are fourteen prayers in the Book of Nehemiah. Nehemiah prays for a wide variety of things.
What was Hannah’s prayer?
And Hannah prayed and said: “My heart rejoices in the Lord; my strength is exalted in the Lord. I smile at my enemies, because I rejoice in Your salvation. … The Lord makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up.
How long was Nehemiah’s wall?
English | Dung Gate |
---|---|
Alt Names | Gate of Silwan, Sha’ar HaMugrabim |
Construction Year | 1538-40 |
Location | East of southern side |
What book of the Bible focuses on rebuilding the temple?
Ezra is written to fit a schematic pattern in which the God of Israel inspires a king of Persia to commission a leader from the Jewish community to carry out a mission; three successive leaders carry out three such missions, the first rebuilding the Temple, the second purifying the Jewish community, and the third …
Who built Second Temple?
Of major importance was the rebuilding of the Second Temple begun by Herod the Great, king (37 bce–4 ce) of Judaea. Construction began in 20 bce and lasted for 46 years. The area of the Temple Mount was doubled and surrounded by a retaining wall with gates. The Temple was raised, enlarged, and faced with white stone.
How did Nehemiah protect his workers?
Not everyone in the surrounding area was pleased with this development, so they threatened to attack the workers. Nehemiah heard of these threats and stationed guards to protect the workers and their families. He also ordered the workers to carry a weapon in one hand and build with the other.
What is significant about Hannah in the Bible?
Hannah, also spelled Anna, (11th century bc), mother of Samuel, the Jewish judge. Childless as one of the two wives of Elkanah, she prayed for a son, promising to dedicate him to God. Her prayers were answered, and she brought the child Samuel to Shiloh for religious training.
What is Ezra fasting?
Ezra 8:21-23 gives a great example of fasting as a discipline of obedience that comes from the heart. This took place when Ezra was bringing the exile families back to Jerusalem. Ezra testified to King Cyrus of Persia that the returning exiles didn’t need any help or provisions to return to Jerusalem.
Who prayed the longest in the Bible?
In the final part of the discourse (John 17:1-26) Jesus prays for his followers and the coming Church. This is the longest prayer of Jesus in any of the gospels, and is known as the Farewell Prayer or the High Priestly Prayer.
Who wrote Ezra and Nehemiah?
The final books of the Hebrew Bible are the books of Chronicles and Ezra–Nehemiah, which once formed a unitary history of Israel from Adam to the 4th century bce, written by an anonymous Chronicler.
Why was Nehemiah written?
The book of Nehemiah was written to remind the people of God of how God had worked to bring them back to their land and rebuild the city of Jerusalem. Throughout both Ezra and Nehemiah, readers are reminded that it was God who or- chestrated the historical events to bring the people of Israel back to their home.
Why did Nebuchadnezzar destroy Jerusalem?
(Inside Science) — In the 6th century B.C., the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II, fearful that the Egyptians would cut off the Babylonian trade routes to the eastern Mediterranean region known as the Levant, invaded and laid siege to Jerusalem to block them.
Who originally built Jerusalem?
Scholars believe the first human settlements in Jerusalem took place during the Early Bronze Age—somewhere around 3500 B.C. In 1000 B.C., King David conquered Jerusalem and made it the capital of the Jewish kingdom. His son, Solomon, built the first holy Temple about 40 years later.
Did Jericho have walls?
Walls of Jericho, massive stone walls surrounding an ancient Neolithic settlement in Jericho, built about 8000 bce. These walls, at least 13 feet (4 metres) in height and backed by a watchtower or redoubt some 28 feet tall, were intended to protect the settlement and its water supply from human intruders.