NEHEMIAH LESSON 2


     We will begin this lesson in Nehemiah 2:1 "And it came to pass in
the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, [that]
wine [was] before him: and I took up the wine, and gave [it] unto the
king. Now I had not been [beforetime] sad in his presence."

     The month of Nisan is their first month, similar to our month of
April.  We learned, from the last lesson, that Nehemiah was the
cupbearer for the king. He had always been pleasant in the company of
the king in the past. At this time, he was not able to keep from
showing his sadness about Jerusalem. He was in the very presence of
the king, serving him, so the king noticed the sadness in Nehemiah.

     Nehemiah 2:2 "Wherefore the king said unto me, Why [is] thy
countenance sad, seeing thou [art] not sick? this [is] nothing [else]
but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid,"

     This king seemed to care for the feelings of those around him. He
knew Nehemiah was not sick, and he was, probably, very good to
Nehemiah, so this question is understandable. He is very aware,
because he realized this sickness was of Nehemiah's heart. Nehemiah
was afraid, thinking he might have displeased his king.

     Nehemiah 2:3 "And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever:
why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my
fathers' sepulchres, [lieth] waste, and the gates thereof are consumed
with fire?"

     Nehemiah began with a compliment to the king. His fear of
displeasing the king was not as strong as his desire to change things
in Jerusalem. Nehemiah told of the things troubling him about his
homeland to the king.

     Nehemiah 2:4 "Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make
request? So I prayed to the God of heaven."

     Artaxerxes was a kind king. He did not like to see his faithful
servant so unhappy. The question the king asked Nehemiah was sincere.
He was saying, Nehemiah, what would it take to make you happy? It
appears that Nehemiah prayed, before he answered the question. He did
not want to request something of the king that was not the will of God
for his life. His prayer was to God alone. He prayed in his heart,
before he answered the king.

     Nehemiah 2:5 "And I said unto the king, If it please the king,
and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest
send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I
may build it."

     This was the first mention that Nehemiah even wanted to go to
Jerusalem. He was not asking the king to release him, but just to
reassign him to Jerusalem. He wanted to rebuild the wall, gates, and
now we read, sepulchres of his ancestors.

     Nehemiah 2:6 "And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting
by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return?
So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time."

     The queen was named Damaspia. Since she was in the room, this
was, possibly, a time of relaxing and putting away the government
issues. He would be in a good mood at that time, with his wife there.
He did not want to give Nehemiah up completely, but would listen to
any reasonable time he might want to be away. Nehemiah explained to
him the length of time it would take, and the king approved, and let
him go.  Nehemiah actually stayed away 12 years.

     Nehemiah 2:7 "Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the
king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that
they may convey me over till I come into Judah;"

     The letters would declare that Nehemiah had not run away, but had
been sent by the king. This would give him safe passage.

     Nehemiah 2:8 "And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's
forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the
palace which [appertained] to the house, and for the wall of the city,
and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me,
according to the good hand of my God upon me."

     The timbers that Nehemiah was asking for were, possibly, from
trees growing in an area near Jerusalem, so they would not have to be
carried far.  This was a generous king, and he granted the request of
Nehemiah. He realized these were not for Nehemiah's own use, but for
the wall and gates that he went to repair. It would be of no use to
go, if there were no materials to do the work with.

     Nehemiah 2:9  "Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and
gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent captains of the
army and horsemen with me."

     Not only did the king allow Nehemiah to go to Jerusalem, but he
sent captains of the army and horsemen with him to give him a safe
journey. The governors received Nehemiah with his proof of the
blessings of the king written in the letters he had sent.

     Nehemiah 2:10 "When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the
servant, the Ammonite, heard [of it], it grieved them exceedingly that
there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel."

     It appears, that not all of the governors were pleased. He was,
probably, of Samaria. They were jealous of those of Judah. Sanballat
and Tobiah were not eager to help Judah. Tobiah was an Ammonite, and
especially did not like Judah. They would both rather see them
destroyed, than the king sending Nehemiah to help them.

     Nehemiah 2:11 "So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days."
     We see that Nehemiah still made it to Jerusalem, in spite of the
opposition. After this long journey, it appears he rested three days.

     Nehemiah 2:12  "And I arose in the night, I and some few men with
me; neither told I [any] man what my God had put in my heart to do at
Jerusalem: neither [was there any] beast with me, save the beast that
I rode upon."

     Nehemiah was not ready, at this point, to make everyone aware of
his mission. He was not part of the system in Jerusalem. It would be a
shock, when he explained why he was there. He kept it very quiet, and
went out to survey the damage during the night, so no one would know
what he was doing.

     Nehemiah 2:13 "And I went out by night by the gate of the valley,
even before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the
walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were
consumed with fire."

     This lets us know that the damage to the wall was extensive. He
went to several areas of damage, to figure out how many trees he would
need to repair the wall.

     Nehemiah 2:14 "Then I went on to the gate of the fountain, and to
the king's pool: but [there was] no place for the beast [that was]
under me to pass."

     This just means that all of the gates were torn down. This was,
possibly, speaking of an area between two walls that was torn down.

     Nehemiah 2:15 "Then went I up in the night by the brook, and
viewed the wall, and turned back, and entered by the gate of the
valley, and [so] returned."

     It appears, that he rode this animal completely around the wall.
He, probably, stayed out all night looking at the damage. He came in
before, or at daybreak, to keep the inhabitants from realizing what he
had in mind to do.

     Nehemiah 2:16 "And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I
did; neither had I as yet told [it] to the Jews, nor to the priests,
nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the
work."

     It appears, that Nehemiah wanted to keep all of this quiet, even
from the rulers, until he had his plan ready. He had not even asked
for workers yet. The first thing to do was to find out what would be
needed to complete the work, and then he could tell.

     Nehemiah 2:17  "Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that
we [are] in, how Jerusalem [lieth] waste, and the gates thereof are
burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem,
that we be no more a reproach."

     After he had all of his plans ready, he told them of what he
wanted to do. I am sure he, also, told them of the trees available to
them to do the work. He would need their laborers to help him in the
work. He explains that this would be a benefit to all of them.

     Nehemiah 2:18 "Then I told them of the hand of my God which was
good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And
they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands
for [this] good [work]."

     At first, it was difficult for them to understand why a total
stranger would want to come and do such a difficult task with nothing
to gain for himself. When he explained that God sent him to do this,
they understood. He got all of the help he needed when he told them
that God wanted him to do this, and the king allowed him to come and
provided the timber.

     Nehemiah 2:19 "But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the
servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard [it], they
laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What [is] this thing
that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?"

     These three Arabs were from three different directions, but none
of them wanted a wall to be built around Jerusalem. They laughed and
made light of the idea of Nehemiah attempting to do this. They had
forgotten the power of God. They were trying to say that Nehemiah
wanted to build the wall, so he might rebel against his king. Of
course, this was not true, because the king was in favor of him
building the wall.

     Nehemiah 2:20 "Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God
of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise
and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in
Jerusalem."

     Nehemiah realized that God sent him on this mission. He told
these Arab leaders, opposed to the building of the wall, that they
would have no portion in it. God would see that the walls were re-
built.  Nehemiah put his trust in God.















                           Nehemiah 2 Questions


1.  What is the month Nisan on our calendar?
2.  Nehemiah was the __________ for the king.
3.  What was unusual about Nehemiah serving the king in verse 1?
4.  What did the king ask Nehemiah?
5.  The king discerned that Nehemiah was ___________ of __________.
6.  What compliment did Nehemiah answer the king with?
7.  Why was Nehemiah sad?
8.  What did Nehemiah do, when the king asked him what his request
    was?
9.  What was the request?
10. Who was with the king, when he was talking to Nehemiah?
11. How long would Nehemiah be gone?
12. What did Nehemiah ask the king to give him, so he could travel
    with no problem?
13. Where would Nehemiah get the material to build with?
14. Who went with Nehemiah?
15. Who did Nehemiah show the papers to?
16. Who opposed Nehemiah?
17. Why did they oppose?
18. How long did Nehemiah rest, when he arrived in Jerusalem?
19. When did Nehemiah go to examine the walls?
20. Why did he not tell anyone?
21. What did he find?
22. How did he travel around the wall?
23. When did Nehemiah tell them what he wanted to do?
24. When did they believe Nehemiah, and offer to help?
25. Why did the opponents of Nehemiah not want a wall built?
26. What had they forgotten?
27. Nehemiah put his trust in _______.