SCRIPTURE PASSAGES

Nehemiah 1:1-11

 

OVERVIEW

There is always value in coming to God for wisdom when answers to our concerns aren’t apparent. There is also value in owning up to our wrongdoing, and even to the wrongdoing of those who have acted poorly outside of our sphere of influence.
 

OPENING ACTIVITY: Ten Fingers Wins (or Five Fingers, depending on size of group)

• Call out statements that may or may not be true for your students (see lists below for ideas, or make up your own lists).
• Each student for whom the statement is true raises one finger.
• The first person with ten fingers raised (or five) wins.
  • One interesting adaptation would be to have small groups of two to four share why they did or did not raise their fingers on a given statement.
  • You may want to have one round of random statements, but close with a round of spiritual statements.
     

QUESTIONS

• What was the most surprising thing you learned during this game?
• Were there things it was harder to publicly admit to having done or felt? Which ones? Why?
• As we got to the spiritual questions, was the game more or less awkward for you? Why?
   

TRANSITION

This week as we look at one of the really cool prayers in the Bible, I hope that we will be able to learn something from Nehemiah’s attitude toward prayer that might help us understand God better. This prayer takes up almost a whole chapter of the Bible. In his prayer Nehemiah faces many of the same questions that were a part of our game earlier. Is God listening? Will He act? How does justice work from God’s point of view? Am I worthy of God’s blessings and love? If you’ve asked those questions before, like me, I think this lesson will be very helpful!
 

BIBLE STUDY GUIDE

We are beginning to look at a new book of the Bible—Nehemiah. Nehemiah is best read in the context of Ezra. We are going to be spending the next four weeks looking at this great book that is full of both interesting history and a theological view of that history. We spent most of last quarter looking at the kings of Israel. But the time of kings is over now, and Ezra and Nehemiah are the beginnings of a new sort of leadership. Ezra gave us the view of a priest. But who in the world is Nehemiah? We get a little glimpse into this person in the first few chapters.

 

Read Nehemiah 1:1-3.

1The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah:

In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.

3 They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”
 

QUESTIONS

• What do you learn about Nehemiah here? (He has friends and family. He lives in Susa, which is part of the Persian empire. He cares about the survivors of the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem.)
• What do we learn about the state of the survivors in Jerusalem? (They are in trouble. The wall is broken down and they have no gates for protection.)
• Have you ever heard really sad news about someone you loved? (Leaders: insert a story here about a time that you got news about a loved one that made you sad, maybe even to the point of tears.)
   

Sadness is a real aspect of our lives. The biblical term for our response to sad news is lament, and lament is found throughout the pages of history and scripture among God’s people. When we care for others we can’t help but feel sad when bad things happen to them, and we often turn to God with our sorrow. Look at Nehemiah’s response to the news his “brother” gave him.

 

Read Nehemiah 1:4.

4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. 

 

What a strong response to the pain and suffering of people Nehemiah had probably never even met!

 

QUESTIONS

• Why do you think this had such a big impact on him?
• What are the pains of our world that maybe we should take more seriously?
• What are the sufferings of our fellow Christians/Adventists that we should take more personally?
   

Before we get to the rest of the chapter, I would like us to look at the very last sentence of the chapter. It is important in understanding both Nehemiah and also this book. It is the last sentence of verse 11: “Now I was the cupbearer to the king.” This is a servant’s position. But it is an important servant position.

 

QUESTIONS

• Why is this job so important? (Nehemiah protects the king from poisoning. The king must trust this foreigner/captive with his life on a daily basis!)
• What does Nehemiah’s job say about Nehemiah the person?
   

Notice the transition of leadership influence here. Nehemiah is a lot more like you and me than like the prophets and kings prior to exile. And yet we are going to discover what an incredible leader Nehemiah is, even though he doesn’t have what most people would consider a position of power. He does have a position of influence.

 

• Why is influence so important?
• How is leading through influence different from leading through power?
   

Nehemiah’s prayer gives us some additional insights into this leader, and how we too can lead when things seem dire. Theologians break the prayer into five parts. They are good to know and perhaps can help guide us in our conversations with God.
 

1. Address (Read Nehemiah 1:5.)

5 Then I said:

“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,
 

It is always good when talking to God to acknowledge who exactly we are talking to! It might sound strange to say what Nehemiah did next time your family asks you to pray before your family meal. But think through what he said.

 

QUESTIONS

• Why is it good to remember clearly who we are talking to when we pray?
• Why might this be a good way to open a prayer?
• What does Nehemiah acknowledge about God?
• Why do we seldom open our prayers like this?
• How might it change our prayer life if we did?

 

2. Appeal (Read Nehemiah 1:6a.)

6a 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.
 

QUESTIONS

• Is it strange that Nehemiah asked God to listen?
• Again, why might this be an important aspect of prayer, not to God but to the person praying? (The original Hebrew has an unusual combination of words here. It says “eyes that hear.” Obviously, that isn’t what eyes do, but perhaps Nehemiah and God need to get on the same wavelength. Nehemiah sees chaos and destruction. He is asking the creator to recreate and keep His promise.)
• What do you think God sees and hears?
• How would you explain “eyes that hear”?

 

3. Confession (Read Nehemiah 1:6b-7.)
6b I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. 7 We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.
 

To me this is the most important part of this prayer.

 

QUESTIONS

• Why is confession so hard?
• Who does Nehemiah take responsibility for? (His entire nation, himself, and his ancestors.)

• Why is it so important that he take personal and corporate responsibility?

• Are there things happening in your community/country that are sinful that perhaps we need to take more personal and corporate responsibility for? (If appropriate, perhaps bring up America’s sins dealing with racism, sexism, and any other -ism here.)

• Too often we are able to ask God’s forgiveness for ourselves, but what about the sin that we might not have been a part of but have inherited?
   

To me this is what biblical leadership looks like. It is taking ownership not only for our own actions, but those of our family, neighbors, church, etc. (Leaders, it is easy to gloss over this part, but this is probably the most radical part of this text for your students.)

 

4. Appeal 2 (Read Nehemiah 1:8-9.)

8 “Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, 9 but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’
 

QUESTIONS

• Again, Nehemiah knows that what his people did was wrong and their fate is “just.” But God has promised more.
• God doesn’t need reminding of this, so why would Nehemiah remind God of His promise?
• What is it about God’s name and a chosen place that is so important here?
   

5. Request (Read Nehemiah 1:10-11a.)

10 “They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. 11 Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.”
 

God loves it when we come to Him. It is not wrong to request things of God.

 

QUESTIONS

• Why is this request last in the prayer?
• What does this say about Nehemiah’s view of God?
• How often do we put our requests first and treat God as if He were Santa Claus?
• How is Nehemiah’s request different from most of ours?

APPLICATION

As we close Sabbath School, let’s write a prayer for our community, along the lines of Nehemiah’s prayer. We’ll use each of the elements.

 

• Address
• Appeal 1
• Confession
• Appeal 2
• Request

 

QUESTIONS

• What are some painful things happening in your community/country/world right now?
• What should be breaking our hearts?
   

Prayer is only the beginning. Both prayer and fasting are the first steps toward action. As we will see in the next few chapters of this book, that is exactly what Nehemiah did. Don’t let what you have prayed stay in the walls of the church. Let your prayer lead you to action. You might not have “power,” but you each have the right amount of influence to let God lead you to see, hear, and act!

SCRIPTURE PASSAGE

Nehemiah 1

 

LEADER’S NOTE

For a Relational Bible Study (RBS) you’ll want to get into the Scripture passage and encourage the youth to imagine participating in the story while it’s happening. Then you will be able to better apply it to your own situation today.

You will need to ask God for the Holy Spirit to be present as your small group discusses the questions (no more than 3-6 people in a group is recommended). Start with the opening question. It is a personal question and the answer is unique for each individual. There is no right answer and nobody is an expert here, so don’t be surprised when you hear different responses. You are depending on the Holy Spirit to be present and to speak through your group. Say what God prompts you to say, and listen to what others share.

Take turns reading the chapter out loud. Follow that with giving the students some time to individually mark their responses to the questions (a PDF version of the handout is available as a download). This gives each person a starting point for responding when you start to share as a group. Next, begin the discussion by asking the students to share what they marked and why on each question as you work your way through. Feel free to take more time on some questions than others as discussion warrants.

Encourage each person in the group to apply what is discussed to their personal lives and to share with the group what they believe God wants them to do. Then ask them to pray that God will help each of them to follow through in doing so. Remind them to expect that God will show them ways to live out the message of this passage in the coming week, and that they are free to ask others in the group to help hold them accountable.

DOWNLOAD THE HANDOUT
OVERVIEW

Last week we studied Ezra and his time in Babylon and Jerusalem. He was chosen by God, and because of this the king gave him everything he asked for. Some of the Israelites returned to Jerusalem and Ezra soon followed, taking four months to arrive at his destination. With him he took many others, sometimes having to beg them to go with him, since they had a comfortable life in Babylon. After they returned to Babylon, Ezra discovered that some of the people that returned with him were still not keeping the laws laid down by God. He had the role of the spiritual leader, and had to stand firm especially on the issue of intermarriage, which presented a large problem among the people. These unions were a threat to the spirituality of the people. It was the prophet’s duty to get the people to follow God wholeheartedly.

This week we study Nehemiah and the beginning of his story. We learn that there were continued problems in Jerusalem and that the people were in danger because the wall of Jerusalem had been broken down. How does this prophet deal with these issues?

 

Going Home

 

What is something that makes you cry?

 

Read Nehemiah 1:1-11.

Nehemiah 1
Nehemiah’s Prayer
1 The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah: 

In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.

3 They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”

4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. 5 Then I said:

“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. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. 7 We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.

8 “Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, 9 but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’

10 “They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. 11 Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.”

I was cupbearer to the king.
 

1. Who was Nehemiah’s father?

1. Hanani
2. Noah
3. Abraham
4. Paul
5. Hakaliah
6. Ezra
7. Obadiah
8. Other

 

2. What made Nehemiah weep?

1. His dog ran away.
2. His father died.
3. He could not return home.
4. The remnant had fallen apart in exile.
5. His brothers were angry with him.
6. He got no answer from God.
7. The wall of Jerusalem had been broken down.
8. Other

 

3. What did Nehemiah confess?

1. The sins of his brothers.
2. The sins of the Philistines.
3. The sins of the prophets.
4. The sins of the Israelites, himself, and his family.
5. The sins of the remnant.
6. The sins he had committed when he was young.
7. His family’s sins.
8. Other

 

4. They had not obeyed the decrees and laws that God had given to whom?

1. Nehemiah
2. Moses
3. Paul
4. Ezra
5. Malachi
6. Amos
7. Elijah
8. Other

 

5. What are some of the sins we commit nowadays? (select all that apply)

1. Putting other things before God.
2. Spending too much time reading the Bible.
3. Lying to our parents.
4. Swearing when we’re upset.
5. Gossiping about others.
6. Wanting to succeed.
7. Cheating to get good grades.
8. Other

 

6. What is the best way to overcome any challenge?

1. Rely on only yourself.
2. Rely only on other people.
3. Seek advice from God.
4. Let your parents deal with it.
5. Ignore the problem.
6. Lie about the problem.
7. Put it off until it blows up in your face.
8. Other

 

7. What are some ways you personally can grow your relationship with God?

 

8. How can we be more like Nehemiah?

 

SUMMARY

Nehemiah was chosen by God to carry out messages He sent to the Israelites. The Jewish remnant that survived the exile had returned to Jerusalem and found that it was not as they had left it. The mighty wall had been broken down and now lay in scattered rubble. The great gates to the city had been burned and no longer stood. Because of that, the people were exposed and vulnerable to the rest of the land and any invaders. When Nehemiah heard this news, it didn’t just make him sad, it moved him to tears. He mourned and fasted for several days. These days were filled with prayer to God. Nehemiah confessed and begged forgiveness for the sins of the people, including himself and his family. He knew that all their trouble was a result of the people’s disobedience. He very well knew that they had been instructed through Moses to be faithful or they would be scattered. He also remembered the promise that they would be gathered when they returned to the Lord, and this gave him hope. He asked the Lord to listen and be attentive to his people for they had returned. At the end of this chapter we learn that Nehemiah was the king’s cupbearer and this will come into play next week as we continue to study Nehemiah’s story.

 

 

APPLICATION

1. MOURNING AND FASTING

When Nehemiah was presented with the problem at hand, his first action was to turn to God. He devoted all his time to prayer, begging his God for forgiveness and wisdom. He even gave up food and water to spend time with God.

• This week try fasting to find time to grow closer to God.
• You don’t necessarily have to fast from food. It could be electronics, reading, video games, or anything.
• Try to find a friend to do the fast with you for encouragement.
• With a friend, parent, or mentor, discuss how you were able to use this time to grow closer to God.

 

2. PRAY LIKE NEHEMIAH

Remember when you were younger and your parents would kneel with you by your bed and pray? Praying used to be a regular part of your routine, but often as we grow up, other things take the place of prayer.

• This week bring this small but vital part back to your life.
• Take five minutes in the morning and before bed each night to talk to God.
• Tell Him about the best parts of your day and the requests you have.
• Yes, God already knows all of this, but it’s about building a relationship.

 

3. CONFESSED AND FORGIVEN

I think all of us have something in our past that we regret doing. It might come into our minds occasionally and bother us somewhere back in our subconscious. Just like Nehemiah confessed, we should as well.

• Notice that there are five parts to Nehemiah’s prayer.
• Consider following Nehemiah’s prayer example: Address (v. 5), Appeal #1 (v. 6a), Confession (vv. 6b-7), Appeal #2 (vv. 8-9), and Request (vv. 1:10-11a).
• Notice that confession comes before the request.

Next time you pray to make a request, remember that Jesus is always ready to forgive whatever we confess.