Click Arrow To Start Audio

EZRA – NEHEMIAH: LESSON EIGHT

I. NEHEMIAH: CENSUS – LISTS – DEDICATION AND CORRECTIONS (Chapters 11-13)

A. Census of inhabitants of Jerusalem (11:1-36)

     1. By volunteering and casting lots – Jerusalem populated (v. 1-2)

     2. Census breakdown: (11:3-24)

         a. Tribes of Judah and Benjamin (v. 3-9)

         b. Priests (v. 10-14)

         c. Levites (v. 15-24)

B. Lists: (12:1-26)

     1. Of Levitical and priestly families who returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel (12:1-9)

     2. Of High Priests from Jeshua to Jaddua (12:10-11)

     3. Of heads of priestly courses in the time of the High Priest (12:12-21)

     4. Various statements concerning the Levites (12: 22-26)

 

C. Dedication of the completed walls of Jerusalem (12:27-43)

                1. Levites summoned to prepare for dedication (12:27-30)

                2. People divided into two groups (12:31-42)

a. Ezra’s group (travel the walls starting from the west to the south and east)

b. Nehemiah’s group (travel the walls starting from the west to the north and east)

    3. Sacrifices offered with rejoicing among the people including women and children (12:43).

 

D. Arrangements for Temple service – appointment of officers (12:44-47)

 

E. Nehemiah’s corrections and reforms of the people (13:1-31)

                1. Correcting mixed marriages (13:1-3, 23-30)

    2. Correcting desecration of the temple – Tobiah given chamber of temple while Nehemiah is away (13:4-9).

    3. Correcting the non-payments of tithes (13:10-14)

    4. Correcting the profaning of the sabbath (13:15-22)

    5. Appointment for collecting the wood offering and first-fruits (13:31)

QUESTIONS:

1. What percentage of the people were to live in Jerusalem?

2. This number was obtained by volunteers only. (T) (F)

3. The population in Jerusalem after the exile from Babylon were of the two tribes: Judah and Benjamin. (T) (F)

  

4. The approximate population of Jerusalem (including women and children) after Nehemiah’s efforts were (a) one million (b) two million (c) 20,000 (d) 4,000

             

5. What group of Temple servants were paid from the royal revenue daily?

6. From _______________, the southern point, to the _________________, the northern point of Judah, dwelt the children of Judah.

 

7. Who was High Priest at Zerubbabel’s return to Jerusalem?

8. To what time does the list in 12:10-11 of the High Priests take us?

9. Describe how Nehemiah and the people of Israel dedicated the finished walls of Jerusalem.

10. In 13:1-3, did the people need the direct operation of the Holy Spirit in order to understand and carry out the Law of God?

11. What evil did Eliashib to that involved Tobiah?  Where was Nehemiah during this time

 

12. What evil had occurred that caused the singers to go to their fields?

13. What extensive measures did Nehemiah take to keep Israel from profaning the sabbath?

14. In Nehemiah’s day, the Jews married Philistine women. (T) (F)

15. What problem resulted among the children of mixed marriages?

16. Why had God given the command to not marry foreign women?

17. Why does Nehemiah bring up King Solomon?

18. Nehemiah chased ______________ from him.  Why?

   

19. Why could Nehemiah pray to God to remember him for good?