Nehemiah let us rise and build The Kettering

Nehemiah let us rise and build The Kettering Weekend 11 -13 March 2016

Session 1 Rebuilding the walls Session 2 Problems inside the walls Session 3 The body of Christ Devotional Session 4 Prayer remember me, O God Session 5 Covenants made and broken Session 6 The good hand of God Exhortation Nehemiah let us rise and build The Kettering Weekend March 2016 SUNDAY Problems outside the walls SATURDAY Introduction what, who and when

But which Andrew Walker is speaking?

AIMS the body is one many parts prayer instant in prayer responding to problems inside & out loyalty to God preparing for the messenger remembering and being remembered Nehemiah let us rise and build The Kettering Weekend March 2016

QUESTIONS • Why are there so many people mentioned in Nehemiah? • Why are we given minute details about things like the walls? • How does Nehemiah deal with problems inside and out? • Was Nehemiah right to pluck out people’s hair? ! Nehemiah let us rise and build The Kettering Weekend March 2016

Introduction Who, what and when? Nehemiah let us rise and build The Kettering Weekend March 2016 1.

THEN AND NOW SESSION 1

Timeline (pre-Nehemiah) • • • Revived nation small and weak Enclave among hostile groups Ezra 1 -6, Haggai & Zechariah describe initial restoration following Decree of Cyrus 538 BC • • OVERVIEW Local opposition halts rebuilding Temple completed 516 BC following further decree by Darius SESSION 1

Persian kings Darius 1 522 -486 KINGS Xerxes 1 = Ahasuerus 486 -465 Artaxerxes 1 465 -423 SESSION 1

Who came back & when? • • 42, 360 + singers & servants with Zerubbabel 736 horses, 245 mules, 435 camels, 6, 720 asses • Ezra 2 & Neh 7 virtually identical • 6 -7, 000 with Ezra (Ezra 8) Why all the lists? EXILES RETURN SESSION 1

Who was in the land? Dinaites Apharsathchites Tarpelites Apharsites Archevites Babylonians Susanchites Dehavites Elamites + Remnant of Israelites SAMARITANS Led by Sanballat – Governor of Samaritans according to one of Elephantine papyri IN THE LAND SESSION 1

Timeline (Ezra & Nehemiah) 486 Complaint by “people of the land” to Xerxes (Ahasuerus) Ezra 4: 6 458 Ezra’s journey from Babylon (Artaxerxes) Ezra 7: 7 ? 450 Samaritans complain again: command to stop building city Ezra 4: 7 -23 Dec 446 Hanani tells Nehemiah of affliction of Jews in Jerusalem. Neh 1: 1&2 Mar 445 Nehemiah seeks leave of absence. Goes to Jerusalem 445 -443 • Walls built • Opposition from Sanballat • Hanani given charge of Jerusalem • TIMELINE [1] Neh 2: 1 ff Neh 3 -7 SESSION 1

Timeline (Ezra & Nehemiah) ? 443 Ezra leads rededication of people ? 443 Mixed marriages tackled; atonement sought; promises made ? 441 Nehemiah returns to Susa ? 435 Malachi speaks out against corruption of priests and people. Warns that Nehemiah will come as a refiner’s fire 433 Nehemiah gets permission from Artaxerxes to return to deal with Eliashib’s corruption TIMELINE [2] Neh 8 Ezra 8; Neh 9, 10 Mal 1 -3 Neh 13: 6&7 SESSION 1

PERSIAN RULERS SMERDIS 530 -522 CAMBYSES XERXES 485 -465 521 -486 DARIUS I 464 -424 ARTAXERXES I Temple finished [515 BC] TIMELINE Second wave of exiles return with Ezra [458 BC] 440 470 480 490 500 510 520 530 540 550 Zerubbabel + first exiles return and begin to build temple [536 BC] 450 Artaxerxes stops building work [464 -458 BC] Edict of Cyrus [538 BC] 460 CYRUS 559 -530 Nehemiah returns + begins rebuilding of walls [444 BC] JERUSALEM

What is there to learn? • Ezra a ready scribe • He entreated God, who heard • Ezra & Nehemiah confessed people’s sins • Nehemiah leads building; Ezra deals with mixed marriages • Reading with meaning • Ezra taught the people LESSONS Preparation Trust Intercession Leadership Hearing Teaching SESSION 1