It would be lovely to say that after the glory of the rededication of Jerusalem, they all lived happily ever after. Sadly, that was not the case. It seems that Nehemiah left for a period to return to Susa and his duties there. Chapter 13 is what he found when he finally returned to Jerusalem.
Lesson 8
November 11, 2021 • Meg Rice
We are coming to the end of Nehemiah. The city of Jerusalem that was deserted and a ghost town for
70 years was reestablished, and the Temple was rebuilt. This is a picture of our being brought back to
a new relationship with Jesus Christ, the reigniting of our faith. Time passed for the ancient Hebrews,
and they failed to put up the defensive wall to secure their sacred city. Enter Nehemiah who by God’s
sovereignty and his faithfulness rebuilt the walls to fortify the city of God. This represents our putting
up defenses to combat those worldly attitudes and stumbling blocks. These attitudes can keep us from
God’s best in our lives. Now the wall is complete but there is a problem.
Lesson 7
November 4, 2021 • Meg Rice
The Hebrews of the restored Jerusalem had just completed celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles where
they commemorated God’s provision of freeing them from slavery in Egypt and providing for them in
their wilderness journey. They remembered and praised God and lived in community. This can equate
to our being freed from the slavery of sin and God providing for us when we wandered from Him.
During this time, the people were soaked in the Word of God. Chapter 9 marks the Day of Atonement
or Yom Kippur.
