Nehemiah – BIB 108

Omega Institute

Brian A. Schulz

Nehemiah: Reconstruction & Restoration

Lesson 4

Chapter 3

A. ______– the High Priest…

1. High priest when Nehemiah rebuilt the walls (Neh 3:1,20-21). Energetic in building the ______, sanctifying and setting up its doors; but relationship to Tobiah the Ammonite outweighed regard for the sanctity of the temple. Nehemiah was angry with him for preparing a room therein for his pagan connection (Neh 13:4-7), in opposition to God's prohibition (Deut 23:3-4). His grandson too had married the pagan Horonite Sanballat's daughter (Neh 13:28). Ungodly alliances are a snare to religious professors (2 Cor 6:14-18; Matt 10:37). "Therefore (says Nehemiah) I chased him from me. Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood." His genealogy is given (Neh 12:10,22), see Ezra 10:6.

(Fausset's Bible Dictionary, Electronic Database Copyright (c)1998)

B. Dr. James Smith Main Points from Chapter 3

1. “Nehemiah’s plan was for the ______wall to go up simultaneously. He assigned each of some forty segments of the wall to a group of builders. The list is full of heterogeneous groups working side by side for the common good of the community: families, communities, ______(e.g. goldsmiths, and the perfumer in vs. 8) and trades (merchants in vs. 31).”

2. “Nehemiah 3 contains another one of those honor rolls of ______which are characteristic of the postexilic literature.”

3. _____ gates are listed

A. The story of the wall building centers around these gates

B. In Nehemiah 12:39 ____ other gates are mentioned which apparently were not in need of repair.

C. Old ______then… had 12 gates.

1. _____ Jerusalem has 12 as well à Rev. 21:12

4. Not everyone in the area ______Nehemiah’s effort. The citizens of the village of Tekoa worked in the area of the Fish gate “Their nobles” however, did not support (literally “bring their ______to the work”)

5. ______may have taken an active part in the construction. One segment of the wall was repaired by “Shallum… and his daughters”

6. One worker is singled out for special commendation. ______“zealously repaired” one segment of the wall. (3:20)

7. Seven work groups did ______duty (vv. 11,19-21,24,27,30).

A. “Thank God for those blessed souls who do _____ than their share of kingdom work!”

C. Addendum #2

1. Attempt to match names with the locations on this map.

2. Identify Gates

3. Identify Other Key places.

D. Addendum #1

1. Discuss Archaeological Discoveries à Archaeology ______the Bible!

A. “Remains of the “Broad Wall”, the “Valley Gate,” the Pool of Siloam,” and the “Water Gate,” have been found in the course of archaeological excavations in Jerusalem. The city that Nehemiah fortified was actually slightly ______than the one the Babylonians destroyed. In fact, it was smaller than Solomon’s Jerusalem – perhaps 35 acres in size. Nehemiah’s Jerusalem was completely limited to portions of the eastern hill, where the original City of David had stood.”

Henry Halley