Nehemiah

The book of Nehemiah chronicles some of the most dramatic and difficult days recorded in the history of the Jewish nation. During the period that followed the Babylonian exile, the people of God returned to their homeland only to find it in a state of ruin, shame, and disgrace. The city of Jerusalem lay desolate, and the people of God were discouraged.

Yet, against this dark background, the LORD caused a ray of hope to shine forth. Hundreds of miles away in the court of the Persian king, God had prepared a man named Nehemiah for a very special task. Although Nehemiah's background as a cupbearer may not have qualified him to be a great leader in the eyes of those around him, God had chosen him to return to Jerusalem and lead in the rebuilding of the walls and in the reviving of the people.

In each of the 13 chapters of this book, we will consider a different aspect of the life of Nehemiah, while also providing the context of the passage of Scripture from which it is derived. In this way, the materials provided may be easily used as a resource for personal Bible study, Sunday school lessons, or sermon preparation.

The prayerful aim of this volume is that it would help each of us as believers to grow in our personal walk with the LORD and in the development of our individual character through a study of the life and times of Nehemiah.