Key Thought: Central to the stories of leaders in Israel is the word of God. It transformed their lives and thinking and resulted in the whole program of revival and reformation.

December 28, 2019

1. Have a volunteer read Nehemiah 4:7-23.

1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. In what ways did Nehemiah show courage? What gave him this courage?
3. Personal Application: How does one show their faith by their works? What kind of works show our faith? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your relatives states: “Where do you draw the line between faith and presumption? When do we let go and let God handle things, and when do we move forward in faith believing that God will support and strengthen us?” How would you respond to your relative?

2. Have a volunteer read Nehemiah 2:1-10.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point is in this passage
2. What do these texts tell us about the focus of the life of Nehemiah?
3. Personal Application: What does this tell us about the importance and effectiveness of prayer? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your friends states, “Why did Nehemiah ask for and accept all the extra help the king gave him in helping rebuild the city and temple of Jerusalem? How would you respond to your friend?

3. Have a volunteer read Ezra 7:8-10.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
2. What did Ezra do that set his aside among all the Israelites in Medo-Persia?
3. Personal Application: How important is it to you to know the Scriptures so you can teach others about them? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your neighbors states, “It’s up to the pastors to teach and give Bible studies. Allowing the church members to do it will just result in failure. It has to be done right by trained leaders.” How would you respond to your neighbor?

4. Have a volunteer read Ezra 8:21-23, 31,32.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
2. Was Ezra’s decision not to speak to the king a brave one or foolish one? How did he and his people exhibit humility?
3. Personal Application: Why must we do all we can to support our leaders? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: Think of one person who needs to hear a message from this week’s lesson. Tell the class what you plan to do this week to share with them.

(Truth that is not lived, that is not imparted, loses its life-giving power, its healing virtue. Its blessings can be retained only as it is shared.”Ministry of Healing, p. 148).

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What do the following texts teach us about the driving force in the lives of both Ezra and Nehemiah? (Neh. 2:1-10, Ezra 7:8-10).

In all that they did, Ezra and Nehemiah were seeking to see God’s will done in the lives of His people. Yes, the people had messed up; yes, they were punished for it. But God, faithful to His promises of restoration, opened the way for His people to return to the Promised Land and, if faithful, to fulfill the goals that He had set for them.

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And the Lord, in His wisdom, chose two very dedicated men, men somewhat in the likeness of Moses, to play a central role in this restoration, just as He had used Moses generations earlier for a special task, as well.

Great leaders like these two men have a goal. They have a purpose for living that drives their every action. It could be said that both Ezra and Nehemiah had a purpose in life. They had a vision of where they wanted the people of God to be, and then they put everything into accomplishing the goal.

Ezra did this through studying the Scriptures and teaching the people the Word. Nehemiah encouraged the people to do what was right and to stand up boldly for God. Both men wanted to see a restored Jerusalem, but not just a material restoration. They also wanted to see a revival and reformation in the spiritual lives of its inhabitants. That is why they corrected, reproved, and sometimes demanded a certain course of action. Great leaders believe in something greater than the ordinary and the mediocre. Ezra and Nehemiah believed in a loving, powerful God, a God who could do miracles — and they wanted everyone to have a deep connection with Him.

Beginning with the first chapter of Nehemiah, the reader is impressed by Nehemiah’s dedication to God’s cause and also his distress over the plight of his people. In chapter 1, he weeps when he is told of the hardships of the Israelites in Judah. He gets on his knees and pledges to do whatever God calls him to do. Nehemiah appears to be driven by the idea of making a difference in the world. He was a man of action, action for God. It was not by making the highest salary or having the preeminent position that Nehemiah chose to make a difference (although he had both in Persia), but by going to Judah, to a not-so-prosperous nation, with opposition at every step. He stepped out in faith, regardless of the obstacles before him.

<–Tuesday Thursday–>

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