A NIGHT VISIT AT THE CITY WALL Nehemiah 2:9-20

Transcription

1 A NIGHT VISIT AT THE CITY WALL Nehemiah 2:9-20 Nehemiah was making his way toward the city of Jerusalem in Judah. The king of Persia had written letters for him to give to the governors of the lands he would pass through. The king had also sent army officers to protect Nehemiah. Nehemiah gave the king's letters to the governors and had no trouble with them. But when Nehemiah arrived in Judah, two government officials were angry that he was there. The men's names were Sanballat and Tobiah. These enemy leaders were angry that someone would come to help the Jewish people. Three days after Nehemiah arrived, he rode around Jerusalem one night. He had not yet told anyone why he was there. Nehemiah rode his donkey while the men with him walked. Nehemiah and the others looked over the broken-down wall and burned gates. There were so many broken pieces from the wall that the donkey had a hard time walking. The city leaders did not know about that night trip. They didn't know a thing about Nehemiah's plans. But the time had come to talk with them. "You know how the city has been torn down," Nehemiah told them. "You know how the gates have been burned. Let's rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. We will look bad if we leave the wall the way it is. We must do something about it." Then Nehemiah told the city leaders about his talk with the king. He told them that it was because of God's kindness that the king had said he wanted them to fix the wall. "Let's do it," the city leaders said. So the people began to rebuild the wall. When Sanballat, Tobiah, and another enemy leader saw what was happening, they laughed at Nehemiah and his helpers. "What do you think you are doing?" they asked. "We are rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem," Nehemiah told them. "God will help us do it. And you won't be able to stop us because the city doesn't belong to you."

2 DISCUSSION: Who was angry at Nehemiah? What did Nehemiah do one night? What did he say to the city officials? Did they want to help him? Do you think Nehemiah would have done this if God was not helping him? Before you start to do anything for God, make sure you ask God to help you. Be sure to pray and ask Him. He will help you if what you are asking is something He knows is best for you and will honor Him. Some content taken from the One Year Bible for Children, New Living Translation, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. and V. Gilbert Beers; Some images obtained from the world wide web; other images by Lindy King, Co-Director for Adventurer Ministries, Texas Conference of Seventh day Adventists, created for the Adventurer Read-Through-The Bible Project,

3 NEHEMIAH BUILDS THE CITY WALL Nehemiah 4 Nehemiah and the Jerusalem city leaders began to rebuild the walls even though they had some enemies. One of their enemies, Sanballat, was very angry. He laughed at Nehemiah and his friends. He made fun of them. So did Sanballat's friends and their local army officers. "Look at those poor, weak people," they scoffed. "Do they think they can rebuild the walls in a day if they give their offerings? Look at how they are using burned stones from the broken wall!" Tobiah, one of Sanballat's friends, also made fun of the workers. "The wall would fall down if an animal as small as a fox walked on it," he said with a mean laugh. Nehemiah could have become very upset and quit. He prayed instead. "Lord, please hear us," Nehemiah said. "Turn the laughter of these people back at them. Remember their sin. When they make fun of us, they also make fun of you. It is your wall we are building." In time the wall was built to half of its original height. But it surrounded the entire city. The people had all worked very hard. Sanballat and his friends became even more angry as they saw the work going ahead. They made plans to lead an army against Jerusalem. So Nehemiah and his friends prayed. They had guards watch over the city day and night. The city leaders were getting upset. "There is so much stuff to haul away," they said. "How can we ever do all this work by ourselves?" The workers who lived in nearby villages were upset too. They were afraid that Sanballat and his friends would try to hurt them. So Nehemiah chose armed guards from each family. He put them behind the lowest parts of the wall in the open spaces. "Remember that the Lord is strong," Nehemiah said. "We must fight for our friends, families, and homes." From that time on, half of the workers worked on the wall. The other half guarded the workers. They had weapons ready to use.

4 A man who played a trumpet stood guard also. He always stayed right with Nehemiah. "Listen for the sound of the trumpet," Nehemiah said. "Rush to the place where you hear the sound so you can help u s fight." Everyone worked from early in the morning until late in the evening. Jews who were living outside Jerusalem moved into the city so they and their servants could do guard duty at night. The workers slept in their clothes during all this work. And they always carried their weapons with them. DISCUSSION: Who made fun of Nehemiah? What did Nehemiah do about his enemies? How did Nehemiah and his people guard themselves at work? How hard did they work on the wall? Never stop pleasing God or working for Him, even if someone makes fun of you! Has anyone ever made fun of you because you are a Christian? Or because you read your Bible or pray? Or maybe because you do not do some of the bad things that they do? PRAY! Ask God to help you! Ask Him to be with you and give you courage. Some content taken from the One Year Bible for Children, New Living Translation, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. and V. Gilbert Beers; Some images obtained from the world wide web; other images by Lindy King, Co-Director for Adventurer Ministries, Texas Conference of Seventh day Adventists, created for the Adventurer Read-Through-The Bible Project,

5 NEHEMIAH FINISHES THE CITY WALL Nehemiah 6:1-7:4 Nehemiah and the people of Jerusalem finished building the city wall. Everyone worked hard to make this happen. One day before the doors in the new gates were hung, two enemy leaders sent Nehemiah a message. They asked him to meet them in one of the nearby towns. But Nehemiah wouldn't do it. He knew his enemies wanted to kill him. "I am doing important work," he said to them. "I can't stop to visit with you." Four times the enemy leaders sent the same message. Four times Nehemiah sent the same reply. Then Sanballat's servant came with a letter. "You Jewish people are planning to turn against the king of Persia," it said. "You, Nehemiah, plan to be the new king. You can be sure that the Persian king will get this message. So you had better come and talk with us about it." "You're lying," said Nehemiah. "You just want us to stop working." Then Nehemiah prayed again. "Please give me strength," he prayed. Another man gave Nehemiah a message. He said it was from God. "Your enemies are coming to kill you tonight," he said. "Hide in the Temple and lock the door." "No, I should not go into the Temple like that," Nehemiah said. He knew that his enemies had paid the man to get him into the Temple. But Nehemiah would not give in to fear and hide. And he would not go into the Temple, where only the priests were to go. He knew that would be wrong. By the beginning of October the wall was completed, just 52 days after the work began. The doors in the gates were hung. Nehemiah chose people to be gatekeepers and singers. He told the people to close and lock the gates while guards were on duty. He said the guards had to live in Jerusalem. Actually there weren't many people living inside the city at that time. There were only a few houses there.

6 DISCUSSION: How did Nehemiah's enemies plot to kill him? What lie did these people tell about Nehemiah? How did they try to trick Nehemiah into doing something wrong? What did Nehemiah say to them? What would have happened if Nehemiah had listened to their lies? Bad people want to stop God's work. They will do bad things to stop it. Some people will do anything to keep you from following God. Don't listen to them. Pray and ask God to help you stay strong and true to Him. THE REBUILDING & COMPLETION OF THE WALL (NEHEMIAH 4:1-7:3) N E H E M I A H N W W O O Y J H W J V D J I B B K H Q H E E F G J D I H L V L Y J A R Q P Q D E H S I N I F Y T U C B G M M S I V N D Q L E S E O G T H W A M E F S O D A R G N O E R D N O M G U V L K V W S J P E I B O N I J E C H A A T M M Y C A F B E M A N L J T R N U A P L U A G T Y L L D N U R R R L L S S T N A V R E S C M T P O A R A W L X K B U B T I G M P T O S T L I U B V K I F L G D C O Z K J C A R C L O J Y Q Q N D W O T J U O G D N Q T ATTACK FINISHED SANBALLAT BUILT JERUSALEM SERVANTS CONSTRUCTION NEHEMIAH TRUMPET DOORS PRAYER WALL Some content taken from the One Year Bible for Children, New Living Translation, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. and V. Gilbert Beers; Some images obtained from the world wide web; other images by Lindy King, Co-Director for Adventurer Ministries, Texas Conference of Seventh day Adventists, created for the Adventurer Read-Through-The Bible Project,

7 the b-i-b-l-e... god's book! Do you have a church choir? If you do, are there ten people? Are there one hundred people? What is the biggest choir you have ever heard? What if you heard ten thousand people sing or shout like a great choir? What would it be like to hear ten million people? This psalm is about a choir that sings together around the world. Those who live at the ends of the earth stand in awe of your wonders. From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy. Psalm 65:8 DISCUSSION: All over the earth people honor God and praise him joyfully. When you are watching the sun begin to rise where you live, someone else in the world is watching the sun begin to set. Everyone who loves God can be shouting joyful praises to Him at the same time! That is a big choir! Do birds sing? Yes, of course. But you and a bluebird or a robin don't sing the same way, do you? Does a sunset sing a song of praise to God? Yes, but not like a bluebird or you. All nature sings songs of praise to the Creator. Read about this in the following psalm. Everything on earth will worship you; they will sing your praises, shouting your name in glorious songs. Psalm 66:4 DISCUSSION: It's not only God's people who worship Him, but ALL things on earth. All God's creation praises Him, but how? Do you think a sunset is a song of praise to God? What about puffy white clouds in the sky? Do beautiful flowers and their sweet smell offer praise and honor to God? What else? How do other parts of God's creation "sing" praises to Him?

8 Some content taken from the One Year Bible for Children, New Living Translation, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. and V. Gilbert Beers; Some images obtained from the world wide web; other images by Lindy King, Co-Director for Adventurer Ministries, Texas Conference of Seventh day Adventists, created for the Adventurer Read-Through-The Bible Project,

9 TROUBLE IN THE PALACE ESTHER 1 King Xerxes ruled over a very large empire. It stretched from India to Ethiopia and had 127 provinces. The king wanted to show all the leaders in his empire how great and powerful he was. So he asked them to come to a big party. Actually it was the biggest party ever. It lasted for six months! The king invited princes, advisers, and army officers from every part of the empire. During the party, or feast, the king showed the people his great riches. When this feast ended, the king gave another party for the palace servants and officials. Everyone was there for seven days. The palace garden, where the party was held, was decorated beautifully. White and blue drapes were tied to silver rings with purple ribbons. The silver rings were set into marble pillars. Gold and silver benches stood on floors made from marble, pearl, and other fine stones. The guests drank all they wanted from gold goblets. Queen Vashti gave a party for the palace women at the same time. On the last day of the feast the king was half drunk. He asked some palace officials to bring Queen Vashti to him so everyone could see how beautiful she was. He said to have her wear her royal crown. So the officials took the message to the queen. But for some reason, Vashti refused to come. Perhaps it was the way the king wanted to show her off in front of all his friends. Or perhaps she was just feeling rebellious. The king was furious. How dare his queen refuse to come! So he asked some leaders for advice. "You can't let her get away with this," they said. "If she does, all the wives in the kingdom will rebel against their husbands. Make a law that says she can no longer be your queen." So that's what the king did. He sent a message throughout the empire that said Vashti was no longer the queen. The message also said that the king would choose another queen to take Vashti's place, and Vashti would never be allowed to see him again.

10 DISCUSSION: What kind of parties did the king give? Who came to the first one? Who came to the second one? What did the king ask Queen Vashti to do? What did she do about the king's request? What did the king do then? Who do you think was wrong --- the king, the queen, or both? Why? God can make good things come from bad choices. The king made a bad choice when he was half drunk. Vashti made a bad choice when she chose to rebel against the king. But these two bad choices prepared the way for Esther to become queen. Some content taken from the One Year Bible for Children, New Living Translation, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. and V. Gilbert Beers; Some images obtained from the world wide web; other images by Lindy King, Co-Director for Adventurer Ministries, Texas Conference of Seventh day Adventists, created for the Adventurer Read-Through-The Bible Project,

11 ESTHER BECOMES QUEEN Esther 2 When the king was sober again and his anger had cooled, he was sad about Vashti. He knew he would never see his queen again, for he had sent her away. Now his advisers had some new suggestions for him. "Let's find the most beautiful young women in the empire," they said. "These young ladies will stay in a building near the palace until you call for them. You will choose the one you like best to be your new queen." The king liked this idea, so he gave orders for it to happen. Esther was one of the most beautiful young women in the kingdom. After her father and mother died, her older cousin, Mordecai, raised her as his own child. Mordecai had been captured when Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, destroyed Jerusalem. Now he worked at the palace. Esther came with many other young ladies to live near the palace. The man in charge of the group liked Esther very much. He gave her special food and beauty treatments. He gave her the best room and seven girls to take care of her. Mordecai had warned Esther not to tell anyone that she was Jewish. So she kept that a secret. Each day Mordecai took a walk around the place where Esther was staying so he could ask how she was doing. The man in charge of the group of young women told Esther exactly how to dress when she went to see the king. The other girls were very pleased when they saw how beautiful she was. The king was pleased too. He loved Esther more than any of the other young ladies. So he made Esther his new queen. The king was so happy about his new queen that he gave a big party. His princes and servants came, and he gave everyone nice gifts.

12 DISCUSSION: Why did Esther's cousin raise her as his child? What did Mordecai warn Esther not to do?/ Why did the king make Esther his queen? One day Esther was an ordinary person in the empire. The next day she was queen over the whole empire. Sometimes God helps ordinary people become important people. When He does, He has a good reason. Some content taken from the One Year Bible for Children, New Living Translation, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. and V. Gilbert Beers; Some images obtained from the world wide web; other images by Lindy King, Co-Director for Adventurer Ministries, Texas Conference of Seventh day Adventists, created for the Adventurer Read-Through-The Bible Project,

13 HAMAN TRICKS THE KING ESTHER 3-4 One day King Xerxes chose Haman to be his prime minister. That was the most powerful position in the empire next to the king's. The king's officers bowed down whenever Haman went by. The king had commanded them to. But Mordecai would not bow down to Haman. People at the palace asked Mordecai why he would not bow down to Haman. It was because Mordecai was Jewish and would bow down to no one but God. When Haman heard about this, he was so angry that he decided to kill not just Mordecai but all the Jews in the empire. Haman told the king a lie. He said, "There is a race of people in your empire who will not obey your laws. You should make a law to destroy them. I will pay for this with 375 tons of silver. The king agreed. But he said Haman could keep his money. King Xerxes gave his royal ring to Haman. That meant any message Haman wrote could be sealed with wax that had the king's ring print in it. Haman had the king's secretaries write letters to officials all over the empire. These letters commanded the officials to kill all the Jewish people and take their land on a day that was about a year away. Throughout the empire there was great sadness. Mordecai put on rough sackcloth and ashes to show how sad he was. Esther sent a helper to find out why Mordecai was so sad. Mordecai gave the helper a copy of the king's new law and said that Esther should beg the king to save her people. Esther sent a message back to Mordecai. "Whoever goes to the king without being invited can be put to death," she said. "That person will live only if the king holds out his royal gold rod." Mordecai sent a message back. "You will not escape from the new law," he said. "So you must not keep quiet. God may have made you queen for just such a time as this." Esther sent another message to Mordecai. "Call the Jewish people of the city together," she said. "Don't eat for three days. My maids and I will not eat for three days either. Then I will go to the king. If I must die, I will die."

14 DISCUSSION: Why didn't Mordecai bow down to Haman? What lie did Haman tell to the king about the Jews? What did the king command? Why was it dangerous for Esther to go to the king? There may be a reason why you are at a certain place at a certain time. Some content taken from the One Year Bible for Children, New Living Translation, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. and V. Gilbert Beers; Some images obtained from the world wide web; other images by Lindy King, Co-Director for Adventurer Ministries, Texas Conference of Seventh day Adventists, created for the Adventurer Read-Through-The Bible Project,