Holman Old Testament Commentary - Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther

Knute Larson, Max Anders, Kathy Dahlen

• Publisher: Holman Reference
• Year: 2005
• Print ISBN: 9780805494693
• eBook ISBN: 9781433674273
• Topic: Theologie & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblischer Kommentar

One in a series of twenty Old Testament verse-by-verse commentary books edited by Max Anders. Includes discussion starters, teaching plan, and more. Great for lay teachers and pastors alike.

Introduction to

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Nehemiah

AUTHORSHIP

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• Taken primarily from Nehemiah's memoirs, though additional texts are inserted (chs. 8-10).
• Nehemiah was a Jewish leader who had attained status in the Persian court as cupbearer to King Artaxerxes.
• Written about events around 446 B.C.
• Written to the returned exiles and citizens of Judah and Jerusalem.

THEMES

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• A history of God's faithfulness and the emerging religious character of Judah and Jerusalem.
• A handbook for leadership.
• A great picture of teamwork by the people of Judah as they followed the leadership of Nehemiah.
• Nehemiah demonstrates a careful and righteous response to opposition.
• The book repeatedly highlights God's sovereignty as he works together with his people.
• Prayer and hard work are not mutually exclusive but cooperative elements in serving God.

Nehemiah 1

A Worthy Pursuit

I. INTRODUCTION

A Good Question

II. COMMENTARY

A verse-by-verse explanation of the chapter.

III. CONCLUSION

Tears

An overview of the principles and applications from the chapter.

IV. LIFE APPLICATION

Do You Know Whom You're Talking To?

Melding the chapter to life.

V. PRAYER

Tying the chapter to life with God.

VI. DEEPER DISCOVERIES

Historical, geographical, and grammatical enrich ment of the commentary.

VII. TEACHING OUTLINE

Suggested step-by-step group study of the chapter.

VIII. ISSUES FOR DISCUSSION

Zeroing the chapter in on daily life.

Nothing in this world is so powerful
as an idea whose time has come.

Victor Hugo

Nehemiah was a servant in the intimate circle of King Artaxerxes. As such, he knew that the Persian government had sanctioned actions against Jerusalem. When he learned the full extent of the violence the Judean Jews had suffered, he was grieved for his people. He sought God's grace for devising a plan to restore the holy city.

A Worthy Pursuit

I. INTRODUCTION

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A Good Question

They were getting on my nerves. I was a freshman in college, and about seven other students kept asking their friends and classmates (me included), “What's your dominant purpose in life?”

I was just trying to make the basketball team and maybe have a few dates and get my studies done. Sometimes my purpose was to get through the next test, or to play a decent game, or to be liked by my peers. I remember retorting something like, “You guys should get a life.” But even though their question was way too philosophical for a freshman, it kept echoing in my head and heart.

The more I have lived, and the more choices I have made and watched others make, the more I realize how important their question is. Unless we have a dominant purpose to glorify God and do his will as revealed in Scripture, we will make some terrible decisions and never achieve the true purpose for which we were made.

Nehemiah is a great example of someone whose desire was to please God and glorify him. His intentions and aspirations were God-focused rather than self-focused. God defined his dominant purpose. When he heard that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down and God's people were living in distress, that driving purpose kicked in. Nehemiah prayed a profound prayer of praise, adoration, submission, and request.

Read this first chapter of Nehemiah and watch what stirred Nehemiah's passions; follow his prayer and notice whom he identified with. Read his prayer out loud and see if it resonates with your own sympathies and concerns. Then ask yourself, “What is my dominant purpose in life?”

II. COMMENTARY

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A Worthy Pursuit

MAIN IDEA: Though he lived in Persia, Nehemiah identified with his fellow Jews, particularly those living in Jerusalem. Passionate for God's glory and driven by empathy, Nehemiah turned to God.

The Report (1:1–3)

SUPPORTING IDEA: Nehemiah took the initiative by asking some recently returned travelers about the welfare of the Jews living in Jerusalem.

1:1. From the start the reader gains access to the memoirs of an ancient court official and embarks on a journey into the world of Persia and Judea in the mid-fifth century B.C.; we study the words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah.

Nehemiah provided no further family history. Instead, his story began in the month of Kislev in the twentieth year. Nehemiah 2:1 makes clear that it was the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes's reign, or about 446 B.C. Since Nehemiah noted that he was in the citadel of Susa, the winter residence of the Persian kings, we understand immediately that he held some official position in the Persian court. Most probably, then, Nehemiah calculated his dates based on the Persian royal calendar rather than the calendar year. The Persian court system placed Kislev as the fifth month and Nisan as the ninth.

1:2–3. Nehemiah received some visitors: Hanani, one of my brothers…with some other men. These travelers had come from Judah. It remains uncertain whether Hanani was a resident of Judah or was returning from a trip to the region. If Hanani did live near Jerusalem, then Nehemiah's interests were deeply personal, further explaining his intense emotions and concern.

Evidently Nehemiah took the initiative and questioned them about the Jewish remnant that survived the exile. His eager concern extended to all the Jews, those who had remained in Judah during the exile period, and those who had returned by the various caravans throughout the Persian period. Nehemiah asked also about Jerusalem.

It seems apparent that Nehemiah had reason for his inquiry—perhaps rumor or official knowledge of imperial activity in the region. As a member of the king's personal staff, Nehemiah probably knew about Artaxerxes's judgment against Jerusalem and his capitulation to hostile forces around Judea (Ezra 4). Consequently, he was anxious to know how the people and the city were doing.

He was told that the Jews were in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire. This describes the strong response effected by Jerusalem's neighbors after they persuaded Artaxerxes to stop restoration work in Jerusalem: “They went immediately to the Jews in Jerusalem and compelled them by force to stop” (Ezra 4:23).

Nehemiah Prays (1:4–11)

SUPPORTING IDEA: Before formulating a plan or recruiting support, Nehemiah's first response was to go before God in prayer.

1:4. After hearing about Jerusalem and the firsthand report of its ruin, Nehemiah sat down and wept. His sympathy for the Jews was deep and his emotion was intense when he learned of their suffering. Accordingly, he mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven, making his appeal to the one who rules over the affairs of all people. And while Nehemiah's response followed a predictable and orthodox pattern—fasting and prayer—his expressions of grief and concern were sincere. Nehemiah's genuine anxiety for his people was demonstrated by his persistence, seeking God's favor and help for more than four months before an opportunity opened for him to speak or act (Neh. 2:1).

1:5–11b. Though Nehemiah prayed for more than four months, he wrote in his journal a prayer representative of all he offered before God's throne. He began with adoration: O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God. He lifted his heart in worship, acknowledging God's greatness. In prayer we speak to the God who rules over all the heavens and, therefore, over all the earth. God keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands. A covenantal relationship binds both part...

Table of contents

• Editorial Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Holman Old Testament Commentary Contributors
• Holman New Testament Commentary Contributors
• Introduction to Ezra
• Introduction to Nehemiah
• Introduction to Esther
• Glossary
• Bibliography