OUTLINE OF
NEHEMIAH
Neh 6:15 So the wall was finished in
the twenty and fifth day
of the month
Elul, in fifty and two days. Neh 6:16
And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard
thereof, and all
the heathen that were
about us saw these things,
they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this
work was wrought of our God.
Neh 8:8 So they read in the book in
the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused
them to
understand the reading.
Part One: The Reconstruction of the Wall
(1:1-7:73)
I. The Preparation to Reconstruct the Wall
1:1-2:20
A. Discovery of the Broken Wall 1:1-3
Neh 1:1 The words of Nehemiah the son of
Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth
year, as I was in Shushan the palace,
Neh 1:3 And they said unto me, The remnant that
are left of the captivity there in the province
are in great
affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also
is broken
down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.
B. Intercession of Nehemiah 1:4-2:8
1. Nehemiah Intercedes with God 1:4-11
Neh 1:4 And it came to pass, when I heard these
words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned
certain
2. Nehemiah Intercedes with Artaxerxes
2:1-8
Neh 2:2 Wherefore the king said unto me,
Why is
thy countenance sad, seeing thou
art not sick? this
is nothing
else
but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid,
Neh 2:3 And said unto the king, Let the king
live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the
place of my fathers' sepulchres,
lieth waste, and the gates thereof are
consumed with fire?
C. Arrival of Nehemiah in Jerusalem
2:9-11
Neh 2:9 Then I came to the governors beyond the
river, and gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent captains
of the army and horsemen with me.
D. Preparation to Reconstruct the Wall . .
2:12-20
1.
Nehemiah Inspects
the Broken Walls.............
2:12-16
Neh 2:13 And I went out by night by the gate of
the valley, even before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and
viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates
thereof were consumed with fire.
2. Nehemiah Exhorts the People
2:17, 18
Neh 2:18 Then I told them of the hand of my God
which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto
me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their
hands for this
good work.
3. Nehemiah Answers the Enemies. . .
2:19,
20
Neh 2:19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and
Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard
it, they
laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What
is this
thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?
Neh 2:20 Then answered I them, and said unto
them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants
will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial,
in Jerusalem.
II. The Reconstruction
of the Wall.........
3:1-7:73
A. Record of the Builders 3:1-32
Neh 3:1 Then Eliashib the high priest rose
up with his brethren the priests, and they builded the sheep gate; they
sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; even unto the tower of Meah
they sanctified it, unto the tower of Hananeel.
Neh 3:32 And between the going up of the corner
unto the sheep gate repaired the goldsmiths and the merchants.
B. Opposition to the Reconstruction . . .
4:1-6:14
1. Opposition Through Ridicule
4:1-6
Neh 4:1 But it came to pass, that when
Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great
indignation, and mocked the Jews.
2. Opposition Through Threat of Attack 4:7-9
Neh 4:7 But it came to pass,
that when
Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the
Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up,
and that the
breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,
Neh 4:8 And conspired all of them together to
come and
to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.
3. Opposition Through
Discouragement............. 4:10-23
Neh 4:10 And Judah said, The strength of the
bearers of burdens is decayed, and
there is
much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.
4. Opposition Through Extortion 5:1-13
Neh 5:3
Some also there were that said, We have
mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn,
because of the dearth.
5. Nehemiah's Unselfish Example 5:14-19
Neh 5:14 Moreover from the time that I was
appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth
year even unto the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king,
that is,
twelve years, I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the
governor.
6. Opposition Through Compromise .... 6:1-4
Neh 6:1 Now it came to pass, when Sanballat,
and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard
that I had builded the wall, and
that there was no breach left therein;
(though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;)
Neh 6:2 That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me,
saying, Come, let us meet together in
some one of
the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.
7. Opposition Through Slander 6:5-9
Neh 6:5 Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me
in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand;
Neh 6:6 Wherein
was written,
It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu saith
it, that
thou and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the
wall, that thou mayest be their king, according to these words.
8. Opposition Through Treachery ....
6:10-14
Neh 6:10 Afterward I came unto the house of
Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who
was shut up;
and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the
temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to
slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee.
C. Completion of the Reconstruction ....
6:15-19
Neh 6:15 So the wall was finished in the twenty
and fifth day
of the month
Elul, in fifty and two days.
D. Organization of Jerusalem
7:1-4
Neh 7:1 Now it came to pass, when the wall
was built, and I had set up the doors, and the porters and the singers
and the Levites were appointed,
E. Registration of Jerusalem 7:5-73
1. The Plan 7:5, 6
Neh 7:5 And my God put into mine heart to
gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, that they
might be reckoned by genealogy. And I found a register of the genealogy
of them which came up at the first, and found written therein,
2. The Remnant of Known Descent . . .
7:7-60
a. The Leaders 7:7
Neh 7:7 Who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua,
Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth,
Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number,
I say, of
the men of the people of Israel
was this;
b. The Men of Israel 7:8-38
Neh 7:8 The children of Parosh, two thousand an
hundred seventy and two.
c. The Priests 7:39-42
Neh 7:42 The children of Harim, a thousand and
seventeen.
d. The Levites
7:43-45
Neh 7:43 The Levites: the children of Jeshua,
of Kadmiel, and
of the children of Hodevah, seventy and four.
e. The Servants 7:46-60
Neh 7:46 The Nethinims: the children of Ziha,
the children of Hashupha, the children of Tabbaoth,
Neh 7:60 All the Nethinims, and the children of
Solomon's servants, were
three hundred ninety and two.
3. The Remnant of Unknown Descent
7:61-65
a. The Men of Israel 7:61, 62
Neh 7:61 And these
were they
which went up also
from Telmelah, Telharesha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer: but they could not
shew their father's house, nor their seed, whether they
were of
Israel.
b. The Priests 7:63-65
Neh 7:63 And of the priests: the children of
Habaiah, the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai, which took
one
of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite to wife, and was called
after their name.
4. The Total of the Remnant 7:66-69
Neh 7:66 The whole congregation together
was forty
and two thousand three hundred and threescore,
5. The Gifts of the Remnant
for the Temple..................... 7:70-73
Neh 7:70 And some of the chief of the fathers
gave unto the work. The Tirshatha gave to the treasure a thousand drams
of gold, fifty basons, five hundred and thirty priests' garments.
I. The Renewal of the
Covenant............................... 8:1-10:39
A. Interpretation of the
Law...........................
8:1-18
1. Reading of the Law 8:1-8
Neh 8:1 And all the people gathered
themselves together as one man into the street that
was before
the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of
the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel.
Neh 8:8 So they read in the book in the law of
God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused
them to
understand the reading.
2. Response to the Reading
8:9-18
a. Israel Celebrates Her Understanding
of the Law........... 8:9-12
Neh 8:12 And all the people went their way to
eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth,
because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.
b. Israel Obeys the Law.....................
8:13-18
Neh 8:18 Also day by day, from the first day
unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept
the feast seven days; and on the eighth day
was a solemn
assembly, according unto the manner.
B. Reaffirmation of the
Covenant............................... 9:1-10:39
1. Spiritual Preparation of Israel 9:1-3
Neh 9:3 And they stood up in their place, and
read in the book of the law of the LORD their God
one fourth
part of the day; and another
fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the LORD their God.
2. Reiteration of the Acts of Parties
of the Covenant.....................
9:4-31
a. The Great Deliverances of God . . 9:4-15
Neh 9:4 Then stood up upon the stairs, of the
Levites, Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani,
and
Chenani, and cried with a loud voice unto the LORD their God.
Neh 9:9 And didst see the affliction of our fathers
in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red sea;
Neh 9:10 And shewedst signs and wonders upon
Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on all the people of his land: for
thou knewest that they dealt proudly against them. So didst thou get thee a
name, as it is
this day.
b. The Great Sins of Israel.................
9:16-31
Neh 9:16 But they and our fathers dealt proudly,
and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments,
3. Renewal of the Covenant
9:32-38
Neh 9:32 Now therefore, our God, the great,
the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy,
let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon
us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our
prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time
of the kings of Assyria unto this day.
Neh 9:38 And because of all this we make a
sure covenant,
and write it;
and our princes, Levites,
and priests, seal
unto it.
4. Ratifiers of the Covenant 10:1-27
Neh 10:1 Now those that sealed
were,
Nehemiah, the Tirshatha, the son of Hachaliah, and Zidkijah,
Neh 10:27 Malluch, Harim, Baanah.
5. Stipulations of the Covenant 10:28-39
Neh 10:28 And the rest of the people, the
priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinims, and
all they that had separated themselves from the people of the lands
unto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters,
every one having knowledge, and having understanding;
Neh 10:29 They clave to their brethren,
their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in
God's law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to
observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and his
judgments and his statutes;
II. The Obedience to the
Covenant...............................
11:1-13:31
A. Resettlement of the
People..........................
11:1-36
1. Plan for the Resettlement 11:1, 2
Neh 11:1 And the rulers of the people dwelt at
Jerusalem: the rest of the people also cast lots, to bring one of ten to
dwell in Jerusalem the holy city, and nine parts
to dwell in
other
cities.
2. Resettlement Within Jerusalem
11:3-24
Neh 11:4 And at Jerusalem dwelt
certain of the
children of Judah, and of the children of Benjamin. Of the children of
Judah; Athaiah the son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah,
the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalaleel, of the children of Perez;
Neh 11:24 And Pethahiah the son of Meshezabeel, of
the children of Zerah the son of Judah,
was at the
king's hand in all matters concerning the people.
3.
Resettlement Outside of Jerusalem
11:25-36
Neh 11:25 And for the villages, with their fields,
some of
the children of Judah dwelt at Kirjatharba, and
in the villages
thereof, and at Dibon, and in
the villages thereof, and at Jekabzeel, and
in the villages
thereof,
Neh 11:36 And of the Levites
were divisions
in Judah,
and in
Benjamin.
B. Register of the Priests and the Levites
12:1-26
Neh 12:1 Now these
are the priests
and the Levites that went up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and
Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,
Neh 12:26 These
were in the days
of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of
Nehemiah the governor, and of Ezra the priest, the scribe.
C. Dedication of the Jerusalem Wall . . .
12:27-47
Neh 12:27 And at the dedication of the wall of
Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to
Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings,
and with singing, with
cymbals, psalteries, and with harps.
D. Restoration of the People 13:1-31
1. Separation from the Heathen
13:1-9
Neh 13:1 On that day they read in the book of
Moses in the audience of the people; and therein was found written, that the
Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for
ever;
2. Restoration of Levitical Support . .
13:10-14
Neh 13:10 And I perceived that the portions of the
Levites had not been given them:
for the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to
his field.
Neh 13:12 Then brought all Judah the tithe of the
corn and the new wine and the oil unto the treasuries.
3. Restoration of the Sabbath
13:15-22
Neh 13:22 And I commanded the Levites that they
should cleanse themselves, and that
they should come and
keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember me, O my God,
concerning this
also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy.
4. Restoration from Mixed Marriages
13:23-29
Neh 13:23 In those days also saw I Jews
that had married
wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and
of Moab:
Neh 13:25 And I contended with them, and cursed
them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them
swear by God, saying,
Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters
unto your sons, or for yourselves.
5. Restoration in Summary
13:30, 31
Neh 13:30 Thus cleansed I them from all strangers,
and appointed the wards of the priests and the Levites, every one in his
business;
Neh 13:31 And for the wood offering, at times
appointed, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.
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