Nehemiah 7
OUTLINE:
I. \\#1:1-7:13\\ Restoring the Wall
A. \\#1:1-2:20\\ Catching A Burden
1. \\#1:1-4\\ Hearing the News
2. \\#1:5-11\\ Nehemiah’s Prayer
3. \\#2:1-8\\ Nehemiah’s Opportunity
4. \\#2:9-20\\ Nehemiah’s Mission Begun
B. \\#3:1-6:19\\ Building the Wall
1. \\#3:1-32\\ Record of the Builders
2. \\#4:1-6:14\\ Opposition to the Construction
a. \\#4:1-6\\ The First Attempt - Mockery
b. \\#4:7-23\\ The Second Attempt - War
c. \\#5:1-19\\ The Third Attempt - From within
d. \\#6:1-9\\ The Fourth Attempt - Ambush
e. \\#6:10-14\\ The Fifth Attempt - Fear
3. \\#6:15-19\\ Completion of the Construction
C. \\#7:1-13:31\\ Dedication of the Wall, Jerusalem, and the
People.
1. \\#7:1\\ Organization of Singers and Porters
2. \\#7:2\\ Organization of Leadership
3. \\#7:3-4\\ Organization for Safety
4. \\#7:5-73\\ Verifying Jerusalem’s Inhabitants
II. \\#8:1-13:31\\ Restoring the People
A. \\#8:1-10:39\\ The Renewal of the Covenant
1. \\#8:1-18\\ Interpretation of the Law
2. \\#9:1-10:39\\ Reaffirmation of the Covenant
B. \\#11:1-13:31\\ The Obedience to the Covenant
1. \\#11:1-36\\ Resettlement of the People
2. \\#12:1-26\\ Register of the Priests and the Levites
3. \\#12:27-47\\ Dedication of the Jerusalem Wall
4. \\#13:1-31\\ Restoration of the People
I. \\#7:1-13:31\\ Dedication of the Wall, Jerusalem, and the People.
A. \\#7:1\\ Organization of Singers and Porters - With the wall
being completed, either more porters and singers were put in
place or else those who had been had forsaken their duties.
1. The writer began to record how a day of worship and
celebration was had in Jerusalem once the walls were up.
2. Here he described the musicians that were appointed and
the porters, those who would attend the gates.
3. He will finish the description of that time of celebration
in \\#Neh 8:1\\.
B. \\#7:2\\ Organization of Leadership - Nehemiah, being
appointed the ruler over more than just Jerusalem, appointed
two to look after the city.
1. Hanani - This is likely the man who first brought Nehemiah
word that the wall was in ruins \\#Nehemiah 2:1-2\\. He
may have literally been Nehemiah’s brother or it may have
been that this was a title to refer to a good Jewish man.
2. Hananiah, the ruler of the palace - Nehemiah had asked for
materials to also built a place for him to live
\\#Neh 2:8\\. Hananiah had been in charge of that project
but now his duties are increased to also look over the
city.
C. \\#7:3-4\\ Organization for Safety - Nehemiah gave rules for
operating the gates:
1. Do not open gates until "the sun be hot."
a. That is not an exact time but seems to say they are
not to be opened until the people are up and moving
and the sun was well risen.
b. Nehemiah wanted the guards to have enough light to
clearly see what was going on and he wanted enough
people to be present to be able to help in the event
of an attack.
2. "while they stand by" - Guards had to be present when the
gates were opened, otherwise the doors were to be shut
and barred.
3. "appoint watches" - There was to be a watch on duty at all
times.
4. \\#4\\ "the city was large… but the people were few"
D. \\#7:5-73\\ Verifying Jerusalem’s Inhabitants
1. \\#5\\ Nehemiah felt the people needed to be checked again
to be certain that those within the land were Jews.
2. \\#6-73\\ He found a copy of record from Ezra’s day. It
is listed in these verses; however, there are some
differences in this list and Ezra’s. Some believe that
difference is because Ezra’s list was of those who
intended to go while this copy was the list of those who
actually arrived. That is supposition however.
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