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GROUP FELLOWSHIP
SUMMER 2001
JULY 17/19
NEHEMIAH: ‘A PURPOSE-DRIVEN PEOPLE’ - stirred up to serve!
(6) NEHEMIAH 8.1 – 9.6 (SPIRITUAL) RESTORATION EXPERIENCED
EXTENDED INTRODUCTION: SPIRITUAL RESTORATION. Some of the most thrilling parts of
Scripture are the occasional accounts of periods of the spiritual revival of God’s
people. Here is one such account. A movement that began as an enterprise of physical
reconstruction (the walls) ends in something even greater - the spiritual restoration
of God’s people. It began with the spiritual response of one man far off in captivity;
it ends with the spiritual revival of a whole section of God’s people in Jerusalem!
Thrilling stuff! Nehemiah 8-10 tells the story of this. After many decades of spiritual
neglect and disobedience, the word of God is rediscovered and obeyed (chapter 8).
The people deeply repent before God for their disobedience (chapter 9) and recommit
themselves to God in a renewal of their covenant promises (chapter 10).
TIME NOTES: See the references to time in 8.1-2; 8.13; 9.1. The 7th month was the
start of the Civic Year; so that makes the 1st day of that month New Year’s day!
It was also the day they should have kept the Feast of Trumpets (see Leviticus 23.23-25).
On the 10th day they should have kept the Day of Atonement (see Leviticus 23.26-32).
On the 15th day of the month, God’s word said they should celebrate the Feast of
Tabernacles for 7 days. (15th – 22nd) and then have a special Sabbath on 8th day
(23rd). (See Leviticus 23.33-44). This the revived people, under Nehemiah and Ezra
do, keeping the whole week of feasting and celebration. But then, instead of dispersing
to their homes again and getting on with life, they come back together on the next
day, 24th, for a time of national repentance and prayer and recommitment to their
broken covenant. HERE IS REVIVAL DESCRIBED! In our groups we study just the first
part of this (8.1 – 9.6) but it is well worth giving personal time to studying all
of it.
- NEW YEAR’S DAY REVIVAL!(8.1-8)
- Good things happen at ‘Watergate’ as the people gather to celebrate New Year in a
restored Jerusalem.
- Who is it who seems to have initiated this spiritual movement? What do you think
the factors might have been that gave rise to it? How widespread was the movement?
- How did the spiritual leaders respond?
What impressed you about:
- the arrangements the spiritual leaders made to ensure what they did was effective?
- What was the role of the Levites?
- What was the peoples’ attitude to God’s word? What is our attitude to God’s word?
- It has been said: "The extent of the Church’s deadness is the extent o the church’s
deafness." Do you think that’s true? What place does God’s word have in spiritual
revival in our personal lives and in the Church? And what affect does the neglect
of God’s word have on us?
- NEW YEAR’S DAY: A DAY TO WEEP OR REJOICE?(8.9-12)
The people wept that day (The Book of God’s Law contained curses on the disobedient
as well as blessings for the obedient And they stood close in time tot he judgement
of the Captivity). But the leaders said they should rejoice that day.
- What caused the people to be so deeply distressed? Are we similarly concerned about
the consequences of our actions?
- Why do you suppose the leaders encouraged them not to weep on that particular day?
- Is the day we discover and are concerned about our shortcomings and repent, a day
for sorrow or joy?
- THE DAY AFTER …….. (8.13 – 9.6)
- THE DAY AFTER NEW YEAR’S DAY! (8.13-18)
- What impresses you about the people’s attitude on the day after the big day we’ve
been considering?
- What did it prove? - What did it lead to?
(2) THE DAY AFTER THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES (9.1-6)
Instead of dispersing after Tabernacles to homes and work the people came together
again!
- Why did they assemble? What was on their hearts?
- How essential to revival is a spirit of true repentance?
- To what extent is the genuineness of any spiritual experience proved by our attitude
on ‘the day after’?
(Go on, on your own, to study in 9.7 – 10.39 the full extent of their heartfelt repentance
and the thoroughgoing recommital of their lives to God in a far reaching renewed
covenant)
CONCLUDING QUESTIONS:
What practical involvement do I personally have in the work of God? And what personal
experience do I have of inner spiritual revival?
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