Arise: A Study on the Book of Nehemiah

At The Daily Grace Co., we are ecstatic to introduce to you a brand new study resource: Arise, a study on the book of Nehemiah. The Study: You might know Nehemiah as an Israelite who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem. You may know him as a cupbearer. You may know him as a man of prayer. You may just recognize his namesake book from the Bible. Or you may not know him at all. Regardless of what you come into this study knowing, you will come out knowing more about God and we pray that your soul would be refreshed and drawn in closer to the Father. Prayer Within the first chapter of the book of Nehemiah, there's a moving and powerful prayer which sets the tone for the rest of the book. After having heard that the walls of his home city were destroyed, Nehemiah submits a heartfelt supplication to the Lord, weeping and fasting before God for days. He confesses sins, repents, and pleads the character of God, asking for mercy and redemption on behalf of all of God's people and God's city. Through the course of the rest of the book, Nehemiah prays nine additional times. Nehemiah's dutiful attention to prayer draws us as readers into a better understanding of prayer in our own life. Nehemiah is fixated on the Father, the only One who can peer through the Heavens into our circumstances, seeing things that we cannot. Nehemiah converses with God knowing that He is the only one who is able to accomplish redemption for His people and for the city of Jerusalem. We approach God in the same way, adoring who He is and pleading in faith that He will act according to His purposes for the sake of our good. Covenant Nehemiah also offers us a glimpse into the covenant faithfulness of God. In chapter 9 verse 8, we are caused to remember that the Lord has kept His promise. He chose Abraham to father the nation of His set-apart people, and despite the impossibility of Abraham and Sarah having a child God fulfilled His promise to give them Isaac. God promised Abraham a verdant land that his descendants would inhabit, and God fulfilled this promise by using Moses and Joshua to lead the Israelites into the land of Canaan. God remained faithful despite the faithlessness and forgetfulness of the Israelites. He fulfilled His promises to His people. He kept the covenant. God sending Nehemiah to go and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem speaks volumes of hope to us today. The people of God had rebelled, and the consequence of their rebellion was exile from the land that God had given them to. But God didn't leave them in exile. He redeemed His people according to His covenant faithfulness. Through rebuilding the walls of the Holy City, we are given a glimpse into God's plan of redemption for His people. The walls of Jerusalem serve as a reminder of the restoration that is made available to us through Jesus Christ. He makes a way for us to flee from sinfulness. God keeps His covenant. He remains faithful. He offers us redemption and restores us by His grace. The Gospel Nehemiah preaches the Gospel to us. This book shows us that God has a plan for redemption, and He intends to keep it. Despite our sinfulness and rebellion God remains faithful. He restores us like the city walls. He redeems us like the exiles. He prepares an inheritance in Heaven for us like the city of Jerusalem. He is faithful to the covenant made by the blood of Jesus Christ, just like He remained faithful to the exiles. Nehemiah draws our hearts closer to God and His Word, fixating us on His goodness, His plan, and His ability to redeem what's been broken. The Helps: This study is uniquely crafted to help you engage Scripture with both your heart and your mind. In it we offer you visual aids as well as tools to help you reflect on the text and encourage your understanding of the story of Nehemiah. Nehemiah and Jesus: Arise offers a side-by-side view of similarities in the lives of Nehemiah and Jesus with Scriptural cross-references. Nehemiah's prayers: At the beginning of the study, you'll find a list of all the prayers with the book of Nehemiah, along with their addresses in the book. Daily Study Questions: For each day of study, there are three questions to help you examine the Scripture reading closely and grow Spiritually. Weekly Reflection Questions: At the end of each study week, there are a set of reflection questions that are aimed at allowing you to meditate on the precepts learned throughout the week. Jerusalem Wall Map:

At the end of Arise,there is an illustration of what the walls and gates of Jerusalem looked like that acts as a visual guide for understanding the historical context of Nehemiah.

Sarah Morrison is a staff writer at The Daily Grace Co.