Tag: bsf answers questions lesson 25 day 3

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BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 25, Day 3: Nehemiah 7:4-73

by atozmom, posted in BSF Exile & Return: A Time to Build 2025/2026

Summary of Nehemiah 7:4-73

Nehemiah lists the names of the exiles who returned.

BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 25, Day 3: Nehemiah 7:4-73

6a) There were not many people living in the city. So, Nehemiah verified the families, ensuring spiritual purity for worship and identifying loyal defenders for the newly built walls.

b) God put the census into his heart.

7a) The groupings represent the restoration of covenant order. They distinguish between civil identity (clans and towns for inheritance), religious leadership (priests and Levites for worship), and service roles (gatekeepers and servants). This ensured everyone had a verified lineage and a specific duty in rebuilding the Jewish nation.

b) These verses demonstrate that holiness is non-negotiable. Potential priests were excluded from sacred duties because their lineage was unverified.

8a) Not much. I was raised a Christian, but my background is not one of strong faith.

b) Currently, I don’t serve. I volunteer where there are events online I can help with here and there. Unsure on this one. I feel like I serve here in this forum as part of my service to Him.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 25, Day 3: Nehemiah 7:4-73

I love that God is orderly and He has a desire to ensure His people flourish. He also wanted to make sure they were His by verifying their heritage.

End Notes BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 25, Day 3: Nehemiah 7:4-73

Nehemiah needed to know who was in Jerusalem, so he could help build it back up.

These were the courageous ones who left the comfort of Babylon to return to God’s land and His promises.

Only about 2% of those taken returned, so God mentions them twice in the Bible (here and in Ezra 2).

God cares about each of us individually and about what we can do for His kingdom.

We’ll see people begin to return to Jerusalem in Nehemiah 11.

END NOTES SUMMARIZED

With the walls built, Nehemiah realized the city was large, but the population was sparse, and houses were few (v. 4). He needed to transform a fortress into a community.

  • Establishing Identity (vv. 5–60): God inspired Nehemiah to register the people by genealogy, using the records of those who first returned with Zerubbabel. This confirmed that the current residents were the legitimate heirs of God’s covenant, connecting them to their history before the exile.

  • Protecting Holiness (vv. 61–65): Some priests could not find their genealogical records. Nehemiah excluded them from sacred service until their lineage could be verified. This prioritized the purity of worship over simply filling positions; convenience did not override God’s standards.

  • Generous Investment (vv. 70–73): The chapter concludes with a tally of the whole assembly (approx. 50,000 people) and their gifts to the treasury. The registration fostered a sense of ownership, leading heads of families to give extravagantly to the work.

Conclusion

This chapter demonstrates that structure requires substance. A city is defined not by its walls, but by its citizens. By vetting the people, Nehemiah ensured that Jerusalem would be inhabited by a faithful remnant who knew who they were, valued their spiritual heritage, and were ready to invest in the future.

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BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 25, Day 3: Genesis 41:33-57

by atozmom, posted in BSF Genesis 2020/2021

Summary of Genesis 41:33-57:

Joseph advised Pharaoh to look for a discerning and wise man to be put in charge of the land of Egypt. Commissioners should be put in charge of the land to take 1/5 of the harvest during the years of abundance and store it for the years of famine. Pharaoh puts Joseph in charge, second only to him in all of Egypt, for this plan. Pharaoh gave Joseph his signet ring, gave him clothes, and a gold chain. He had him ride in a chariot as his second in command. He was put in charge of all of Egypt.

Pharaoh gave Joseph the Egyptian name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him an Egyptian wife, the daugther of Potiphera, a priest of On.

Joseph was 30 when this happened. He traveled throughout the land, saving the grain as planned. He had so much grain saved that he stopped keeping track as he could no longer measure it. Joseph had two sons, Manasseh, meaning forget, and Ephraim, meaing twice fruitful. When the famine hit, Egypt was prepared. They sold grain to the people of Egypt and to other coutnries who had no stored up food.

BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 25, Day 3: Genesis 41:33-57

7) Joseph advised Pharaoh to look for a discerning and wise man to be put in charge of the land of Egypt. Commissioners should be put in charge of the land to take 1/5 of the harvest during the years of abundance and store it for the years of famine. Pharaoh puts Joseph in charge, second only to him in all of Egypt, for this plan.

8 ) God is preparing all of us for His purposes in life. Trusting in the Lord always is the key to peace as we find His purpose for our lives.

9) I’m so bad at these broad questions. Again, I have no specifics, but, in general, prayer has gotten me through a lot and my drive to keep on, keeping on.

10) I have faith that everything is in God’s plan. Although we are struggling financially right now, we are confident this is what God wants for our lives moving forward, and in the end, it will all work out. Because Romans 8:28 assures me everything is for Him and my good to be like Jesus.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 25, Day 3: Genesis 41:33-57

I had forgotten that it was Joseph/God who advised Pharaoh what to do. Love that.

End Notes BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 25, Day 3: Genesis 41:33-57

Other translations say “perish” instead of ruined. Perish is a much better translation here because it tells of the seriousness of the coming famine. If nothing were done, many people would likely perish. This is a much stronger word than merely ruined.

One-fifth of the food would be a big chunk of people’s food. But sacrifices had to be made so that survival would come out the other side. Some Bible scholars speculate that this could be up to 20% of the food from families, instead of the normal 10%.

The key would be someone who could coordinate and organize this monumental effort to save the people of Egypt. And who has been training in administration almost his entire life AND has God at his back?

Note that “the Spirit of God” here mentioned by Pharaoh is the Holy Spirit. You may have missed this like I did when I first read it.

Fun Fact: This is the first time in the Bible the Holy Spirit is seen coming to humans.

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Joseph’s Rise

Joseph had to have been shocked that Pharaoh chooses him to not only coordinate this life-saving effort, but also to have no one above him on earth except Pharaoh. Joseph, who mere moments before, was a slave, is now insanely powerful.

Yet, this was years in the making, designed by God, and promoted/exalted by God alone (Psalm 75:6-7).

The success you have in life is from God alone. Even your efforts of hard work, determination, perseverence, and more are from God. He alone grants you life, abilities, and talents to use for His glory. And as you advance in life, you rely more on Jesus who himself rose from nothing to be the almighty King.

Joseph would now be showered with wealth and gifts. He had Pharaoh’s authority as demonstrated by Pharaoh’s ring. He had beautiful clothes, gold chains, and chariots. He even was given a beautiful Egyptian wife who was high-born. Joseph has total authority over everyone except Pharaoh. Anyone see Jesus here?

Joseph is Given a New Name

Egyptians did not like Hebrews. Plus, Joseph was a slave. He had to be given a new identity in order to be respected. Pharaoh gave him an Egyptian name and an Egyptian wife to erase his past from others. Some Bible scholars speculate Joseph’s Egyptian name meant “the god speaks and this one lives.” This would be the only wife Joseph took. Yet, Joseph’s sons are given Hebrew names. This shows Joseph did not forget where he came from.

Famine is common in the Middle East. However, it was rare to have a famine that affected both Canaan and Egypt at the same time due to the fact that they depended on different waterways.