Summary of Nehemiah 1
Nehemiah reports that Jerusalem is broken and the gates have burned. He prayed to God, saying he confessed the sins he and the Israelites had made. They have not obeyed. He reminds God of His promise to gather them back to the Promised Land if they return to Him and obey. He asks for favor before the Lord.
BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 23, Day 2: Nehemiah 1
3) Nehemiah heard that the exiles who returned to Jerusalem are in trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is borken and its gates have been burned. He responds by mourning, weeping, fasting, and prayingbefore the Lord, repenting of his/their sins and asking God for favor.
4a)
God’s character: “Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments”
God’s people: God’s people are His servants. He confesses that the people have sinned, acted wickedly against God, and not obeyed His commands, decrees, and laws.
God’s promises: “If you (the people) return to me (God) and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.”
Nehemiah’s desire: “Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.”
b) This shows that Nehemiah understands God and His character. He represents the people by confessing for them. His prayer reveals a relationship of deep intimacy and corporate solidarity. He approaches God confidently based on His covenant faithfulness, yet humbly identifies with the people’s sin (“we have sinned,” v.6). This is vital because true spiritual leadership requires owning the community’s failures as one’s own to intercede effectively.
5) I’m currently searching for God’s will in my life right now. I have an important medical procedure coming up that I am anxious about. I am trying to determine what God wants for my life right now, what is His will for the rest of my life. I’m asking God for guidance and to move me in His direction, not mine.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 23, Day 2: Nehemiah 1
I love this example of prayer: praise God for who He is, confess your sins, remind God of His promises, ask for what you want/need. Good stuff!
End Notes BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 23, Day 2: Nehemiah 1
It’s been 1,000 years since Moses, and the people of God have 400 more years to wait for Jesus. Both Judah and Israel were in shambles. They had been exiled by Babylon, and only about 50,000 of the Jews decided to return when given the opportunity. It’s around 444 B.C.
We pick up the Israelites’ story 15 years after the Book of Ezra ends, so almost 100 years after the captives were allowed to return to Jerusalem. The walls of Jerusalem are still in rubble from the Babylonian conquest.
Nehemiah lives in the capital of the Persian empire and in the palace, so he is a person of import. He is tasked with rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls and the city. He spent about 13 years leading God’s people to rebuild the city.
The survivors were living in a city with no wall, and therefore, in constant fear of attack.
God would use Nehemiah, but first He has to do work inside of Nehemiah.
Nehemiah is a leader, as we all are in some part of our lives. He fasted and prayed before he did.
If your vision is big, you must pray. We’ll see that Nehemiah prayed for months before he did anything Nehemiah 1:1-4 and 2:1.
Prayer will relieve your stresses. It gives you strength.
We are to be humble before the Lord, confessing our sins without excuses, and realizing we need God to do it.
Nehemiah quoted from both Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 30.
Nehemiah wanted to do something, but he would need God to do so. God, use me!
END NOTES SUMMARIZED
The Report and Reaction (Verses 1–4)
The Scene: Nehemiah is in the citadel of Susa, serving the Persian King, enjoying comfort and prestige. The Crisis: His brother arrives with news that the Jewish remnant in Jerusalem is in “great trouble and shame.” The walls are broken, and the gates burned—meaning the city is defenseless and a laughingstock. The Response: Nehemiah does not offer pity from a distance; he internalizes the pain. He sits, weeps, mourns, and fasts. His broken heart immediately leads him to prayer rather than political maneuvering.
The Prayer of Preparation (Verses 5–11)
Nehemiah’s prayer establishes a model for crisis management:
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Adoration: He begins by acknowledging God as “great and awesome” and faithful to His covenant.
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Confession: He does not blame the Babylonians or his ancestors alone. He uses the word “we”—including himself and his father’s house in the nation’s sin.
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Remembrance: He quotes Deuteronomy back to God, reminding Him of His promise: if the people return to Him, God will gather them from the farthest skies.
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Petition: He asks for success, specifically requesting favor “in the sight of this man” (King Artaxerxes).
Conclusion
Nehemiah 1 teaches that effective leadership begins with empathy and intercession.
Before Nehemiah laid a single stone, he laid a foundation of prayer. He demonstrates that when we face a crisis, we must first look upward (to God’s character) and inward (confessing sin) before we look outward (to fix the problem).
The takeaway is that true burden-bearing bridges the gap between our personal comfort and the brokenness of God’s people.
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