1
Running head: NEHEMIAH JOURNAL
Biblical Worldview on Nehemiah
Rebecca Peeler
Liberty University
EDUC 741
2
NEHEMIAH JOURNAL
Leadership Journal 1
Summary
Nehemiah clarified values for the people in chapter one by showing concern for his
people. The first chapter opens with him meeting one of his brothers and others from Judah. He
asked about the Jews who had escaped, who had survived exile. They responded to him with “the
remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame.” (ESV)
The walls of Jerusalem have been broken down and the gates were destroyed by the fire. When
he had heard the city of Jerusalem had been destroyed, he wept and mourned for days. He had
fasted and prayed to God. He confessed the sins of the people of Israel and himself to God. He
quotes a commandment that was given to Moses, “If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you upon
the peoples, but if you return to me and keep my commandants and do them though your outcast
are in the other most part of heaven I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have
chosen to make my name dwell there.” (ESV) This first chapter sums up Nehemiah’s concerns
and sorrows for what has happens to the Jews and the city of Jerusalem.
Reflection
Nehemiah the thing that all leaders must do, take action. With Nehemiah being the cup
bearer to the king took wine and gave it to the king. The king there was a sadness on his face.
Nehemiah became afraid and told him “Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place
of my father’s grave lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” (ESV) The king
asked him what he was requesting. He responded that he be sent to Judah. Once he gave the king
a length of time he would be gone for, he asked for letters from the king so he may pass safely to
Judah. One letter was for him to receive timber to rebuild the gates and the walls of Jerusalem as
well as the house he should occupy. When Nehemiah, some officers of the army and some
3
NEHEMIAH JOURNAL
horsemen arrived in Jerusalem, he inspected the walls. Without telling anyone what he was
planning to do, he inspected the city. Once he seen how bad the destruction was, Nehemiah
rallied the people of Jerusalem. By saying “You see the trouble we are in now, how Jerusalem
lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we no longer
suffer derision.” (ESV) He told them how God and the king have been good to him by providing
him with the letters. The people of Jerusalem began to work and rebuild. While Sanballat the
Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and Geshem the Arab heard of the rebuilding they
jeered at us and despised us and said, “What sit his thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling
against the king?” (ESV) Nehemiah told them “the God of heaven will make us prosper, and we
his servant will rise and build, but you have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem.” (ESV)
The first two chapters showed Nehemiah emerging as a leader. it bears similarities to so
many starts of great leadership stories throughout history. It starts with someone who truly cares
for others, sees a problem, pain, suffering and takes action.
Leadership Journal 2
Summary
The chapter opens up with opposition to Nehemiah’s work. Certain men were angry that
the Jews would attempt to rebuild the walls of the city. Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the
Ammonites and the Ashdodites plotted to come together and fight against Jerusalem to cause
confusion and stop the rebuilding of the walls. Their plan was to secretly attack the Jews to stop
the work. During this period Jews were coming from all over, increasing the number of available
laborers. Nehemiah then organized people by their clans and kept them armed and ready. He
made a speech to the nobles, officials and to the rest of the people saying “do not be afraid of
4
NEHEMIAH JOURNAL
them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons,
your daughters, your wives, and your homes.”
Once the enemies found out their strengths, they gave up their plan. Nehemiah
persevered and continued to work on the walls. He rallied his people together to not only labor
on the wall during the day, but also stand guard at night. Verse 23 says “so neither I nor my
brothers nor the servants nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us took off our
clothes; each kept his weapon at his right hand.” His leadership here is most displayed but his
organization. He had half of his servants work on the reconstruction and the other half ready for
battle. He also instructed them that due to the length of the wall someone would sound a trumpet
if there was distress so all would know where to go. Between the social organization of keeping
them in their clans while simultaneously organizing them for labor and battle showed exceptional
leadership ability.
Reflection
The words in this chapter can connect to us in the education field both metaphorically
and practically. Metaphorically when a child’s walls have been broken down due to failure in an
education setting or something upsetting the home life, we can help them rebuild their walls and
move forward due to our continuous contact on a daily basis. Practically we can take these
leadership qualities of organization and communication and apply them to our schools as well as
our classroom teaching methods. The effects of his leadership were apparent when the Jews from
all over the land came together even though they were separate clans to work as one people to
accomplish a task.
Leadership Journal 3
Summary
5
NEHEMIAH JOURNAL
Chapter five opens with complaints from some of the people against their Jewish
brothers. Some complained “with our sons and our daughters, we are many. So, let us get grain,
that we may eat and keep alive.” There were also some who said, “we are mortgaging our fields,
our vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine.” And there were those who
said “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards. Now our flesh
is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their children. Yet we are forcing our sons and
our daughter to be slaves and some of our daughters have been enslaved, but it is not in our
power to help it, for other men have our fields and our vineyards.
Nehemiah became very angry when he heard the outcry of this people. He brought
charges against the nobles and the people and said to them “You are exacting interest, each from
his brother.” He told them about how he brought as many Jews back to Jerusalem who had been
sold to other nations as slaves. When the nobles and officials became silent, not having any
words to say in response. He told them “the thing you are doing is not good. Ought you not to
walk in fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations are enemies?” He requested them to
return the fields, vineyards, their olive orchards and their houses, as well as a percentage of
money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them. The officials agreed to do as
Nehemiah was asking. In fact, he got priests and made the officials swear to do as they had
promised.
Once Nehemiah’s enemies had heard that the wall was finished, Sanballat and Geshem
sent for him so they could meet at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono. Realizing the intended to do
harm to him, he sent a messenger to inform them that he had a lot of work to do and he could not
come down. He was requested to meet four times and he responded the same way each time. The
fifth time that his enemies requested a meeting, they sent a letter stating that they believed the
6
NEHEMIAH JOURNAL
Jews intended to rebel which is why they were building the wall and that Nehemiah wished to
become their king. He responded this time by telling them “no such things as you say have been
done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind.” The letter was intended to scare
Nehemiah and the Jews to stop working. He was told there was a plot to kill Nehemiah at night
he was asked to go to the temple and close the doors. He soon realized the person that told him
was hired by the people wanting to meet with him. Running and hiding in the temple would’ve
been a sin so they wanted him to do so in order to ruin his name.
Reflection
We have proof of Nehemiah’s generosity in chapter five. While he was governor of the
land of Judah, he never ate the food allowance of the governor. Former governors had asked a lot
of the people and took from their daily ration. When he hosted other Jews and officials as well as
those who came from other nations, he used his own expenses. He never demanded the food
allowance that was allowed for governors because he believed it was too much on his people.
Chapter five closes with Nehemiah saying remember for my good, O my God, all that I have
done for this people.
Leadership Journal 4
Summary
Chapter eight begins with all the people fathered in the square in front of the Watergate.
Ezra begins to read from the book of the law by Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel. He
did this while standing on a wooden platform that was made just for this day, the first day of the
seventh month. As he opened it, Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people
answered “Amen, Amen”, lifting up their hands as they bowed their heads and worshipped the
Lord with their faces to the ground. There are some people such a Jeshua, Jamin, Akkub, Jozabad
7
NEHEMIAH JOURNAL
and the Levites helped the people understand the book of law and what they were hearing. They
read from the book the law of God, clearly and they made sense of it for people to understand.
Ezra as the priest and scribe told the people gathered “ this day is holy to the Lord your God; do
not mourn or weep.” The people wept as they heard the words of the law, he and the Levites
calmed all the people saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do be grieved.” Ezra instructed the
people to eat and drink as well as send portions to anyone who has nothing ready for this day is
holy to our Lord. On the second day the heads of the houses, the priests, the Levites and Ezra
met to study the words of the law.
Reflection
During this time, the people of Israel according to the book of the law were instructed to
dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month. The went to the hills to bring back leafy
trees to make the booths. There was great rejoicing during this time. They kept the feast seven
days and on the eight day there was a solemn assembly, according to the rule. On the twenty-four
day of the month the people of Israel gathered separating themselves from all foreigners while
fasting, in sackcloth and with earth on their heads. The Israelites confessed their sins and
inequities of their fathers. They read from the book of the law for a quarter of the day and for
another quarter they made confessions and worshipped the Lord their God. They began to
worship their Lord listing the things God has done. From choosing Abraham to leading the Jews
out of Egypt, to giving the commandments to Moses and even giving them bread from heaven
and water from a rock. They then reflected on how they disobeyed God and then noting that God
is forgiving, gracious, merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love so he did not
forsake them. Verse nine closes with “Because of all this we make a firm covenant in writing; on
the sealed document as the names of our princes, our Levites and our priests.”
8
NEHEMIAH JOURNAL
Leadership Journal 5
Summary
The priest, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the temple servants, and all who have knowledge
and understanding joined with their brothers and their nobles for an oath to walk in God’s law
that was given by Moses. This oath was to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord and
his rules and statutes. No one will marry or buy goods on the sabbath or holy day. On the
seventh year, they will forgive every debt. Annually, they will give a third part of a shekel for the
service of the house of the Lord. They will make grain offering and burnt offerings. They will
give the priests the first of their doe, fruit of every tree, the wine and oil. To the priests that
ministered the house of our God, they will give the first born of their sons and cattle. To the
Levites, they will give their tithes from the crops they grow. All the contributions are kept in
storehouses for the house of God. “We will not neglect the house of our God.”
Reflection
During the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, Levites from all places came to Jerusalem
to take part of the celebration, with Thanksgivings and singing. The priests , the people and
Levites purified themselves and the gats of the walls. On that day, there was also a service at the
temple, where the contributions, the first fruits and the tithes were gathered, and the portions
required by the law for the priests and Levites. There were services performed while all of Judah
celebrated, Nehemiah gave daily proportions to the singers and gatekeepers. The gatekeepers set
a part a portion for the Levites and the Levites set aside a portion for the son of Aaron. This
shows a sense of community, dedication and sacrifice which was part of the oath they gave to
God.
9
NEHEMIAH JOURNAL
Leadership Journal 6
Summary
In chapter 13 we see that Nehemiah is no longer in Jerusalem but has went to Babylon. In
his absence he placed Eliashib to oversee the chambers in the house of God. After some time in
Babylon he asked the King Artaxerxes for permission to leave and head back toward Jerusalem.
Upon returning to Jerusalem, he discovered Eliashib had poorly managed the house of God and
the oath they had taken to God to keep the holy day sabbath and obey the book of law. The tithes
of grain, wine and oil had not been given as required. he instructed the tithes to be given and all
of Judah responded. There was also buying and selling of goods on the sabbath which was
forbidden. After closing the gates and posting guards up, Merchants began to set up outside the
walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah physically threatened them, and the merchants stopped coming on
the sabbath. He also observed Jews marrying, which again was forbidden in the oath that was
taken to God. He confronted these people and made them retake the oath.
Reflection
Nehemiah showed amazing leadership from arriving in Jerusalem, fathering his people
together, rallying them for a cause, unifying them for a purpose and God, reminding them of
their need for Gods mercy. Despite Nehemiah’s efforts and accomplishments, the people in the
city did not stay on course when he went to Babylon. When he returned, he once again showed
great leadership by setting things right again. This type of fixing and having someone else break
it is very relatable to us on a personal level, with our children, coworkers, careers. we can do
really good, but once that leader has left our immediate responsible, we see the influence of
others change all we have accomplished. Sometimes it is a positive change and other times it
10
NEHEMIAH JOURNAL
resets back to square one. In education, we have the pleasure of being leaders in the lives of
children we see every day. We can see the positive impacts we have. We hope those positive
impacts have lifelong lasting effects. We do unfortunately see some students head in a different
direction. Part of our goal as educators should be to investigate and provide solutions where we
have shortcomings.
Effective leadership comes from experience and learning what worked and what didn’t.
This is something that cannot be learned overnight. Having supportive workers within your team
that can help communicate what went well or how they would like to see improvement. As a
leader, you need to take risks. Some risks have great rewards while others are complete failures.
It is what happens after a failure that shows a leader’s true strength. Education is all about
collaboration and teamwork. "It is the "supportive worker" that has an understanding of what
needs to be done and then "takes initiative." The leader is the "cheerleader" for the group that is
keeping them on track and supporting them on their team work. If one member of the team fails
or doesn't participate then the team fails. The supportive workers are the one picking up the slack
from everyone else.
