After the death of Solomon, the Kingdom of Israel divided. Ten tribes formed the Northern Kingdom under Jeroboam, lasting a few hundred years and was taken captive and never heard of as a nation again. The other two tribes formed the Southern Kingdom under Rehoboam known as Judah (Israel). In the history of the Northern Kingdom one evil king of Israel was Ahab, who married an evil woman named Jezebel. They worshipped idols and built altars to the idol Baal. Elijah, a man of God told Ahab it would not rain for some 3 years (I Kings 18:1) for God was angry at their sinful deeds (I Kings 16:33).

A certain widow and her son only had a "handful of meal" and a "little oil in a cruise" but shared it with Elijah (I Kings 17:12) and God continually replaced her food supply. One day the son of the widow fell sick and "no breath was left in him" (I Kings 17:17). Elijah took the son up unto a loft and stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the Lord, and said, "O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again" (I Kings 17:21)

"The Lord heard the voice of Elijah and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived" (1 Kings 17:21).

God told Elijah to go tell Ahab he would send rain upon the earth. A contest would be held at Mt. Carmel. All Israel against the prophets of Baal. Elijah asked Israel, "How long will you halt between two opinions, if the Lord is God, follow him, and if Baal, then follow him," and the people answered not a word (I Kings 18:19-21). Elijah hoped to turn the people back to God. Elijah said, "Give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under, and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under.. Call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God" (I Kings 18:23-24).

The test was agreed upon by all and the prophets of Baal began to call on their god. This went on all day and there was no answer. Now it was Elijah's turn to call on his God, the God of heaven. Elijah dressed and placed the bullock on the altar and poured 4 barrels of water on the sacrifice then told his men to do it a second time and a third (I Kings 18:34-35). Then Elijah called on his God, "Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou are God in Israel, and I am thy servant, and have done all these things at thy word" (I Kings 18:36).

"Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust and licked up the water that was in the trench" (I Kings 18:38).

When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: saying, "The Lord, he is the God" and Elijah slew the prophets of Baal (I Kings 18:38-40). When Jezebel heard this she sent a message unto Elijah saying she would see him dead by tomorrow. After the great victory Elijah saw God perform, he let fear fill his heart and he ran into the woods and wished to die. An angel of God appeared to him and fed him with enough strength for "40 days and 40 nights" (I Kings 19:2-8). God spoke to Elijah out of a "whirlwind in a still small voice" telling Elijah to prophecy the fate of Jezebel and Ahab and it wasn't a pretty one. "In the place where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth, shall the dogs lick thy blood, even thine" (I Kings 21:19).

"And of Jezebel also spake the Lord, saying the dogs shall EAT JEZEBEL by the wall of Jezreel" (1 Kings 21:28).

Elisha took up the work of Elijah (II Kings 4:32-36) who was taken up to heaven by God. "Behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven" (II Kings 2:11).

Naaman, Captain of the Syrian army was a great man, honourable and a man of valour. The Lord had given deliverance unto Syria by him. Naaman had a dreaded incurable disease called leprosy. Elisha the prophet told Naaman he would be healed if he would "go wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean" (11 Kings 5:10). The leper, Naaman, was angry for he was an important man and said, "I thought he will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper, and he went away in a rage." Naaman even mentioned 2 other rivers that were better, but he obeyed and when he dipped 7 times in Jordan (God's choice) "his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean" (II Kings 5:11-14).

Because the Israelites had forgotten God, Israel was allowed to be taken captive by heathen nations. The walls of Jerusalem, the "holy city" had fallen, Israel had sinned and only a remnant remained (two southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin of the Babylonian captivity). The other 10 tribes of Israel had gone into Assyrian captivity (I Chronicles 9:1). God sent 16 prophets to warn the people to repent and return to God. (Isaiah thru Malachi). Nehemiah was a Jewish captive and seeing the plight of his people Israel, and the ruin of the walls of Jerusalem, he set a time to rebuild the walls and went seeking the welfare of the children of Israel (Nehemiah 2:6-10). Maybe he might not have felt like a leader, but seeing the need of his people stirred-up the best in Nehemiah.

God had talked to Nehemiah's heart (Nehemiah 2:12) and he listened and decided within himself that with God's help the walls of Jerusalem could be rebuilt. No need to waste time "throwing bricks at the enemy," just get busy. The enemy would be around soon enough to tell you "it can't be done" and your courage and good ideas go down the drain. Remember any time we seek to further God's cause, Satan will send in his forces to discourage us, so expect it.

Now laughter and fun-poking is something that is hard for us to take. When Sanballat and Tobiah heard Nehemiah's plans they "laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, what is this thing that ye do" (Nehemiah 2:19). You will always have the "Sanballats and Tobiahs" in this life, so expect them. Anytime you "let your light shine" it will reflect in someone's life and your good shows up their bad and they don't like it. But God likes it, and that is enough. If we are ever going to serve God we have to get used to the laughter and ridicule of the opposition. Remember they did much more to Jesus, our Saviour and he took it because of us. He could love beyond the weaknesses of others and said "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do" as he died on the cross (Luke 23:34).

THE FAITH TO BEGIN

It takes faith to begin anything, faith in God and in yourself. Nehemiah had the answer "the God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore, we his servants will arise and build. " Then Nehemiah rolled up his sleeves, gathered the people together and began to work. The secret was "the people had a mind to work" (Nehemiah 2:20 & 4:6). Problems, of course, Sanbalot and Tobiah and others conspired all of them together to come and to hinder the work; nevertheless, "we made our prayer unto our God and set a watch against them day and night" (Nehemiah 4:8-9).

Discouragements, of course, "there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall (Nehemiah 4:10). If the walls of your life have crumbled, don't despair. Start at the bottom and clear the rubbish away. Whatever hinders you from serving God remove it and start building. If you are not close to God anymore, part of the "rubbish" can be "wrong associates" or "lack of prayer time" and "no Bible study." Too many "worldly interest" or "being separated from stronger Christians" who are building strong walls also in their lives and have had experience. If you have the same foundation as before, the walls will crumble again, so build on God's word.

When the people feared, Nehemiah gave them motivation by bringing their attention on their families. Your family needs strong walls for protection and you should fight for them, if not for yourself, said Nehemiah. The people continued to build, sometimes with a weapon in one hand and a watchful eye for the enemy (Nehemiah 4:14-17).

"The work is great and large and we are separated upon the wag one far from another" (Nehemiah 4:19).

How many times has your faith faltered and a good friend reminds you to have faith. The people lived in the city and kept at the work day, with an encouragement from Nehemiah that "our God shall fight for us" (Nehemiah 4:20). The walls went up in spite of the laughter and the funmaking of the opposition. When they sought to hinder the work Nehemiah replied, "I am doing a great work and why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?" (Nehemiah 6:3).

The opposition sent a letter to Nehemiah's king telling him Nehemiah was trying to take his place as king (Nehemiah 6:6-7) of Judah. It wasn't true. It caused the workers to fear but Nehemiah prayed, "O God, strengthen my hands" (Nehemiah 6:9). The people wanted to run into the temple and shut the doors in fear and Nehemiah answered them, "should such a man " I (a man of God) flee?" (Nehemiah 6:11).

It's not wrong to have fears, it's only when we allow our fears to stop us from doing God's will and give up and do nothing that we sin. Nehemiah's prayer put the power where it was needed, on the enemies. Prayer calls the greatest power in the universe, Almighty God, to our aid. Nehemiah prayed, "My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to their works (deeds), that would have put me in fear" (Nehemiah 6:14). Nehemiah was saying, "Get 'em good, Father, stop the opposition," and even called them by name. Take care of my enemies. The enemy learned a lesson that day - God never looses and so "the wall was finished" (Nehemiah 6:15).

"When all our enemies heard, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God" (Nehemiah 6:16).

1. One evil king of Israel 'm our lesson was a man named _____________ who married a wicked woman named ____________________ who worshipped idols, one of whom was named Baal (I Kings 16:30-33).

2. Elijah was able to return the widow's kindness when her son fell sick and died. Elijah called to God who returned the "________________ of the child" and he lived (I Kings 17:17-23).

3. Jezebel’s death was prophecied by God through Elijah who said she would be eaten by_____________ by the wall called Jezroel (I Kings 21:23).

4. Elijah did not die but was taken by a _______________ into _______________ by God (11 Kings 2:11).

5. Name another man of God, who took up the work of Elijah? __________________ (II Kings 4:32-36)

6. Elisha sent a messenger telling Naaman the Loper to dip in the _____________ River ____________ times and he would be healed as God promised (II Kings 5:10-14).

7. When Sanballat and Tobiah heard Nehemiah's plans to rebuild the walls they "______________ us to scorn" (Nehemiah 2:19).

8. The people succeeded in their work because they had a __________________ to work." (Nehemiah 4:6).

9. The workers had to clear away the "______________" before they could rebuild the walls of the holy city Nehemiah 4:10).

10. One hinderance to the work of rebuilding the walls was, even though the work was great, the people were "_______________________ upon the wall, one far from another" (Nehemiah 4:19).

NAME__________________________ LESSON RECEIVED____________________

ADDRESS_______________________ LESSON RETURNED____________________

________________________________ GRADED BY____________ GRADE________

I will promptly grade your answers and mail you the results.

Or, write for the free Bible course to be mailed to your home.
I will promptly grade them and mail you the other lessons.

Prev | Home | Next