15 - Nehemiah: Rebuilding Walls of Jerusalem
In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, One God, Amen
Lesson No. ( 15 )
References
The book of Nehemiah.
Notes for Servants
i Does your heart kindle with holy zeal for the state of the church as Nehemiah’s did towards Jerusalem?
i We should pray and weep before the Lord for the church salvation. We should pray to the Lord to clean the church from the corruption and evil that befell her as Nehemiah did for his people. Before we pray for the church in general, let us pray for our relatives. Firstly, let us pray for our household so that all the members of the family may become honest children of God and members of the church.
i It is your duty, if you love Christ, to offer your service with honesty and contribute to the salvation of the people of God who constitute the church.
Objectives
General: Learn to have a fiery zeal for the glory of God and His house.
Specific: The children will be able to:
- Understand what the church means to God;
- Learn how to behave in the church;
- Donate money to the church in order to help participate in it’s needs.
Bible Verse
"Come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem,
that we be no more a reproach."
(Nehemiah 2:17)
Teaching Aids
Felt figure and flannel board.
Instruction
(1) Review last week's lesson.
(2) Who remembers the verse?
(3) Remind the children about the church occasions for the coming week.
(4) Tell the story of Nehemiah in a lively manner and pay attention to situations where there are strong feelings portrayed. Describe them in detail (i.e.Nehemiah's sadness, weeping, prayer, his fear when the king asked him, "Why is your face sad?", the kings astonishment, Nehemiah's happiness, his persistence, the people's confidence). Indulge yourself in the situation.
Story Time
Nehemiah was a servant in the Court of the King of Persia. He was a pious man who loved God and God's people who were in Jerusalem. He heard that the people in Jerusalem were in a difficult situation because of their enemies. To make matters difficult, the walls of Jerusalem were broken down and could no longer protect the city. When Nehemiah heard this, he became sad and sat down and wept for the holy city, Jerusalem. Then he thought to himself, "My tears for the city will not build her walls. The best thing to do is to pray to the Lord." So Nehemiah prayed to God saying, "O Lord, we are sinners but we return to you. My Lord, listen to my prayers, and grant me mercy in the sight of the king."
Nehemiah waited for a suitable chance to ask the king to allow him to go back to Jerusalem. One day when Nehemiah was serving the king, he felt that the king was watching him.
“ Why are you looking so sad, seeing your are not sick?” the king asked Nehemiah. “How can I help looking sad when the city where my ancestors were buried in is in ruins? Its gates have been destroyed by fire, and its walls need someone to build it.” Nehemiah answered. Nehemiah prayed to God and said to the king, “Let me go to Jerusalem, the city of my ancestors to rebuild it.” The king allowed him to travel and gave him letters addressed to the governors of the provinces through which he would pass to help him in his mission. He also gave him a letter to deliver to the keeper of the royal forests. The letter instructed the keeper to give Nehemiah timber needed for building and for the house he would live in.
Nehemiahhappilywent to Jerusalem. The king sent some army officers and a troop of horsemen with him. After he arrived in the city, Nehemiah rested for three days. One night, while the moon was still shining, he went out to have a look at the walls of Jerusalem. Only rubble and dust remained. It was clear that nothing could protect the city from the enemies.
Nehemiah went and called the elders of the people and said to them, "Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem." Some enemies stood against him, but Nehemiah's faith was deep and the Lord strengthened his heart. In a short time, all the people decided to gather together to reconstruct the wall. Although people mocked him, the work continued and half the wall was soon built. When the enemies saw this, they decided to fight Nehemiah and his people.
When Nehemiah knew of their plots against him, he ordered his men to carry arms. He divided his men into two groups: The first group carried arms to guard the Israelites and the second group carried their swords and continued building the wall. Some men stood on the wall and others watched the enemies. As the enemies were seen drawing near, some of Nehemiah’s men blew trumpets.
When the enemies saw this scene, they knew that their plan was known, and retreated. The men worked for fifty-two days from sunrise to sunset. The Lord blessed them and helped them in answer to Nehemiah's prayer. The wall was built at last. The city was well fortified and it’s inhabitants were secured and lived in peace.
Discussion
1 - Follow up the story by talking about it with the children.
2 - Continue the discussion while they do the activity.
Learning Activities
Activity Sheet.
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