Small Group Bible Study Guide 1. Connecting – Share your experiences in living the Word since your last meeting. (15 min.) 2. Reading the Word - Introduction to Nehemiah – Selected Readings from Ezra, Timeline of Activities and Hebrew Calendar (10 min.) 3. Discovering the Word - What do this and other cross-reference passages say? (30 min.) A. Read 2 Chronicles 36:15-21; What does this passage tell us about God? What caused the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of God’s people? See the Timeline of Activities Table.

B. What moved the heart of the King of Persia to allow the Jews to return? 2 Chronicles 36:2223; Ezra 1:1-4; What was the first rebuilding project? Ezra 3:1-6 What change has the exile brought to the attitude of the Jews?

C. What was the second rebuilding project? Ezra 3:7-10; Preparation for worship was pleasing to the Lord, so what happened? Ezra 4:1-5 Was it successful? Ezra 4:24

D. What enabled the work to continue to completion? Ezra 5:1-2; Ezra 5:17- 6:2 Finally – Ezra 6:15 Notice on the Timeline of Activities that Ezra does not come to Jerusalem until 57 years after the temple is completed. E. The sacrifices and temple worship were established, but when Ezra, the spiritual leader who knew God’s word arrived in Jerusalem, he was appalled. Why? Ezra 8:35-9:4; What did Ezra do? Ezra 9:5-15; What did the people do? Ezra 10:1-4

4. Applying the Word - In what ways can I personally respond to the passage? (20 min.) A. How does God send his messengers today? Do you think He allows judgment to come to our country because of our sins? If so, what examples can you think of? B. Does God still work through the heads of nations today? How would a better understanding of God’s ability to carry out His will through heathen leaders, possibly change our attitude about our current world situation? C. When the Jewish exiles gained their freedom, their first action was to re-establish the sacrifices and offerings to the Lord. What was missing from their sacrifices? I Samuel 15:22 D. When might it easier to sacrifice something rather than to confess our sins and turn from our disobedience to God’s word?

5. Reflection and Prayer - Reflect on how to apply the Word. Pray for an attitude of gratitude and grace in all circumstances, and for the needs of others as you close the session. (15 min.) Produced by Emmanuel Adult Discipleship Ministries, Kettering, OH. 45440-2092

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Small Group Bible Study Guide 6. Obeying the Word - How will I live out the grace God has given me during the time between sessions? _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________

Prayer Reminder List: _____________________________________

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Contact List: _____________________________________

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At Our Next Small Group Meeting I Will: Welcome and Host Group: ________________________________________________________ Lead Worship and Praise: _________________________________________________________ Lead Discover/Apply the Word Discussion: ___________________________________________ Lead Prayer Time: _______________________________________________________________ Coordinate a Service Project: _______________________________________________________

Small Group Leader’s Name: ________________________________________________________ Contact Information: ______________________________________________________________

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Small Group Bible Study Guide Timeline of Activities Biblical Ref. 2 Chronicles

Activity Fall and destruction of Jerusalem

Year(s) 586 B.C.

Persians & Medes conquest of Babylon

539 B.C.

First return of exiles with Zerubbabel (42,360 people) Began rebuilding temple Work stopped for 16 yrs. due to opposition

538 B.C.

Zechariah Haggai Ezra 6

Contemporary Prophets

520-480 B.C.

Temple completed; March 12, 515 B.C.

515 B.C.

Esther

Story of Esther – near annihilation of the Jews

479 B.C.

Ezra 7

Second return of exiles with Ezra - Priest, and “teacher of the Law of the God of Heaven” - Scribe, royal recorder who preserved the will of the kings - Cupbearer to king Jewish families who came to Jerusalem with Ezra (4 month trip) Intermarriage and confession of sins

458 B.C.

Third return of exiles with Nehemiah - Cupbearer to king - Builder - Governor of Jerusalem Walls of Jerusalem rebuilding complete

445 B.C.

Ezra 1 & 2 Ezra 3 Ezra 4 & 5

Ezra 8 Ezra 9-10 Nehemiah 1&2

Nehemiah 6

536 B.C. 520 B.C.

Persian King Nebuchadnezzar*

Cyrus 559-530 B.C. Cambyses 530-522 B.C.

Darius I 522-486 B.C. Xerxes 486-465 B.C. Artaxerxes 465-424 B.C.

458 B.C. 458 B.C.

445 B.C.

* Babylonian King Nehemiah – Themes of the Book 1. Renewal – re-establishing Jews commitment to God 2. Prayer – essential for completing any work for God 3. Opposition – strong resistance to the mission

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Small Group Bible Study Guide Hebrew Calendar from the Babylonian exile During the Babylonian exile, immediately after 586 BCE, Jews adopted Babylonian names for the months, and some sects, such as the Essenes, used a solar calendar during the last two centuries BCE. The Babylonian calendar was the direct descendant of the Sumerian calendar. Names and lengths of the months [1] Hebrew names of the months with their Babylonian analogs

Number Hebrew

Hebrew name

Length

Babylonian analog

Notes

1

‫ןסינ‬

Nisan / Nissan

30 days

Nisanu

called Aviv and Nisan in the Tanakh (April)

2

‫ ריא‬/ ‫רייא‬

Iyar

29 days

Ayaru

called Ziv in the Tanakh

3

‫ןוויס‬

Sivan

30 days

Simanu

4

‫זומת‬

Tammuz

29 days

Du'uzu

5

‫בא‬

Av

30 days

Abu

6

‫לולא‬

Elul

29 days

Ululu

(September)

7

‫ירשת‬

Tishrei

30 days

Tashritu

called Eitanim in the Tanakh

8

‫ןוושח‬

Marheshvan

29 or 30 days

Arakhsamna

often shortened to Heshvan; called Bul in the Tanakh

9

‫ולסכ‬

Kislev

30 or 29 days

Kislimu

also spelled Chislev

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Small Group Bible Study Guide 10

‫תבט‬

Tevet

29 days

Tebetu

11

‫טבש‬

Shevat

30 days

Shabatu

12*

‫׳א רדא‬

Adar I*

30 days

(January)

*

Only in leap years

Adaru 12 / 13* ‫רדא‬

Adar / Adar II*

29 days

(March)

During leap years Adar I (or Adar Aleph — "first Adar") is considered to be the extra month, and has 30 days. Adar II (or Adar Bet — "second Adar") is the "real" Adar, and has 29 days as usual. For example, in a leap year, the holiday of Purim is in Adar II, not Adar I. Names of the weekdays The Hebrew calendar follows the common seven-day weekly cycle. The Hebrew names for the weekdays are simply the day number within the week, in Hebrew, sometimes (noticeably in the newspapers) abbreviated as ‫( ׳א םוי‬Day 1 = Sunday) and so on, using the numerical value of the Hebrew letters: Yom Rishon (Hebrew: ‫" = )ןושאר םוי‬first day" = Sunday Yom Sheini (‫" = )ינש םוי‬second day" = Monday Yom Shlishi (‫" = )ישילש םוי‬third day" = Tuesday Yom Rivii (‫" = )יעבר םוי‬fourth day" = Wednesday Yom Chamishi (‫" = )ישימח םוי‬fifth day" = Thursday Yom Shishi (‫" = )ישש םוי‬sixth day" = Friday Yom Shabbat (‫ תבש םוי‬or more usually ‫" = )תבש‬seventh day or Sabbath day" = Saturday In Hebrew, the word "Shabbat" can also mean "week" [2], so that in ritual liturgy a phrase like "Yom Rivii b'Shabbat" means "the fourth day in the week" [3].

Source: Hebrew Calendar from Wikipedia

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January 2008

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