Page 79 - Principles of Leadership - Nehemiah

Under the leadership of Ezra, he must have asked the men to come together on the second day to follow the
instruction found in Deuteronomy 6:7. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them
when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you
rise. Following this command, we see that on the second day, the family leaders (the men) of all the people,
along with the priests and Levites, assembled before Ezra the scribe to study the words of the law. In a real
revival, you will find men stepping up to live out their Christian faith so that they can pass it down to their
children. The above verses re-enact what God had done for them during the exodus from Egypt. Do not miss
the words that are used repeatedly in this context, that all the people or the whole community participated in
this celebration.

Notice the linkage that Ezra makes in this passage to those who had previously returned from exile. The whole
community that had returned from exile made booths and lived in them. “Nehemiah invites his audience to
compare the journey made by the returnees to the journey celebrated at the Festival of Booths. By mentioning
Joshua, Nehemiah invokes how Israel conquered the land under him. It is as though Ezra, a new Moses, has
been joined by Nehemiah, a new Joshua, for a new exodus and new conquest of the land.” 200 Many expositors
call Nehemiah the second exodus.

Let’s Practice…

1. Who became a prominent spokesman for God in chapter 8 of Nehemiah?

2. For how long had Ezra lived in Jerusalem when Nehemiah arrived to rebuild the walls?

3. The people gathered at the Watergate and asked Ezra for what?

4. How long in a day did the people stand and listen to the Law of Moses being read?

5. What happened to the people as a result of listening to the Law of Moses being read?

6. What does JOY stand for? Why is this acrostic significant?

7. What feast did the Israelites celebrate for seven days?

8. What did this feast celebrate?

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