C.R.E (e) Nehemiah 1. a) How Nehemiah restore independence of Israelites through religious reforms i. He cleansed the temple by expelling tobiah ii. He restored the Levites to their rightful duties iii. He stopped the Israelites from marrying foreigners iv. He reinstated the true worship on the Sabbath by abolishing business activities v. He led the people in the renewal of the covenant vi. He improved their tithing system vii. He gave the singers their rightful position in the temple viii. He purified the priests and the people as a sign of making them fit for gods service 2. (a) 8 occasions in which Nehemiah prayed to justify his needs in Judah (i) When he received report from Hanani about the condition of the Jerusalem wall and oppression of his people (ii) Before expressing his sorrow and sadness to King Artexexes, (iii) When Tobiah/Sanballet and other enemies discouraged the workers at the temple not to build the wall (iv) When he donated his dues to the needy in society, he wanted God to reward him (v) When Sanballet/Tobiah and Geshem threatened to harm him (vi) When Shemiah attempted to frighten him to hide in the temple (vii) After cleansing the temple (viii) After warning people of Judah against violating the Sabbath (ix) After chasing away the son-in-law of Sanballat (x) After cleansing the Israelites from mixing with foreigners (xi) When he learnt of the conspiracy to invade Judah (b) The socio-economic problems that Nehemiah faced as the Governor of Judah after completing the wall of Jerusalem (i) Mortgage their children as tithe deeds (security) to buy food (ii) Mortgaging of their field /vineyard houses to get grain during femine (iii) Giving out of their fields /children as slaves to pay the Kings tax (iv) During famine people could pay high prices for emperors (v) There was a rapid increase in population leading to economic crisis (vi) Borrowing of loan and paying back at a high interest rates (vii) Daughters were sold off to creditors (viii) Cost of building the wall brought huge debt, that forced Nehemiah to allow forced labor to pay tax (c) 6 good qualities in Nehemiah which can help modern leaders in Church and society to Execute good leadership today (i) Diplomacy (ii) Faith and trust in God (iii) Courage and Bravery (iv) Leaders to sacrifice for the well being of others (v) Leaders should have ability to mobilize his people for effective development (vi) Leaders should be honest (vii) Leaders should be initiative (viii) Leaders should show love/compassion (ix) Leaders should understand their people through interacting with them freely 3. a) Problems experienced by Nehemiah as governor of Judah i. Opposition to the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem ii. Opposition from Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem iii. Plots against Nehemiah’s life by Sanballat and Tobiah iv. Accusations of treason against the emperor of Persia by Tobiah and Sanballat v. The rebuilding project was ridiculed by Sanballat vi. The Jew’s were despised by their enemies as a minority and hence harassed vii. Prophet Shemiah was to force Nehemiah to commit sacrilege by hiding in the temple viii. There was poverty and famine in Judah ix. The wealthy land owners exploited the poor x. People were heavily taxed in order to finance the rebuilding of the wall and to pay the Kings fat xi. People took loans in order to pay tax and paid interest on it contrary to the Mosaic law which demanded that the poor people of Israel should not be charged interest on loans b) Lessons a Christian leader can learn from the problems faced by Nehemiah i. They should be prepared to face opposition as they preach the gospel ii. They should have faith in God and persevere as they carry out their duties iii. They should fight for the rights of the poor in the society and their wealth to benefit others iv. They should learn how to correct wrong doers v. They should learn to condemn all forms of injustice e.g. corruption vi. They should be ready to forgo their personal interests for the sake of God’s kingdom 4. (a) Dedication of the wall of Jerusalem • When the wall was completed the Jews were overjoyed. • Nehemiah invited Levites who were custodian of Israelites religion. • He also invited Priests, political leaders and the Israelites • Singers were also invited & they came with cymbals, harps & lyres • Priests &Levites purified themselves, the people, • The gates and the walls were also purified • Nehemiah brought leaders (Princes) of Judah upon the wall he then appointed two groups who gave thanks and then went into a procession • 1st group led by Ezra went t the wall to the right • The 2nd group went to the left • Two groups finally converged at the temple, where there was singing, sacrifices & rejoicing • Nehemiah then chose people to be in-charge of tithes, offerings and contributions & ensure they are handled well • The city was once more seen as the city of God (b) Similarities between Jesus & Nehemiah • Both were prayerful thy prayed for strength and courage when they faced challenges • Both had good leadership qualities and courage, Jesus on the other hand courageously withstood hostilities • Both cared for the needy • Both condemned evil & injustices in society • Both encourage repentance & forgiveness of sins (Nehemiah during renewal of the covenant, Jesus , in his parables) 5. Five teachings Christians can learn about patriotism from the characters of Nehemiah • They should have great love for their country • They should participate in developments projects of their country as Nehemiah did • They should be mindful of the welfare of other citizens and cater for their needs • They should promote justice as Nehemiah condemned those who exploited the poor • They should be ready to defend their country in event of external aggression • They should defend the values of their country and avoid bad foreign influence • They should be law binding citizens and respect the constitution of the country • They should pay taxes promptly to enhance development • They should recognize and respect public national days like Nehemiah did for Sabbath • They should participate in national elections by praying and choosing good leaders
Posted on: Mon, 25 Aug 2014 07:35:52 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015