Day 7 - Sabbath - Saturday - Lord's Day - Sunday - International KJV Sunday school Lesson - For Teachers and Students, Outline

 April 18

Lesson 7 (KJV)

The Restoring Builder

Devotional Reading: Daniel 9:4–6, 15–19

Background Scripture: Nehemiah 2:11–20; 13:1–22

Nehemiah 2:11–20

11 So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.

12 And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon.

13 And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire.

14 Then I went on to the gate of the fountain, and to the king’s pool: but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass.

15 Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and entered by the gate of the valley, and so returned.

16 And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work.

17 Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.

18 Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king’s words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.

19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?

20 Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.

 Key Verse

Said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.—Nehemiah 2:17

Prophets Faithful to God’s Covenant

Unit 2: Prophets of Restoration

Lessons 5–8

Lesson Aims

After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:

1. Summarize the results of Nehemiah’s nighttime excursion around Jerusalem.

2. Explain why faith in the Lord and careful planning are not necessarily contradictory.

3. Prepare a testimony of how God’s hand has been at work in his or her life.

Lesson Outline

Introduction

A. Upgrading the Ugly

B. Lesson Context

I. Surveying the City (Nehemiah 2:11–16)

A. Arriving and Waiting (v. 11)

B. Diagnosing the Damage (v. 12–16)

Assessing the Situation

II. Summoning the Leaders (Nehemiah 2:17–18)

A. Encouragement to Build (v. 17)

B. Evidence of God’s Hand (v. 18)

The Importance of Buy-In

III. Scorning the Critics (Nehemiah 2:19–20)

A. Words of Contempt (v. 19)

B. Words of Conviction (v. 20)

Conclusion

A. Good Hands

B. Prayer

C. Thought to Remember

HOW TO SAY IT

Ammonite	Am-un-ite.
Artaxerxes	Are-tuh-zerk-seez.
Babylonian	Bab-ih-low-nee-un.
Cyrus	Sigh-russ.
Geshem	Gee-shem (G as in get).
Hanani	Huh-nay-nye.
Horonite	Hor-oh-night.
Nehemiah	Nee-huh-my-uh.
Persia	Per-zhuh.
Sanballat	San-bal-ut.
Susa	Soo-suh.
Tobiah	Toe-bye-uh.
Uzziah	Uh-zye-uh.

What Do You Think? What factors should cause you to determine that a strategic, multi-day delay on a project is not merely procrastination? Digging Deeper Was Paul admitting to procrastination in Acts 22:16? Why, or why not?

What Do You Think? What kinds of ministries may need to be conducted with a level of secrecy at first? Digging Deeper How do texts such as Matthew 6:3–6; Mark 7:24; and John 7:10; 18:20 inform your answer? Are you comfortable working in secret when that mode is called for? Why, or why not?

What Do You Think? Do you respond more readily to an appeal to help fix an obvious deficiency, or to an appeal to improve an existing “good enough” situation? Why is that? Digging Deeper Considering Luke 12:16–21, what helps you keep pure motives in the second situation?

What Do You Think? At what stage of a ministry project should you, as a leader or follower, pause for a private evaluation of motives for participating? Digging Deeper How can the record of the differing motives behind the “let us build” lines of Genesis 11:4; Nehemiah 2:18; 2 Chronicles 14:7; and Ezra 4:1–5 help frame your conclusion?

What Do You Think? Under what circumstances would you refuse the help of someone else on a ministry project? Digging Deeper How do Mark 9:38–40; 1 Corinthians 5:11; and Ephesians 5:11 influence your answer, if at all?

Conclusion

A. Good Hands

Often when asking for help, we say, “Give me a hand with this.” An often told tale illustrates the wisdom of asking for help when a task is too big for us.

As the story goes, a father watched through the kitchen window as his small son tried to move a large rock in the yard. The boy couldn’t get quite enough leverage to tip the rock over.

At one point the father came outside and asked the boy, “Can’t you lift the rock?”

“No, Dad, I just can’t do it.”

“Are you using all the strength you have?”

The boy responded, “Yes, but I just can’t move it.”

The father replied, “No, you’re not using all the strength you have because you haven’t asked me to help.”

Nehemiah was going to have, not just one rock, but a whole pile of rocks and rubble to move in order to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. But heavenly and earthly hands would give him more than enough help.

Nehemiah could have sung, as a precursor to the old hymn, “He’s got the whole wall in His hands.” Like the little boy, our efforts matter, but they will not succeed all on their own. If we ask our Father for help, He has us and every task He gives us in His hands as well. Fervent prayer on the part of Nehemiah played a vital part (Nehemiah 1:4–6, 11; 2:4; 4:9; 6:14).

B. Prayer

God, give us Your powerful hand! Without it we are weak; with it we have strength to overcome any obstacle. Let us rise up and build Your church, confident in Your promise to be with us. May our hands be strengthened for the work to which You have called us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

C. Thought to Remember

Pray for God’s powerful hand to be at work in your life daily.

 Redford, Douglas, Charles R. Boatman, et al. “The Restoring Builder.” The KJV Standard Lesson Commentary, 2020–2021. Ed. Ronald L. Nickelson, Jane Ann Kenney, and Margaret K. Williams. Vol. 68. Colorado Springs, CO: Standard Publishing, 2021. 287. Print.