Nehemiah 11 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study
Nehemiah 11 Short Summary:
Nehemiah 11 documents the effort to repopulate the city of Jerusalem. The men of Judah cast lots and 1 out of every 10 men was chosen to relocate to Jerusalem to strengthen the city. Verses 3-24 record the number of the who lived in Jerusalem, while verses 25-26 list of the names of the inhabited towns and villages outside of Jerusalem.
Nehemiah 11 Summary
WHEN:
538-537 BC – Cyrus the Great of Persia frees the Jews from their Babylonian captivity.
516 BC – The rebuilding of the Temple is completed in Jerusalem.
457 BC – Ezra arrives in Jerusalem.
445-444 BC – Nehemiah arrives in Jerusalem.
KEY CHARACTERS:
Jews – Descendants of the tribes of Israel. After returning from their 70 years of captivity in Babylon, they made their homes in Judah. A few chose to live in Jerusalem but most of them chose to live in towns away from the capital.
WHERE:
Jerusalem – The capital of the Kingdom of Judah and the location of God’s Temple.
The Towns and Villages of Judah – The end of Nehemiah 11 lists the names of villages inhabited by the people of Judah and Benjamin.
OUTLINE:
THE LOTTERY TO LIVE IN JERUSALEM (11:1-2):
Nehemiah 7:4 informs us that the city of Jerusalem was “wide and large, but the people within it were few.”
Even after 90 years of rebuilding, and the completion of the Temple and the walls, it seems few people were interested in living in the capital city.
To populate the city and make it stronger, a lottery system was invented. The people cast lots, and one out of every ten men was selected to move to Jerusalem.
Some men volunteered willingly to move to Jerusalem, and they were blessed by the people.
THE INHABITANTS OF JERUSALEM (11:3-24):
These verses provide a record of the leading men who lived in Jerusalem by their father’s houses.
Listed among them are 1,192 priests, 284 Levites, and 172 gatekeepers.
VILLAGES OUTSIDE JERUSALEM (11:25-36):
The final section of the chapter is a record of the names of some of the towns and villages where those who dwelt outside of Jerusalem lived.
APPLICATION
Most people want to move to a part of town where there is already a strong and flourishing church with good preaching, strong leadership, and a good culture.
But have you ever considered that God might want you to move somewhere to build up a weak church? Or perhaps to plant a church where one doesn’t exist?
Even though Jerusalem wasn’t a place most people wanted to live, some of the men volunteered to move there because they understood the need.
Do we understand the need of those who don’t have a church? Or the need of communities that will lose their good churches if they don’t get help?
There may be a season in our lives when being part of a big healthy church is what we need, but we should also remain open to the idea that there may be a season of our lives that we should dedicate to helping those who don’t have a big healthy church.
