Bible Study from January 4th, 2020
The Wisdom of Nehemiah, Part 1
This week’s Lesson Sermon Subject: God
Click here to play the audio as you read:
Bible Study Questions and Readings
Nehemiah, being the last of the prophets, was called by the Jews, “The Seal of the prophets.” How beautifully this applies to our Teacher. She is to us the seal of the discoverers of Truth. Jesus came and demonstrated how the Truth was to make man perfect right here. The object of his life-work, after a few centuries, seemed to have been lost. Then only a glimmer of light was seen here and there, until one was brought forth who rediscovered the glorious and infinitely perfect significance of our Master’s lifework. She has realized for us all, how he was most truly “The Way, the Truth, and the Life.” She first realized for herself how glorious it was to be free through the Truth, from the bondage of materiality. Then she set herself to the task of rebuilding the walls of the new Jerusalem. We have been called to help her in this glorious and yet solemn task. As the tumult of the enemy is heard in our camps, she orders us to put on our armor, and to stand ready to use our swords, but not discontinue the work. She says to us with Paul, “Take unto ourselves the whole armor of God, that we may be able to withstand in the evil day; and having done all, to stand.” After trying all sorts of devices to hinder the work our enemies, now try to make her come down from the wall, onto their plane or level, through malicious animal magnetism. But we can all hear her saying in most emphatic tones, — “I am doing a great work, so that I can not come down; why should the work cease, whilst I leave it and come down to you?” Can we not see that it is impossible for our Nehemiah to come down?
“The Rebuilding, by Nehemiah, of The Wall of Jerusalem” from the, Christian Science Journal September 1889, By Annie F. Colt, C. S.
Topic: Nehemiah and God’s Governance
Moderator: Mike from NY
Bible Readings: Nehemiah Chapters 1-13
Questions:
- Who was Nehemiah and what was his relationship to Artaxerxes, Sanballat, Tobiah, Eliashib, and Ezra? (Nehemiah 1)
- Who opposes Nehemiah in the rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem? (Nehemiah 2:10; 4:1-14; 5:1-7; 6:1-19; 7:1-5, 8:1-9:38; 13:7-31)
- What methods does the opposition use?
- How does Nehemiah overcome this opposition through the spiritual realm?
Notes from the Discussion
God put us here to be useful so the Bible is indeed relevent to all of us.
— from Bible Study
Do not say, “This is my error or my pain.” Say, “This is an attack against my Christ.”
— from Divinity Course and General Collectanea, (the “Blue Book”), by Mary Baker Eddy, page 156
Nothing is real and eternal, — nothing is Spirit, — but God and His idea. Evil has no reality. It is neither person, place, nor thing, but is simply a belief, an illusion of material sense.
— from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, page 71
For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.
— from Isaiah 50:7 King James Bible
That those whom God designs to employ in his service he will find out proper ways both to fit for it and to call to it. 3. That God has his remnant in all places; we read of Obadiah in the house of Ahab, saints in Caesar’s household, and a devout Nehemiah in Shushan the palace.
— from Matthew Henry Commentary for Nehemiah 1
No reason to get discouraged with difficult problem because we would not have the problem if we couldn’t meet it.
— from Bible Study
Ridicule allows us to strenthen our focus.
— from Bible Study
Hear us, our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads.
— Nehemiah 4 New International Version
Nehemiah brought God back into the picture.
— from Bible Study
Error goes back on itself with full force and destroys itself.
— from Bible Study
Reaction is the bridge over which animal magnetism reaches us. A disturbed, irritated thought is a catchall for error’s spurious suggestions.
What is the solution? The answer lies in the instant rejection of the aggressive suggestion. The Bible tells us to agree with our adversary quickly while we are in the way with him. Mrs. Eddy clarifies this in Science and Health by stating, “Suffer no claim of sin or of sickness to grow upon the thought. Dismiss it with an abiding conviction that it is illegitimate.” (p. 390)
A wise worker once said, “Be so instant in Truth that error is always too late.”
— Sermons and Articles, by Doris White Evans, page 70
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
— from Matthew 5:11-13 King James Bible
Allow nothing to come between you and God. Jesus recognized nothing between himself and the Father and he is your model.
— from “Hints on Healing” by Rev. Frank E. Mason, CSB, page 11
Do not persoanlize animal magnetism. It wears the mask of person place or thing. Handle it impersonally otherwise you will make a reality of it and it will continue until you learn the leson.
— from Bible Study