King James Bible Study – [And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34]
Date: Sunday, September 27, 2026
Chapters: Nehemiah 5-7
Lesson: Nehemiah: The Wall Completed
Hello My Friend,
Yesterday, we learned how Nehemiah, and his willing volunteers, came together to rebuild the wall around the temple and Jerusalem, and had their own opposition to deal with. As we continue in the reading of Nehemiah, we learn of the great oppression that many of the Jews were under. Remember the nobles who would not put their necks to the work of the Lord? It was these very men who were now the source of this grievous injustice, laying heavy burdens upon their own brethren and dealing cruelly with those they should have protected.
[Nehemiah 5:1-6 And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews. 2 For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are many: therefore we take up corn for them, that we may eat, and live. 3 Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth. 5 Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards. 6 And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.]
If this sounds familiar, it takes us back to the days when the Israelites were in Egypt during the great famine, when the people sold off their substance and their land until they had nothing left to offer but themselves. In seeking preservation from an earthly power, they surrendered their freedom and placed themselves under bondage to their own government.
[Genesis 47:18-20 When that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, We will not hide it from my lord, how that our money is spent; my lord also hath our herds of cattle; there is not ought left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands: 19 Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate. 20 And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over them: so the land became Pharaoh’s.]
There is valuable lesson to learn here, we cannot rely on the government to take care of our every need. This was not the world oppressing them, these were their very own people, most likely the elites who wanted nothing to do with helping them rebuild the wall. When God’s people look to man for deliverance rather than trusting Him, they open the door for oppression, and there will always be those ready to seize that opportunity. In fact, Nehemiah goes on to tell them this.
[Nehemiah 5:8-11 And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and found nothing to answer. 9 Also I said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies? 10 I likewise, and my brethren, and my servants, might exact of them money and corn: I pray you, let us leave off this usury. 11 Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye exact of them.]
I am all for seeking help when necessity requires it, for one of the great mercies God has shown me is the humbling of my own heart, not to be too proud to ask for assistance when there are programs available to provide relief. Yet even in this, we must be watchful, for oppression often enters when that help becomes a crutch. Aid may serve for a moment, but it must never replace our trust in God, nor become the foundation upon which we lean. When dependence shifts from God to man, bondage is never far behind. This is what was going on in Jerusalem, the Jews, that returned from Babylon, having had some hardships borrowed money to buy food and when they could not pay the debt their land and possessions were taken. Nehemiah, upbraided the lenders and also made it a point to let them know that he never taken any handouts from the government.
[Nehemiah 5:13-15 Also I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his house, and from his labour, that performeth not this promise, even thus be he shaken out, and emptied. And all the congregation said, Amen, and praised the LORD. And the people did according to this promise. 14 Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even unto the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that is, twelve years, I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor. 15 But the former governors that had been before me were chargeable unto the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, beside forty shekels of silver; yea, even their servants bare rule over the people: but so did not I, because of the fear of God.]
There are way too many loan sharks out there willing to take advantage of those facing hardships. How quick are the poor willing to sell themselves out for a morsel of meat instead of trusting God for their provisions? How quick are the rich willing to sell you or sell themselves out for that same morsel? The rich who do not fear God will never be satisfied with what they have because true riches do not come from what is in our bank accounts, they come from Christ, [Matthew 6:19-21 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.]
Many times debt can be reduced or even canceled, for it is often the interest that becomes unbearable and spirals beyond control. And truly, we all need help at times; there is no shame in acknowledging that. One of the great lessons God teaches His people is not to be too proud to seek assistance when it is genuinely needed. Yet even then, our first step must be to lay the matter before God, seek His wisdom, and to ask Him how we ought to handle it. Now, while all that business of debt and restitution was being addressed, the work on the wall did not cease. And just as progress was being made, here comes Sanballat once again.
[Nehemiah 6:1-4 Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;) 2 That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief. 3 And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you? 4 Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.]
We must never back down or waver in our faith, and we must be found consistent in our walk before God. What the world will never openly admit is that its greatest threat is Jesus Christ Himself. The world knows that we confess Him as our KING, and it will use that confession to intimidate, pressure, and attempt to silence the work God has entrusted to our hands. They did it when Jesus was here in the flesh, and they will continue to do it until the day He returns in glory. Yet the very opposition that seeks to halt the work only proves the power of the One we serve, and reminds us that faithfulness is our charge, not fear.
[II Timothy 1:7-9 For God hath not given us the Spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; 9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,]
Nehemiah, quickly discerned the scheme and called them out for it, refusing to be moved by their threats or their subtle attempts to draw him away from the work. This time, Sanballat understood that the hand of God was upon the builders and that nothing he devised was going to stop them.
[Nehemiah 6:12-16 And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13 Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me. 14 My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear. 15 So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days. 16 And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.]
Shemiah, was a man of whom Nehemiah had once held a good opinion of, and he came to him concerning the letters that had been sent, letters which falsely suggested that Nehemiah had appointed prophets to proclaim him as a king. Yet in that moment Nehemiah discerned the truth: Shemiah himself was a conspirator. It is a sober reminder that sometimes the very people we trust turn out to be working against us. But it is also a comfort, for all who rise up against the people of God will one day hang their heads in shame. When they stand before Jesus, He will declare every deed they committed against His servants, and He will reveal how blessed we are because we are with Him.
[Luke 6:20-23 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. 22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. 23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.]
The walls surrounding Jerusalem were completed in fifty‑two days, yet the city itself was vast and still required much work, for only a small number of people dwelt within it. Armed guards were stationed at the single entrance into the city, maintaining watch over what God had restored. The gates were opened during the day, but once they were shut, no one was permitted to pass through unless their name was found written in the register.
[Nehemiah 7:1-4 Now it came to pass, when the wall was built, and I had set up the doors, and the porters and the singers and the Levites were appointed, 2 That I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of the palace, charge over Jerusalem: for he was a faithful man, and feared God above many. 3 And I said unto them, Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun be hot; and while they stand by, let them shut the doors, and bar them: and appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, every one in his watch, and every one to be over against his house. 4 Now the city was large and great: but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded.]
Jerusalem, was no longer a city broken down, but governed by God’s appointed structure and those who’s name were written in the registry. The same is true for anyone who wants to enter the kingdom of God, only those who names are written in the book of life will be able to enter once the door to get in has been shut. Jesus, said it this way, [Luke 13:24-25,28 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. 25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: 28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.]
Speaking of God not knowing who those who never accepted His Son as their Saviour, God, knows every one that is His, whether they trusted Him as LORD before His passion or afterward. Jerusalem, stood walled, secured, and ordered once again, yet so few dwelt within it and so few were ready to take up the work that remained. The need was great, the opportunity was wide open, but the number of willing servants was small. Nehemiah then goes on to give an account of those who were found faithful, those whose names were recorded, and those whom God had preserved to stand in their place and continue the work He appointed.
[Nehemiah 7:5,66-67,73 And my God put into mine heart to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, that they might be reckoned by genealogy. And I found a register of the genealogy of them which came up at the first, and found written therein, 66 The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore, 67 Beside their manservants and their maidservants, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and they had two hundred forty and five singing men and singing women. 73 So the priests, and the Levites, and the porters, and the singers, and some of the people, and the Nethinims, and all Israel, dwelt in their cities; and when the seventh month came, the children of Israel were in their cities.]
Genealogy is altogether different when it comes to the people of God. They are not identified as Jews or Gentiles, but as souls redeemed through their faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone as their Saviour. Their lineage is not traced through earthly descent, but through the new birth, [John 3:5-7 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.]
The same way a person could enter through the gate of Jerusalem, only if their name was found written in the registry, is the same way a person enters the kingdom of God. Whether Jew or Gentile, our names must be written in the Lamb’s book of life. Christ, Himself is the gate, and only those who belong to Him will be received into His city, [Revelation 21:25-27 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. 26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. 27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.]
Today’s Prayer: God, From the time that I chose Your Son as my Saviour and dedicated my life to You, there has never been a day that You have not supplied my need. Thank You, for everything you provide for me, I know I sometimes ask amiss or not at all, looking at what is in front of me rather than looking to You. And I am sorry for that. Lord, lead me and guide me, keep me looking to You at all times, and not at my bank account. Let me not put my trust in my job or what work You give me so that I can eat, rather always trust that You will supply my every need. Keep me full of Your mercies, and grace, let me always turn to You in prayer for answers, and direction, and let me never stop doing the work that You call me to do so that I shall never lack. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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