NOTE:
The Ezra forum here at Rotation.org has a lot of good teaching insights about "exiles" and "returning" and "rebuilding, building what?"
A number of years ago, some folks here at rotation.org decided they wanted to work together on Nehemiah. Here are some of their insights and resources...
The Children's Bible in 365 Stories (Lion Publishing) has a nice paraphrase of Nehemiah's story. It breaks it into the following sections. If you look at each of these episodes/topics you will see that they are also metaphors for church-life and faithful actions today that we can take to deal with problems, rebuilding, improving, and teaching.
1. Nehemiah 1, 2 The King Gives Permission for People to Help
Introducing Nehemiah, the wine steward of Artaxerxes. He is sad when he hears of the condition of Jerusalem from exiles who were returning there. He gets the kind King's permission to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Who is calling us to "teach" and "rebuild"?
2. Nehemiah 2, 3, 4 Surveying the problem and rebuilding.
Nehemiah surveys the damage and gather the people to help rebuild the walls.
What about your faith life or our shared experience needs work? Has fallen apart?
3. Nehemiah 8 LISTEN to the Law and Respond!
Nehemiah calls everyone to come listen to the books of The Law being read. Ezra the Levite steps forward and up onto a WOODEN PLATFORM to read and explain.
The more they heard, the more they realized they had broken God's Laws, and the people started to cry. But Nehemiah calmed them down and told them to prepare for a happy feast.
The people renewed the Covenant with God. "Feast of the Tabernacles" ensues.
THEN they put on sackcloth and ashes to repent. What should we be mourning? ...celebrating?
4. Nehemiah 9 Is Your Name on the List of Rebuilders??
I would like to suggest a fourth episode for consideration in our teaching about Nehemiah and it comes from Nehemiah 7. It is a long list of names. I once heard an excellent confirmation sermon titled "today, we add your name to the list of those returning from exile." How have you participated in the return, survey, and rebuilding? How do you put your "name" on the list? For what reason?
Activity --inscribing our names to those who confess our sins to God, and now rededicate ourselves to God's Word. Church's often have "inscriptions" hanging somewhere in the building. How about a place for the KIDS to leave their promises and signatures?
Key Ideas for Kids:
1. God is ready to forgive and rebuild people's lives.
2. We must keep (remember and obey) God's word or we will forget it.
3. God is faithful to each generation, even when there are problems, wars, and destruction.
4. God can raise up leaders when they don't seem easy to find. Even wine stewards!
5 What is Jesus trying to build? The Kingdom of God. How do we build that kind of Kingdom? How is it already here and where can we find it?
Miscellaneous Ideas
Keep in mind that these stories are about a "return from Exile." The Jewish people had lived in Babylon for two generations before returning. During that time they learned a lot. What do we learn when we lose something? How can "going without" or sacrificing something teach us what is important?
What kind of "stones" would we metaphorically build our "walls" with today? (Love, patience, endurance, faith, etc etc ??)
Rebuilding a Wall (the wall represents safety, but it also says that the people are ready to assume their responsibility again for being a people of God.)
Re-enactment of the Reading of the Law and following FEAST.
What about Ezra?
Ezra is mentioned in Nehemiah but has his own book. In Ezra, we read about the rebuilding of the TEMPLE itself. It seems that we should include EZRA'S story as part of Nehemiah's.
See some great insights about teaching Ezra here at Rotation.org
Rebuilding the Wall/Temple vs. Rebuilding the Church/Congregation
Who are the pillars, bricks and mortar of our congregation? Who are the builders? Who are the "wine stewards" who take on responsibility?
