Nehemiah – A Godly Example to Follow

Nehemiah, a Jew in captivity in Babylon, was the cupbearer to king Artaxerxes (1:11; 2:1; 13:6).

1:2; 2:5, 10 What godly quality does Nehemiah show in these verses?

Do you have genuine concern for God’s people (i.e., Christians) and so seek their welfare? If so, how?

1:4-11; 2:4; 4:4, 5, 9; 5:19; 6:9, 14; 13:14, 22, 29, 31 What spiritual quality does Nehemiah possess in these passages?

Do you pray to/communicate with God about anything and everything, and why?

1:4-6, 9, 10; 2:2, 3 What good quality does Nehemiah exhibit in these verses?

How did he express his passion (having intense feelings) for righteousness (what’s right)?

Do you have a passion (intense desire/feelings) for: evangelizing the spiritually lost, building up Christians spiritually, and/or getting to know God experientially as well as intellectually, and why?

If so, how do you exhibit it?

1:6, 7; 2:12; 5:16 What Christ-like quality does Nehemiah demonstrate, and how does he show it?

Would you consider yourself to be a humble person, and how did you come to this conclusion?

1:7-9 What good quality does Nehemiah exhibit here?

Do you have a good grasp on/knowledge of God’s Word, the Bible?

If not, what do you plan to do about it, and how soon?

1:11; 2:8b; 5:15 What kind of relationship did Nehemiah have with God, and how is this seen?

Would you say that you have a good, close relationship with God, and why?

1:11; 6:15, 16 What good quality does Nehemiah possess here, and how does he show it?

Are you God-dependent instead of self-dependent, and why?

And why is God-dependency a good quality to possess?

2:6-8, 13-16 What leadership skill does Nehemiah demonstrate, and how is it shown?

Are you a good planner (carefully thinking things through in advance), and how did you determine your answer?

What other good quality does Nehemiah exhibit, 1:11?

Do you procrastinate on starting projects you believe God wants you to do, and why?

What other good quality does Nehemiah demonstrate, 6:15?

Do you complete in a reasonable period of time the projects you start?

2:12, 17; 3:1-32; 4:19-22 What other leadership skill does Nehemiah show?

Are you a good organizer (matcher of people to specific projects), and how did you conclude this?

4:13, 22; 7:1, 2; 13:13 What other leadership skill does Nehemiah exhibit, and how is it seen?

Are you a good delegator (assigning various projects to qualified people), and how did you determine your answer?

4:14, 21, 23; 6:3 What other leadership skill did Nehemiah have?

Are you a good supervisor, making sure everything runs as smoothly as possible so that the project gets accomplished as best as possible?

2:12; 7:5 What good trait does Nehemiah possess?

Do you follow the leading of the Lord when He puts it into your mind/heart to do something, or do you quench God’s leading and do what “you” want, and why?

2:12-16; 4:12, 13, 16-22 What good characteristic does Nehemiah exhibit?

Do you exhibit caution in life, or are you irresponsible, negligent, or foolhardy?

2:20; 4:14, 16, 20; 8:10 What quality does Nehemiah show?

Do you raise the morale of your fellow Christians when they begin to get discouraged, are fearful, or get depressed?

How does Nehemiah express sensitivity and encouragement, 2:18; 4:14?

Are you sensitive to people and situations and give them encouragement?

How does Nehemiah motivate the people (2:17, 18; 5:10-12)?

Are you a good motivator? Do you take the initiative to lead and personally get involved in the project?

3:10, 23, 29, 30; 4:13, 14, 19, 20, 22; 6:1-8, 12; 7:3 What characteristic does Nehemiah demonstrate, and how?

Do you have wisdom when it comes to completing a project, dealing with opposition, and dealing with people?

How does a person acquire wisdom (Prov. 13:20; 19:20; 1:1-4; Psa. 119:98-100)?

2:19, 20; 4:9, 12-15; 5:7-11, 13; 6:1-8, 15; 7:3; 13:7-11, 15, 17, 19, 21, 27, 28 What good skill does Nehemiah possess?

Besides firm leadership, what other type of leadership does he have, 8:9, 10?

Is your leadership both firm and spiritual? Why is it important to have both qualities of leadership?

4:9, 16-18 Was Nehemiah an optimist, pessimist, or realist, and how was it shown?

Would you consider yourself an optimist, pessimist, or realist, and why?

4:20b What good quality does Nehemiah demonstrate?

Do you trust God to protect you if it is His will, Rom. 8:31, and why?

5:1-6 What good quality does Nehemiah exhibit?

Are you an empathetic person (i.e., having an understanding and sympathetic ear to people’s problems and grievances)?

5:7-11; 13:17 What good trait does Nehemiah have, and how did he show it?

Are you impartial to people (not biased; treating everyone the same in terms of doing what’s right/fair)?

If so, give an example. If not, why not?

5:10, 17, 18 What good characteristic does Nehemiah express?

Are you a generous person, and why?

5:14b; 4:23 What good trait does Nehemiah demonstrate?

Would you consider yourself a selfless individual (thinking of others as more important than yourself, Phil. 2:3, 4)?

What other good quality does Nehemiah have, 5:14a?

Do you accept or shirk responsibility, and why (e.g. Lk.17:10)?

5:16 What good quality of Nehemiah is exhibited?

Are you a hard-working person or lazy, and how did you come to that conclusion?

6:5-13 What good characteristic does Nehemiah show?

Are you a person of courage, who does what’s right rather than compromise or cave in to pressure, and why?

8:1-8, 11, 14; 9:3-5; 13:4-9, 15, 23-25, 30 What great quality did Nehemiah demonstrate?

Do you regularly live by and use God’s Word, the Bible, and why?

As a result of this study, what qualities do you need to work on, how do you plan to acquire them, when will you start, and why?