A. The writer(s), the place, and the time: [The book of Nehemiah was certainly written by Nehemiah. Ezra was a descendant of Levi, the tribe of the priests. Nehemiah was a descendant of Judah, the tribe of the kings. One attended to religion, and the other attended to politics. At that time, the Persian Empire treated Judea as a province, and Nehemiah became the governor of Judea. His book was also written in Jerusalem.] This book covers the period of time between 446 B.C. and 434 B.C.
B. The subject: The rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem in oneness bringing in a revival from a degraded condition.
C. The background: This is the last historical book of the chosen people. The people were poor. They had sold their fields, land, and houses, and had even sold themselves to be slaves. The people had also become intermingled with the heathen. Instead of having a testimony of sanctification, there were mixed multitudes, mixed marriages, priests without proper genealogy, and Ammonites and Moabites living among them, and there were false prophets speaking threatening words. In addition, they had lost their fellowship with God. They had strayed far from God and no longer understood His law, nor did they offer sacrifices or keep the feasts. Their condition was not good at all.
D. The central thought: Praying and laboring with endurance is the secret to succeed in God’s work.
E. The general sketch: When Nehemiah heard that those who had returned from the captivity were in great affliction and reproach, and that the wall of Jerusalem was broken down and its gates were burned with fire, he wept, fasting and praying before God. He was ordered by the king of Persia to return to Jerusalem to govern the people of Israel. He encouraged the returned ones to continue and to complete the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, that they would no longer be a reproach. The people strengthened their hands for this good work (2:1-18). Due to opposition, they had to rebuild the walls with one hand doing the work and the other hand holding a weapon. The rebuilding of the wall took fifty-two days.
Ezra joined Nehemiah to recover the things pertaining to the worship of God contained in the book of the law. All the people gathered together to hear the reading of the law. The Sabbath was also recovered. In addition, the people confessed their sin of marrying heathen wives.
F. The sections: 1) the returning (ch. 1—2:16), 2) building the wall in afflictions (2:17—7:4), 3) reckoning by genealogy (7:5-73), 4) the congregation (chs. 8—11), 5) reckoning the priests’ genealogy (12:1-26), 6) the dedication of the wall (12:27-47), and 7) the reformation and recovery (ch. 13).
A. The writer(s), the place, and the time: [It is hard to ascertain the authorship of the book of Esther. Probably Mordecai was the author, because in 9:20 and 23 it is mentioned that Mordecai recorded the happenings then. He was one who loved God and loved the Jews. If it was written by him, it was written in the heathen city of Shushan.] This book records the period between 521 B.C. and 509 B.C.
B. The subject: The invisible God saving His scattered people who trust in Him.
C. The background: Ezra and Nehemiah recorded God’s care for the remnant that returned to the good land. Esther tells us how God also kept the scattered Jews in a heathen land. God is not mentioned in this book; therefore, some people wonder if it is the word of God. The beauty of this book is that some portions should mention God yet do not. By faith, we see the invisible God keeping His people who trust in Him.
D. The central thought: God’s visible and hidden care keeps His people in matters both great and small.
E. The general sketch: Esther, a Jew, became the queen of Ahasuerus after the original queen was removed due to disobedience. Mordecai, Esther’s relative, saved the kings’ life by exposing a conspiracy against the king. These two were used by God to deliver his people from Haman’s wicked plot to kill all the Jews in the kingdom of Ahasuerus. By God’s sovereignty, Haman was hung on the gallows that he had built to hang Mordecai. All the Jews were saved from execution. The Jews remember their salvation from evil Haman by keeping the feast of Purim until now.
F. The sections: 1) the feast of Ahasuerus (chs. 1—2), 2) the feast of Esther (chs. 3—7), and 3) the feast of Purim (chs. 8—10).