Nehemiah 7: Family History
I REMEMBER MY grandparents talking about our family genealogy, and I thought, "How boring," so I didn't listen. Now I have 4,600 names on my computer about my genealogy, and I wish that I had listened to those conversations, because now I have lost much of the information with no way to retrieve it. I have even started recording many of the oldest relatives on tape so that I get not only the information but also their voices on tape for future generations. In this chapter of Nehemiah, we find that if people could not trace their lineage back to a preexilic Jewish relative, they were not considered bona fide descendants and could not be counted. I wonder if some of them didn't wish they had listened more to their relatives when they were talking about great-grandpa and great-grandma.
Warming Up to God
Recall a fond family memory that you have from a holiday or your childhood. Thank the Lord for giving you your past as a remembrance and guide for the future.
Read Nehemiah 7. »
Discovering the Word
- In verses 1-3, who is to guard the city, and what do you learn about where they are assigned to guard?
- We previously met Hanani in 1:2. From the qualifications given in verse 2, why could Nehemiah trust him?
- Nehemiah decides that the families who have returned should be registered. How would the registration deal with Israel's sin of mixing themselves with the people of the nations around Jerusalem (vv. 64-65)?
- Look more closely at these lists. Why are there so many priests and so few Levites?
- Why couldn't some of the people make connections with relatives?
- What is significant about Nehemiah giving the priests 530 garments and the rest of the people only giving 67 garments?
Applying the Word
- In what ways are you concerned about your family history and protecting it?
- How does the thought that you will be in someone's Christian family tree affect you?
Responding in Prayer
Think of one person you would like to invite into the family of God and ask the Lord to assist you as you witness to this person.
For Further Study
How to Give Away Your Faith by Paul E. Little & Marie Little