Nehemiah - Wall - BIBLE SUMMARY WITH ART

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 In exile Nehemiah is visited by a brother from Jerusalem who reports brokenness, in response saddened Nehemiah repents and prays recognizing God's promise from the Law to scatter then reconcile people.

Nehemiah (the cupbearer for king Artaxerxes ) is granted his petition to return to Jerusalem to rebuild wall, he travels to inspect broken  wall.

 The people and  various sections and districts and gates of the wall that are repaired and rebuilt are recorded 

 Sanballat and other enemies mocked and criticized the Jewish effort to rebuild the wall, a response prayer is recorded, workers would carry weapons while laboring on wall.

 There was a great outcry of the people because they mortgaged their future in order to eat forcing themselves into slavery, Nehemiah abolishes this practice, (following the Law).

 Sanballat and other enemies tried to trick Nehemiah to meet and kill him, he bravely refuses to take refuge in the temple and completes the wall.

 They wait until the sun is hot with much fanfare, each families census of the first returned exiles are organized, recorded and then totaled.

 The people gathered and Ezra read the Law from morning until afternoon this day is declared holy and the feast of Booths ( Sukkot) is restored.

 The people gathered to confess their sins in sackcloths, the Levites read a psalm to praise God for deliverence from Egypt, and summarize the history of God's faithfulness to Israel.

 The document was recorded as signed and sealed by Nehemiah and many others, many of the obligations of the document are disclosed including funding of priesthood.

 Lots were cast so 1 in 10 of the people were to have a representative in Jerusalem, then where people are living both inside and outside of Jerusalem is listed.

 The priests and Levites who returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel are registered, the wall is dedicated, two large choirs proceed to the temple with ceremony.

Foreigners are excluded Tobiah is expelled the temple is cleansed temple worship is restored including tithes and keeping of the Sabbath

 Two decrees by king Cyprus and Artaxerxes mark the return of  the restoration of temple worship then a return to covenant violation of the temple worship as in the past. 

Esther is  a beautiful young orphaned Jewish woman  who saves the Jewish people from annihilation by schemes of Haman under the rule of Medo Persian king Xerxes during Jewish exile.