Kristi Burchfiel

Day 36 – No proof. Some of the people wanted to be considered servants, but they were unable to show proof. Read Nehemiah 7:61-73. These were they who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon and Immer; but they could not show their fathers’ houses or their descendants, whether they were of Israel: the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, 642. Of the priests: the sons of Hobaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai, the Gileadite, and was named after them. These searched among their ancestral registration, but it could not be located; therefore…

Day 35 – Servants. After the list of names of the people, there was a list of the names of those who were servants. Read Nehemiah 7:39-60. The priests: the sons of Jedaiah of the house of Jeshua, 973; the sons of Immer, 1,052; the sons of Pashhur, 1,247; the sons of Harim, 1,017. The Levites: the sons of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, of the sons of Hodevah, 74. The singers: the sons of Asaph, 148. The gatekeepers: the sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, the sons of Shobai, 138. The temple servants: the sons of Ziha, the…

Day 34 – The people. Nehemiah finds a list of people who had been faithful to return. Read Nehemiah 7:6-38. These are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his city, who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number of men of the people of Israel: the sons of Parosh, 2,172; the sons of Shephatiah, 372; the sons of Arah, 652; the sons of Pahath-moab of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, 2,818; the sons of…

Day 33 – What’s next? God gave Nehemiah the next project. Read Nehemiah 7:1-5. Now when the wall was rebuilt and I had set up the doors, and the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed, then I put Hanani my brother, and Hananiah the commander of the fortress, in charge of Jerusalem, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many. Then I said to them, “Do not let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot, and while they are standing guard, let them shut and bolt the doors. Also appoint guards from the inhabitants of Jerusalem, each at his…

Day 32 – Still opposition. Yep, even after Nehemiah finished the wall, he was still facing opposition. Read Nehemiah 6:17-19. Also in those days many letters went from the nobles of Judah to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them. For many in Judah were bound by oath to him because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah. Moreover, they were speaking about his good deeds in my presence and reported my words to him. Then Tobiah sent letters to frighten me. Nehemiah 6:17‭-‬19 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/neh.6.17-19.NASB Now remember, the wall is already done.…

Day 31 – 52 Days. Why are we studying Nehemiah for 52 days? Because that was how long it took for God to do an incredible work. Read Nehemiah 6:15-16. So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations surrounding us saw it, they lost their confidence; for they recognized that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God. Nehemiah 6:15‭-‬16 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/neh.6.15-16.NASB They finished the wall in 52 days. Even with all the opposition and attempts at distraction, God used Nehemiah and the people to accomplish something incredible. What…

Day 30 – Another try. His enemies kept trying to find ways to get at Nehemiah. Read Nehemiah 6:10-14. When I entered the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined at home, he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you, and they are coming to kill you at night.” But I said, “Should a man like me flee? And could one such as I go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.” Then I perceived that surely…

Day 29 – Strengthen me. How does Nehemiah respond? Check this out. Read Nehemiah 6:8-9. Then I sent a message to him saying, “Such things as you are saying have not been done, but you are inventing them in your own mind.” For all of them were trying to frighten us, thinking, “They will become discouraged with the work and it will not be done.” But now, O God, strengthen my hands. Nehemiah 6:8‭-‬9 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/neh.6.8-9.NASB There are two things here that Nehemiah does to respond. Lies are being spread about him and shared among the entire Kingdom. Yet Nehemiah’s only focus is on these two things. The first, he…

Day 28 – Opposition continues. It didn’t stop, it just changed tactics. Read Nehemiah 6:5-7. Then Sanballat sent his servant to me in the same manner a fifth time with an open letter in his hand. In it was written, “It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel; therefore you are rebuilding the wall. And you are to be their king, according to these reports. You have also appointed prophets to proclaim in Jerusalem concerning you, ‘A king is in Judah!’ And now it will be reported to the king according to these reports. So come now, let us take…

Day 27 – Persistent opposition. They just kept on and on. Read Nehemiah 6:1-4. Now when it was reported to Sanballat, Tobiah, to Geshem the Arab and to the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall, and that no breach remained in it, although at that time I had not set up the doors in the gates, then Sanballat and Geshem sent a message to me, saying, “Come, let us meet together at Chephirim in the plain of Ono.” But they were planning to harm me. So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the…