🏆the king's cup🕯️a prayer by a lamp🐴a ride at night🧱the wall📯the trumpet
Nehemiah's story.
The big ideaThe Bible tells how Nehemiah prayed, made a plan, and a city built its wall together.
How it works
The Bible tells how Nehemiah lived in Persia, far from Jerusalem, and worked in the king's palace as his cupbearer.
Men from Jerusalem brought news that the city wall was broken down and its gates had burned. Nehemiah wept and prayed, and then he made a plan.
The king said yes when Nehemiah asked to go and build. He gave Nehemiah letters for the governors on the way, and wood for the gates.
In Jerusalem the families each built a part of the wall, with guards beside them. After fifty-two days the wall was finished.
The story in order.Half the people worked and half stood guard.
Example 1: Put the story in order
Start with the news: men from Jerusalem said the wall was broken down.
Next Nehemiah wept and prayed, and the king said yes.
Then Nehemiah rode around the wall by night and looked at it.
After that the families built, and at last the wall was finished.
Example 2: Who built a part?
Read the story for the builders.
Families, priests and goldsmiths each built a part of the wall.
So Nehemiah did not build it alone. Everyone had a place.
Example 3: Why were there guards?
Two men named Sanballat and Tobiah laughed at the builders and made a plan to stop the work.
Nehemiah prayed and set guards, so half the people worked while the other half stood watch.
The trumpet would sound to call everyone together if trouble came.
Example 4: How long did it take?
The story gives the days: the wall was finished after fifty-two days.
It did not take a whole year, and it was built without machines.
In those days wall stones were cut from rock and carried by hand.
Words to know
cupbearer
A helper who carried the king's cup.
ruins
A place that has fallen down.
guard
A person who keeps watch to keep others safe.
Watch out
Nehemiah did not build the wall alone. Every family built a part.
The wall took fifty-two days, not a whole year.
Nehemiah did not give up when the two men laughed. He prayed and kept going.
He lived in Persia when he heard the news, not in Jerusalem.
Try it
What was Nehemiah's job in the palace?
How many days did the wall take?
Who built the wall?
What did half the people do while the others built?
A big mess at home needs clearing. What can you do, like Nehemiah?
Answers: 1. He was the king's cupbearer · 2. Fifty-two · 3. Families, priests, goldsmiths and others, each a part · 4. They stood guard · 5. Ask everyone to help
Try at homeWith a grown-up, find one small thing at home that needs fixing or tidying. Do it together, and say thank you for helping hands.
For grown-upsAsk your child to tell the story in five steps and to say who did each part. For the think-about-it question, find one small job at home to do together.
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