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Nehemiah 7

 [Nehemiah] SEVEN: Family history_ 

Nehemiah 7_ 

Genealogy, family tree, generation history are all things that lots of people are interested in. It seems to be important and interesting for us to know where we come from. 
With websites like ancestry.com and online family trees and TV shows like “Who do you think you are?” are becoming more and more popular. 

 

[Group discussion starter] How many generations back can you go in tracing your family name? Are there any colourful characters or interesting stories you can share? 

 

[Read Nehemiah 7] 

 

In verses 1-3, what progress is Nehemiah making with his plans and goals? 

 

 

What safeguards does Nehemiah take to protect Jerusalem? 

 

 

Back in Nehemiah 1:2, we were introduced to Hanani. 
From the qualifications we’re given about him, why could Nehemiah trust him? 

 

 

Nehemiah decides that the families that have returned from exile should be registered (verses 63-65). How would this registration force people to deal with Israel’s sin of mixing themselves with the people of the nations around them? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spiritual purity and practice were very low, in Israel, at this time. Most people hadn’t even lived on their families’ land for over a hundred years. What does Nehemiah’s registration cause to happen here? 

 

 

Why couldn’t some of the people make connection with past relatives or their family inheritance? 

 

 

Why would this be so important for religious leaders to be able to do? 

 

 

In verse 73, many people settle in their towns. This was predominantly a farming community, making their living off of the land, which is their family inheritance.  
How difficult do you think it would be to populate Jerusalem, if the main way you made your living was by farming? 

 

 

What does this tell you about why Nehemiah was concerned about safety in Jerusalem? 

 

 

Finally, how does the thought that you will be in someone else’s Christian family tree affect you? 

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