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Nehemiah: Rebuilding Walls, Renewing a People

A six-lesson study of Nehemiah: how a burdened layman led a discouraged community to rebuild Jerusalem's walls in fifty-two days, and why the harder work was rebuilding the people around God's Word.

Old Testament · 6 lessons · about 8 hours · Foundations · course text in the KJV · course version 1

Background

Author
The book opens as 'the words of Nehemiah' (1:1), and much of it is first-person memoir. Jewish tradition treated Ezra and Nehemiah as one book, and many scholars think a later editor combined Nehemiah's memoir with lists and official records.
Date
The events run from 445 BC, the twentieth year of Artaxerxes I (1:1; 2:1), to some time after 433 BC, when Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem a second time (13:6). The book was likely completed by around 400 BC.
Setting
About ninety years after the first exiles returned under Zerubbabel (538 BC), and roughly thirteen years after Ezra arrived (458 BC), Jerusalem's walls still lay in ruins. The city was small, poor, exposed, and surrounded by hostile regional officials.
Purpose
To show God keeping his covenant promises by restoring his people physically and spiritually, and to call that community to wholehearted obedience.
Structure of the book
  • Chapters 1–7: Rebuilding the walls
  • Chapters 8–10: Renewing the covenant
  • Chapters 11–13: Repopulating, dedicating, and reforming

What you will be able to do

  1. Place Nehemiah in its Persian-period setting and explain its relationship to Ezra.
  2. Describe the main events, people, and opponents in the book.
  3. Explain how prayer, planning, and perseverance work together in Nehemiah's leadership.
  4. Show how the public reading of the Law led to confession, covenant renewal, and reform.
  5. Evaluate evidence for the book's historical reliability.
  6. Apply the book's patterns to leadership, opposition, and spiritual renewal today.

How grading works

Quick checks are scored instantly. Written answers are scored against a published rubric with AI assistance and reviewed by a person before the score is released to you. The final exam has three sections: 10 objective questions, 5 short answers, and 2 essays chosen from 3.

A course grade of 70% or higher earns a Certificate of Completion; 90% or higher is marked “With Distinction.” Contend Academy is a non-accredited ministry program, and the certificate does not represent academic credit.

Lessons

  1. 1

    Burdened to Build

    Nehemiah 1–2 · about 60 minutes · read free, no account needed

  2. 2

    Everyone at the Wall

    Nehemiah 3 · about 45 minutes · free account

  3. 3

    Opposition from Without and Within

    Nehemiah 4–6 · about 70 minutes · free account

  4. 4

    The Word Restored

    Nehemiah 7–8 · about 60 minutes · free account

  5. 5

    Confession and Covenant

    Nehemiah 9–10 · about 60 minutes · free account

  6. 6

    Dedication and Reform

    Nehemiah 11–13 · about 70 minutes · free account

Final exam

  • Section I: Objective: 10 questions, scored automatically
  • Section II: Short Answer: 5 written answers
  • Section III: Essays: choose 2 of 3 essays

The exam unlocks when every lesson’s short answers have been submitted, and allows one attempt. Go to the exam · Your results