Carson - Gods word, our story: learning from the Book of Nehemiah

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Entrusted with the Gospel: Pastoral Expositions of 2 Timothy, edited by D. A. Carson

Gods Love Compels Us: Taking the Gospel to the World, edited by D. A. Carson and Kathleen B. Nielson

The Gospel as Center: Renewing Our Faith and Reforming Our Ministry Practices, edited by D. A. Carson and Timothy Keller

Here Is Our God: Gods Revelation of Himself in Scripture, edited by Kathleen B. Nielson and D. A. Carson

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The Scriptures Testify about Me: Jesus and the Gospel in the Old Testament, edited by D. A. Carson

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Christs Redemption, by Sandy Willson

The Church: Gods New People, by Timothy Savage

Creation, by Andrew M. Davis

The Gospel and Scripture: How to Read the Bible, by Mike Bullmore

Gospel-Centered Ministry, by D. A. Carson and Timothy Keller

The Holy Spirit, by Kevin L. DeYoung

Justification, by Philip Graham Ryken

The Kingdom of God, by Stephen T. Um

The Plan, by Colin S. Smith

The Restoration of All Things, by Sam Storms

Sin and the Fall, by Reddit Andrews III

What Is the Gospel?, by Bryan Chapell

Gods Word, Our Story

Learning from the Book of Nehemiah

D. A. CARSON
AND
KATHLEEN B. NIELSON,
EDITORS

Gods Word, Our Story: Learning from the Book of Nehemiah

Copyright 2016 by The Gospel Coalition

Published by Crossway

1300 Crescent Street

Wheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law. Crossway is a registered trademark in the United States of America.

Cover design: Jeff Miller, Faceout Studio

Cover image: Shutterstock

First printing 2016

Printed in the United States of America

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture references marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture references marked NIV 1984 are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture references marked NLT are from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL, 60189. All rights reserved.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added by the authors.

Trade paperback ISBN: 978-1-4335-4969-4
ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-4972-4
PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-4970-0
Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-4971-7

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Carson, D. A., editor.

Title: Gods word, our story : learning from the Book of Nehemiah / D.A.

Carson and Kathleen Nielson, editors.

Description: Wheaton : Crossway, 2016. | "The Gospel Coalition." |

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2015034170 | ISBN 9781433549694 (tp)

Subjects: LCSH: Bible. NehemiahCriticism, interpretation, etc.

Classification: LCC BS1365.52 .G63 2016 | DDC 222/.806dc23

LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015034170

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

VP 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16

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Nehemiah is one of my favorite books in the Bible. Ive taught through it many times. In these thirteen chapters, we are shown how greatly God cares for his city, his people, his kingdom. During one of the lowest moments in our history as Gods people, he raised up an extraordinary servant to accomplish the daunting task of rebuilding the city walls and the people within those walls. We grant that Nehemiah is one of the Bibles finest champions, but God himself is the ultimate and only hero of this, and every, biblical book.

I commend this book to you. Kathleen Nielson drew together outstanding expositors, who addressed attentive thousands at The Gospel Coalition Womens Conference in June 2014, and whose written expositions will now serve many more who want to learn from Gods Word and learn more about studying and teaching Gods Word. At the conclusion of every exposition, Kathleen has assembled sage advice for those who would teach the text.

One of the chief concerns of The Gospel Coalition has always been faithful, intelligent, Spirit-empowered, gospel-centered exposition of the sacred Scriptures. From our very earliest meetings as TGC Council members, we prayerfully discussed how we might encourage our sisters in the Lord, just as we wanted to strengthen our brothers in the Lord. But I think none of us imagined what a powerful and fruitful ministry would one day rise up under Kathleens remarkable leadership. The regional training events planned for ensuing years, in which women leaders in local churches will be diligently trained to teach the Scriptures and to teach others how to do so, will expand this great work even further, as part of the ongoing ministry of TGCs womens initiatives.

We will all be the wiser for studying each of the chapters in this book, in order that we may serve the church and the world through faithful biblical exposition.

Senior minister, Second Presbyterian Church, Memphis, TN

Founding member of TGC Council

Why, some people ask, do we devote so many hours at a Gospel Coalition conference to those huge plenary sessions, where one person stands up front and talks? Ours is an interactive age, and people arent used to listening for such long periods; couldnt we cut a few of those talks?