Week 451 · Old Testament · about 2 minutes · 296 words
🏔️ Nehemiah 2
Nehemiah 2 opens with these words: “In the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, when wine was before him, I picked up the wine, and gave it to the king.…” The line to keep is Nehemiah 2:2: “The king said to me, “Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing else but sorrow of heart.” Then I was very much afraid.” Carry the word “king” from that verse into the rest of the day.
Nehemiah 2 is a real chapter from the Old Testament. It starts, “In the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, when wine was before him, I picked up the wine, and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad before in his presence.” That is not a motto invented for a poster. It is the first sentence a family hears when this page is opened at night.
Keep going a little further. The chapter also says, “So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.” Nehemiah 2 opens with these words: “In the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, when wine was before him, I picked up the wine, and gave it to the king.…” The line to keep is Nehemiah 2:2: “The king said to me, “Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing else but sorrow of heart.” Then I was very much afraid.” Carry the word “king” from that verse into the rest of the day.
The line worth learning out loud is Nehemiah 2:2: “The king said to me, “Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing else but sorrow of heart.” Then I was very much afraid.” If the rest of the chapter feels crowded, hold that one sentence until the room is quiet.
What happens first in Nehemiah 2? Then try this: Read “The king said to me, “Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing else but sorrow of…” once more. What does it show you about God? You do not have to finish every verse. You can close the book after the memory verse and still have read the Bible together.
“The king said to me, “Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing else but sorrow of heart.” Then I was very much afraid.”
Nehemiah 2:2 · Nehemiah 2
Say it
Practice Nehemiah 2:2
Tap the words in order. The blanks follow the verse from left to right.
Thekingsaidtome,“Whyisyourfacesad,sinceyouarenotsick?ThisiselsebutsorrowofThenIwasmuchafraid.
Talk about it
- What happens first in Nehemiah 2?
- Read “The king said to me, “Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing else but sorrow of…” once more. What does it show you about God?
- Who can you tell one sentence from Nehemiah 2 before bedtime?
Prayer
Father, thank you for Nehemiah 2. Help us remember Nehemiah 2:2 when we wake up, and teach us to notice you in an ordinary night. Amen.
Parent tip
If Nehemiah 2 is long, read Nehemiah 2:2 twice and ask one of the talk-about questions. The chapter page has every verse if you want more tomorrow.
Week 451 · the whole night
🏔️ Nehemiah 2
Story, coloring page, word search, and the verse to trace.
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