Week 458 · Old Testament · about 4 minutes · 269 words
🌙 Nehemiah 9
Nehemiah 9 opens with these words: “Now in the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, with sackcloth, and dirt on them.” The line to keep is Nehemiah 9:1: “Now in the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, with sackcloth, and dirt on them.” Carry the word “twenty” from that verse into the rest of the day.
Nehemiah 9 is a real chapter from the Old Testament. It starts, “Now in the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, with sackcloth, and dirt on them.” 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, “You gave also your good Spirit to instruct them, and didn’t withhold your manna from their mouth, and gave them water for their thirst.” Nehemiah 9 opens with these words: “Now in the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, with sackcloth, and dirt on them.” The line to keep is Nehemiah 9:1: “Now in the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, with sackcloth, and dirt on them.” Carry the word “twenty” from that verse into the rest of the day.
The line worth learning out loud is Nehemiah 9:1: “Now in the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, with sackcloth, and dirt on them.” If the rest of the chapter feels crowded, hold that one sentence until the room is quiet.
What happens first in Nehemiah 9? Then try this: Read “Now in the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, with…” 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.
“Now in the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, with sackcloth, and dirt on them.”
Nehemiah 9:1 · Nehemiah 9
Say it
Practice Nehemiah 9:1
Tap the words in order. The blanks follow the verse from left to right.
NowinthedayofthismonththechildrenofIsraelwereassembledfasting,withsackcloth,anddirton
Talk about it
- What happens first in Nehemiah 9?
- Read “Now in the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, with…” once more. What does it show you about God?
- Who can you tell one sentence from Nehemiah 9 before bedtime?
Prayer
Father, thank you for Nehemiah 9. Help us remember Nehemiah 9:1 when we wake up, and teach us to notice you in an ordinary night. Amen.
Parent tip
If Nehemiah 9 is long, read Nehemiah 9:1 twice and ask one of the talk-about questions. The chapter page has every verse if you want more tomorrow.
Week 458 · the whole night
🌙 Nehemiah 9
Story, coloring page, word search, and the verse to trace.
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