Be Determined (Nehemiah): Standing Firm in the Face of Opposition

The "Be" Commentary

by Warren W. Wiersbe

Best-selling author Warren Wiersbe unwraps the book of Nehemiah in his study Be Determined to show a servant so selfless, a mission so humbling, and a perseverance so admirable that Christians are drawn to a new awe of God.  As the leader God calls to mobilize and equip His people to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, Nehemiah was a man who didn't know the word no when it came to God's economy. God strategically summons the man of Jewish descent from his comfortable high position as Artexerxes' cupbearer at the palace in Persia to the difficult role as leader of the Jewish remnant.  To this remnant of his own people, Nehemiah is called to empathize and share God's plan for their physical, emotional, and spiritual reconstruction.  If open to it, readers will hear the Holy Spirit's direction in their own lives, and will surrender themselves to the God who equips them to do all things through His infinite strength.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Theology, Christian Non Fiction, Reference, Religion, Biblical Studies

176 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1992

About the author

Warren W. Wiersbe, former pastor of the Moody Church and general director of Back to the Bible, has traveled widely as a Bible teacher and conference speaker. Because of his encouragement to those in ministry, Dr. Wiersbe is often referred to as 'the pastor's pastor.' He has ministered in churches and conferences throughout the United States as well as in Canada, Central and South America, and Europe. Dr. Wiersbe has written over 150 books, including the popular BE series of commentaries on every book of the Bible, which has sold more than four million copies. At the 2002 Christian Booksellers Convention, he was awarded the Gold Medallion Lifetime Achievement Award by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. Dr. Wiersbe and his wife, Betty, live in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

09/17/20 - reading again. Completed 10/27/20

This series is very helpful when studying your Bible. The commentary is easy to understand.

[Joelendil · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a typical installment in Warren Wiersbe's helpful "Be" series. As always, he is fairly light on exegesis but offers good historical background and focuses heavily on practical application. Occasionally the applications are a bit forced, but generally they are helpful and edifying. This book was very helpful in preparing a recent sermon series, but I would definitely recommend using a more exegetical commentary alongside it in sermon or Bible study preparation.

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been studying the book of Nehemiah, for several months and wanted a new commentary. This is excellent! "But the same great God who enabled Nehemiah to finish building the walls of Jerusalem will enable us to finish our course with joy and accomplish the work He has called us to do. There is no reason to quit or even to despair!"

[Read1000books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another of Wiersbe's excellent devotional commentaries, this one covering the book of Nehemiah. Not overly technical, these are perfect for use along with your daily Bible reading.

[Daniel Alvers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Warren W is great.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great commentary on Nehemiah, with lots of parallels to life. Helpful insights in planning out visions, very practical.

[Kory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book. Used for a small men's group bible study. Questions in book are very applicable to everyday life. My favorite book in the "Be" series.

[James G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good discussion of Nehemiah, and of his leadership style.

[Archie Parrish · Rating 4 out of 5]

The commentary was very good but the other scriptures used would've been much better if they had been KJV.

[Frans Kempe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A look at Nehemiah and his leaderships skills in the opposition that he faces building Jerusalems walls.

[Diana Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good devoitional on Nehemiah

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing. I love the teachings of Warren Wiersbe, he brings the Bible down to a level for the common man, but has more than enough Biblical insight to fill even the most ardent of scholars. He is a pleasure to read.

On top of that , WOW! Another fantastic message and lesson we can all learn from. The book of Nehemiah is a treasure trove for leaders and workers for the Lord. Wiersbe draws so much we can learn from Nehemiah and grow with, amazing Biblical insight as well as personal insight. Some we will do well, others we will need grow into and improve. No matter what work God has place in front of us, we should strive to finish the job and bring God all the glory and praise.

12 Summary Points at the end of the Book:
Great Leaders:
1. Called by God
2. Dependent on prayer
3. See the vision of God's great work
4. Submit to heavenly and earthly authority
5. Organized
6. Know the enemy
7. Work hard
8. Live and exemplary life
9. Glorify God alone
10. Have courage
11. Enlist and create other leaders
12. Determined

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first Wiersbe, and my first deep dive into the book of Nehemiah. A lot of churches ignore the prophets because they are historical and require a little more work to decipher. But I read Nehemiah not that long ago, and then our church announced that they will be going through the book over this year. So I was encouraged and decided to read this commentary to understand the history better. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this and by how much I learned from it. I would recommend this series based on this book alone because I liked the layout and the content. I look forward to reading more.

[Zak Schmoll · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been using this book to teach our adult Sunday school class. It is a very easy to use, digestible resource. It has some built-in discussion questions as well that might be useful to you.

Nehemiah is a great book, and this particular commentary does a good job providing relevant context and explaining how much determination it really took to keep going while Jerusalem was being rebuilt. Despite the fact that it is a commentary, it would fit quite well into the genre of Christian living as well. I certainly recommend picking up a copy of it if you are studying Nehemiah.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did a chapter a week which I wouldn't recommend based on the fact I forgot what had happened in the previous chapter by the following week.

Regardless, I enjoyed reading Nehemiah and finding out more about the book that isn't initially clear from reading it. For example the people involved in rebuilding the wall all had their own sections because of where they lived or something. All in all, a good read and made me think about the sort of leader I would like to be and the sort of characteristics to look for in leaders, church or otherwise.

[Ephraim Malinga · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good book on leadership

The book revealed very many instances where leaders of today are weak, and also showed how God is indeed a pillar of our lives. We can not choose to lead His people without relying on Him. This book uses Nehemiah to reveal these simple truths

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

When God has made a job perfectly clear for someone to do, this would be the book to keep them going without faltering. Now it’s up to me to finish the job that God has called me to do. I am very thankful someone recommended this book to me.

[Orion Maple · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good overview of Nehemiah

This wasn't the best book out there, but it was good to go over some of the content of Nehemiah again. It's basically just an overview, one chapter at a time.

[Jim Chambers · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great little book. I read one chapter per day on my Kindle and my Bible. So much to learn so many lessons from one who was indeed Determined to carry out the work of God regardless of the cost. Highly recommended.

[Jan Norton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Be determined

Being determined is a great thing that we should incorporate in our lives. This book gives us insight, encouragement, and motivation to be determined to complete what we set out to do for God.

[Rachel Mellema · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nehemiah is one of my favourite books in the Bible. Wiersbe skillfully navigates the narrative of Nehemiah, showing the timeless lessons on determination, leadership, and unwavering faith in facing opposition. It's very inspiring!

[Toniann Churches · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read several books in this series, but this one is probably in the top 3. If you are a leader in any way, shape, or form, this book does an Excellent job at dissecting the character of Nehemiah, his tactics, and God's sovereignty through it all.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wiersbe always provides good commentary for Bible study.

[Andy Febrico Bintoro · Rating 4 out of 5]

18/50 of be series. i read alphabetically.
like any other book in this series, the explanation didn't presented in atrong exegesis but we always could learn something practical here.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful at the start of 2021

[Winston.allamby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

The book was easy to ready as it is with most Warren Wiersbe books. Great questions at the end of each chapter to encourage you to think and reflect!

[Barbara Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the book of Nehemiah, and Wiersbe's commentary was a very helpful companion.

[All Things Carmenable · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book on leadership and determination.

[Ferry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leadership Challenge

Made me aware that often I envy the leader’s position without thinking the responsibilities it entails. Lord please help me develop the qualities of a leader.

[DT · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This is one of the better books in this series. Wiersbe did a good job of connecting what was happening in Nehemiah back to the Torah. I found the insights on the year of jubilee interesting, and he did a nice summary of Nehemiah’s qualities.

However, I am appalled at how he did not acknowledge corporate sin and repentance which is what makes the book of Nehemiah stand out to me. Then again, he is from that old school, evangelical background that doesn’t like to think about systemic sin.

I found all the random quotes from poets and US politicians annoying. They added nothing of substance or value. He markets this book as a commentary, so more time should be spent explaining the actual biblical text.

He also uses some poor reasoning (which can be due to his American, evangelical, old school background). For instance, he says the people in Nehemiah’s time were willing to listen to the word for hours but Christians today can’t stand when a sermon goes over time (I cringed really hard). He also draws some parallels between church building programs and the wall, giving in the book and tithing, and some contradictory messages on patriotism.

The biggest flaw is the one I see time and time again in Wiersbe’s writing and that is in reading too much into things that may not actually be that important. He seems to think all the gates have some sort of spiritual symbolism which I don’t find convincing (but am willing to be proven wrong).

I do like this book enough to keep it rather than donate it like I have with some of his others. I can see myself coming back to refer to it.