V1-26. Now these are the priests and the Levites who came up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, 2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, 3 Shechaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, 4 Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah, 5 Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah, 6 Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, 7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah… 26 These lived in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor, and of Ezra the priest, the scribe.
The first 26 verses of Nehemiah 12 are dedicated to listing the names of the Levites who served. When you see a long list of names (also tongue-twisters to pronounce), it's easy to gloss over them. But think of it as Matthew Henry did, "It is a debt we owe to faithful ministers, to remember our guides, who have spoken to us the word of God. It is good to know what our godly predecessors were, that we may learn what we should be."
Give some thought to those mentors and predecessors who pointed you to Christ, just as the Levites did here. It's incredible how many godly witnesses the Lord surrounds us with when we need to be directed to Him. Through my darkest and most difficult times, I can recall individuals who encouraged me in faith and stood beside me as I went through trials.
27 Now at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought out the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings and singing, with cymbals and stringed instruments and harps. 28 And the sons of the singers gathered together from the countryside around Jerusalem, from the villages of the Netophathites, 29 from the house of Gilgal, and from the fields of Geba and Azmaveth; for the singers had built themselves villages all around Jerusalem. 30 Then the priests and Levites purified themselves, and purified the people, the gates, and the wall.
This is the grand climax of the book of Nehemiah. The walls were built despite insurmountable odds, rigorous persecution, and continuous discouragement, and now it's time to dedicate it all back to the Lord!
Romans 8:28 tells us all things work together for good to those who love God, and this wall is an example of those words in motion. The Lord had a plan to rebuild the temple and the walls of Jerusalem. He birthed that desire in other men, and then it came to fruition out of their obedience. Sounds like a good pattern to follow in our own lives, yes?
Notice verse 30 speaks of purification, not only of the Levites, but the people of Jerusalem, the gates, and the wall itself. All that was celebrated was purified to dedicate it spotlessly before the Lord.
Hebrews 9:14 is an excellent parallel verse about pure dedication:
"How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"
Even though the Israelites took great care to purify, HOW MUCH MORE Christ's blood performs in our lives because of His perfect sacrifice. No matter how hard you try to clean up your life, be good, do all the "right" things, He did MORE. God desires to give us MORE of Him!
31 So I brought the leaders of Judah up on the wall, and appointed two large thanksgiving choirs. One went to the right hand on the wall toward the Refuse Gate. 32 After them went Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah, 33 and Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, 34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah, 35 and some of the priests' sons with trumpets—Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Michaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph, 36 and his brethren, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God. Ezra the scribe went before them. 37 By the Fountain Gate, in front of them, they went up the stairs of the City of David, on the stairway of the wall, beyond the house of David, as far as the Water Gate eastward. 38 The other thanksgiving choir went the opposite way, and I was behind them with half of the people on the wall, going past the Tower of the Ovens as far as the Broad Wall, 39 and above the Gate of Ephraim, above the Old Gate, above the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate; and they stopped by the Gate of the Prison.
40 So the two thanksgiving choirs stood in the house of God, likewise I and the half of the rulers with me; 41 and the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Minjamin, Michaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets; 42 also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. The singers sang loudly with Jezrahiah the director.
The first thing which caught my eye while reading these verses was Nehemiah's account of how he "brought the leaders of Judah up on the wall." This wasn't some 12-inch wall, folks. It was broad and strong and meant for men to walk upon.
Sometimes, our spiritual walls can erode. Maybe you're going to fellowship, but you're not really investing in the lives of others and building a connection. Your wall is thin. You're learning the Word, so there is a barrier in place to protect you from the world. Still, it is not broad and robust because you haven't allowed other believers to help fortify your wall through a godly relationship. Chew on that for a while. Where are your walls thin? Ask God to speak to you.
Remember, this is a celebration! Nehemiah is sketching a picture for us so we can understand the magnitude of the rejoicing. I'm convicted by this because I can be so ungrateful. Oftentimes, I ask God to work in this area or do such-and-such – and He does. But then I fail to just say, "thank you."
He's so faithful, friends! That's my favorite descriptor of God – "faithful." We all should have a beloved descriptor for our Father – a personal and significant word to us. What would your word be, and who can you share it with?
43 Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and the children also rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard afar off.
This was also a verse that poked at me. "…so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard afar off." This is what question I pondered in my heart: Do others see and hear my joy? Many are probably familiar with James 1:2, which says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds."
When I'm going through a troublesome time; when I'm tired and burnt out on life; when someone has deeply wounded me, is joy still evident in my life, or am I walking around like Eeyore? In the words of one of my son's favorite books, "I like to be happy; it's the very best way, to start out each morning and end up each day."
44 And at the same time some were appointed over the rooms of the storehouse for the offerings, the firstfruits, and the tithes, to gather into them from the fields of the cities the portions specified by the Law for the priests and Levites; for Judah rejoiced over the priests and Levites who ministered. 45 Both the singers and the gatekeepers kept the charge of their God and the charge of the purification, according to the command of David and Solomon his son. 46 For in the days of David and Asaph of old there were chiefs of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God. 47 In the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah all Israel gave the portions for the singers and the gatekeepers, a portion for each day. They also consecrated holy things for the Levites, and the Levites consecrated them for the children of Aaron.
In conjunction with the joyous celebration, special care was given to ensure what God had given them was cared for and maintained. Think about that for a minute. When God gives us something, He also desires us to properly care for it and keep it. Especially in our culture, it's easy to buy something and then over time just let it run down and not properly care for it because we'll just buy a new one down the road.
I remember growing up, my dad was meticulous about his vehicles. He'd keep them so clean and pristine even though they weren't brand new. He told me something once, and it stuck with me, "Why would God give me something else when I haven't properly taken care of what He has already given me?" That statement can be applied to many things in our lives (and I need to take better care of my four-kid car, so this is a word for me, too).
Luke 16:10 tells us something similar: whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much. May we be trusted with even the most minor things God entrusts to us by properly caring for and maintaining it! Amen.