The Prophet: Guarding the wall

The wall is completed

The heart that cared enough to inquire

The heart that cared enough to pray

The heart that cared to speak up

The heart willing to go

The heart that got involved

The heart that encouraged

The heart that would not be detoured

Nehemiah had the heart that helped the wall be finished (Neh6:15).

Nehemiah 6:15 NASB95

15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two days.

(Transition) -

This chapter records a census that was taken of the returning exiles, there are a lot of verses and we will read them all, but, having said that I want to focus on a few things we can learn from the passage.

Guarding the wall

Nehemiah 7:1–2 NASB95

1 Now when the wall was rebuilt and I had set up the doors, and the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed, 2 then I put Hanani my brother, and Hananiah the commander of the fortress, in charge of Jerusalem, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many.

Nehemiah 7:3–4 NASB95

3 Then I said to them, “Do not let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot, and while they are standing guard, let them shut and bolt the doors. Also appoint guards from the inhabitants of Jerusalem, each at his post, and each in front of his own house.” 4 Now the city was large and spacious, but the people in it were few and the houses were not built.

Nehemiah 7:5 NASB95

5 Then my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the people to be enrolled by genealogies. Then I found the book of the genealogy of those who came up first in which I found the following record:

Now will not be doing this with the rest of the chapter for it is mostly names.

What do you notice in this portion of scripture?

What facts do you learn from (v.1)?

Doors set

Gatekeepers, singers, Levites were appointed.

Who is Hanani? Who is Hananiah? What were they put in charge of (v.2)?

Hanani - Nehemiah’s brother

Hananiah - commander of the fortress

Put in charge of Jerusalem

What instructions do you find (v.3)?

Do not open gates til sun is hot

Set the standing guard from the inhabitants of Jerusalem, shut, bolt doors, Guards in front of their own houses too.

What do you learn about the people in Jerusalem (v.4)?

There were few in a city that was large and spacious

Nehemiah finds the book of genealogy that Ezra recorded of first returns from captivity, what did God put on his heart to do (v.6)?

To gather Nobles, officials, people so can be enrolled by genealogies (basically a census).

Everything, everyone in place

Everything was in place, doors, gates in place

Everyone, gatekeepers, singers, Levites appointed.

Everything was in order, both practically (the wall, doors, gates, gatekeepers) and spiritually (the singers, the Levites)

Love what Brooks has to day on this:

“The singers and the Levites were there to lead the people in worship; the walls were not rebuilt so the people of Jerusalem could look at nice walls. They were rebuilt so they could worship God with greater glory and freedom than ever before.”

Praise, we were created to worship and to praise God, each day, each year we should be giving greater glory to the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. Every victory we have should draw us closer to Him.

Nehemiah was not in his position for political glory, but to get the word done and he was ready to pass on the responsibility to others.

Nehemiah appointed his brother Hanani (7:2) who we met (1:2) whom with his heart and concern for the people fit him perfectly to govern.

Nehemiah appointed Hananiah, co-leader in Jerusalem. A man who faithful and feared God more than many.

What God needs, wants desires if people who are faithful and who fear God (have awesome reverence for Him). It is not about your gifts, your talents, your abilities, or even your passions, it is about your heart and your willingness. God will equip you for what He wants to accomplish in you and through you.

A guard called for and set, the walls needed to be protected.

Yep, victory, wall completed, gates/doors in place, but the wall does not defend itself it needed guards. Watchmen needed to be set in place to guard the wall and people to guard their homes.

Guzik:

“In the Christian life, often a victory is won and later lost because there was no guard. An enemy may come in because we are not watching. Walls can be climbed if there is no one there to stop the enemy, but an enemy is easily turned back from a wall by a guard.”

Spacious city, few people, what more can we do?

Nehemiah too assess of the city, there is still much space, much room for the people of God. There were many abandoned houses or areas in which to build.

God put it in his heart to help them to grow and prosper. To do so, he needed to investigate the problem well and he took the census taken by Ezra (Ezr2:1-70) so could see who came out of Babylon in the first wave of people

You cannot truly address a problem unless you can see and understand the problem.

(Transition) this now leads us to the census, the counting of the families that returned. Please bear with me and forgive any mispronounced names along the way.

Nehemiah makes a family count

Nehemiah 7:6–7 NASB95

6 These are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his city, 7 who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number of men of the people of Israel:

Nehemiah 7:8–13 NASB95

8 the sons of Parosh, 2,172; 9 the sons of Shephatiah, 372; 10 the sons of Arah, 652; 11 the sons of Pahath-moab of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, 2,818; 12 the sons of Elam, 1,254; 13 the sons of Zattu, 845;

Nehemiah 7:14–20 NASB95

14 the sons of Zaccai, 760; 15 the sons of Binnui, 648; 16 the sons of Bebai, 628; 17 the sons of Azgad, 2,322; 18 the sons of Adonikam, 667; 19 the sons of Bigvai, 2,067; 20 the sons of Adin, 655;

Nehemiah 7:21–30 NASB95

21 the sons of Ater, of Hezekiah, 98; 22 the sons of Hashum, 328; 23 the sons of Bezai, 324; 24 the sons of Hariph, 112; 25 the sons of Gibeon, 95; 26 the men of Bethlehem and Netophah, 188; 27 the men of Anathoth, 128; 28 the men of Beth-azmaveth, 42; 29 the men of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah and Beeroth, 743; 30 the men of Ramah and Geba, 621;

Nehemiah 7:31–39 NASB95

31 the men of Michmas, 122; 32 the men of Bethel and Ai, 123; 33 the men of the other Nebo, 52; 34 the sons of the other Elam, 1,254; 35 the sons of Harim, 320; 36 the men of Jericho, 345; 37 the sons of Lod, Hadid and Ono, 721; 38 the sons of Senaah, 3,930. 39 The priests: the sons of Jedaiah of the house of Jeshua, 973;

Nehemiah 7:40–44 NASB95

40 the sons of Immer, 1,052; 41 the sons of Pashhur, 1,247; 42 the sons of Harim, 1,017. 43 The Levites: the sons of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, of the sons of Hodevah, 74. 44 The singers: the sons of Asaph, 148.

Nehemiah 7:45–46 NASB95

45 The gatekeepers: the sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, the sons of Shobai, 138. 46 The temple servants: the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth,

Nehemiah 7:47–51 NASB95

47 the sons of Keros, the sons of Sia, the sons of Padon, 48 the sons of Lebana, the sons of Hagaba, the sons of Shalmai, 49 the sons of Hanan, the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar, 50 the sons of Reaiah, the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda, 51 the sons of Gazzam, the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah,

Nehemiah 7:52–55 NASB95

52 the sons of Besai, the sons of Meunim, the sons of Nephushesim, 53 the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur, 54 the sons of Bazlith, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha, 55 the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Temah,

Nehemiah 7:56–60 NASB95

56 the sons of Neziah, the sons of Hatipha. 57 The sons of Solomon’s servants: the sons of Sotai, the sons of Sophereth, the sons of Perida, 58 the sons of Jaala, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel, 59 the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth-hazzebaim, the sons of Amon. 60 All the temple servants and the sons of Solomon’s servants were 392.

Nehemiah 7:61–62 NASB95

61 These were they who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon and Immer; but they could not show their fathers’ houses or their descendants, whether they were of Israel: 62 the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, 642.

Nehemiah 7:63–64 NASB95

63 Of the priests: the sons of Hobaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai, the Gileadite, and was named after them. 64 These searched among their ancestral registration, but it could not be located; therefore they were considered unclean and excluded from the priesthood.

Nehemiah 7:65–66 NASB95

65 The governor said to them that they should not eat from the most holy things until a priest arose with Urim and Thummim. 66 The whole assembly together was 42,360,

Nehemiah 7:67–68 NASB95

67 besides their male and their female servants, of whom there were 7,337; and they had 245 male and female singers. 68 Their horses were 736; their mules, 245;

Nehemiah 7:69–70 NASB95

69 their camels, 435; their donkeys, 6,720. 70 Some from among the heads of fathers’ households gave to the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 gold drachmas, 50 basins, 530 priests’ garments.

Nehemiah 7:71–73 NASB95

71 Some of the heads of fathers’ households gave into the treasury of the work 20,000 gold drachmas and 2,200 silver minas. 72 That which the rest of the people gave was 20,000 gold drachmas and 2,000 silver minas and 67 priests’ garments. 73 Now the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants and all Israel, lived in their cities. And when the seventh month came, the sons of Israel were in their cities.

Some observations from this list of names, families

The list is important because it was, the people were important to God.

These people were willing to do what many others in Babylon captivity were not willing to do. Leave and go home.

This list is only about 2% of the people who had gone into captivity 70-years before.

These people were willing to leave roots they built in Babylon, endure hardship and many unknowns to return to Jerusalem. A call from God was more important to them than their comfort.

You see many names in the list, because not only families were important but people were important, persons!

The gifts given to support the work were important and that is why the gifts are listed in the list too.

Reason for the genealogy is that there could not appoint priests until they can verify heritage, from the lineage of Aaron

Some closing comments I found that are worth mentioning.

The walls weren’t all that important, what was important was the benefit of the walls provided for God’s people, enabling them to live in peace and security.

The building work wasn’t all that important; what was important was the benefit the building gave to God’s people. The building work taught them to work hard, to work together, to work through adversity and attack, and to work till the wall was done.

Our building in a gift, the work of the building while it is good, it is not the most important thing. The church, the gospel is the important thing. The building gives a place that we can meet and we should do our best to guard it, protect it, but not at the cost of the gospel

(Prayer) (Exit)