Nehemiah 12:27-43

Nehemiah 12:27–43 KJV (WS)

27 And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings, and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps. 28 And the sons of the singers gathered themselves together, both out of the plain country round about Jerusalem, and from the villages of Netophathi; 29 Also from the house of Gilgal, and out of the fields of Geba and Azmaveth: for the singers had builded them villages round about Jerusalem. 30 And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and purified the people, and the gates, and the wall. 31 Then I brought up the princes of Judah upon the wall, and appointed two great companies of them that gave thanks, whereof one went on the right hand upon the wall toward the dung gate: 32 And after them went Hoshaiah, and half of the princes of Judah, 33 And Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam, 34 Judah, and Benjamin, and Shemaiah, and Jeremiah, 35 And certain of the priests' sons with trumpets; namely, 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, and Azarael, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethaneel, and Judah, Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God, and Ezra the scribe before them. 37 And at the fountain gate, which was over against them, they went up by the stairs of the city of David, at the going up of the wall, above the house of David, even unto the water gate eastward. 38 And the other company of them that gave thanks went over against them, and I after them, and the half of the people upon the wall, from beyond the tower of the furnaces even unto the broad wall; 39 And from above the gate of Ephraim, and above the old gate, and above the fish gate, and the tower of Hananeel, and the tower of Meah, even unto the sheep gate: and they stood still in the prison gate. 40 So stood the two companies of them that gave thanks in the house of God, and I, and the half of the rulers with me: 41 And the priests; Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Michaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets; 42 And Maaseiah, and Shemaiah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and Jehohanan, and Malchijah, and Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang loud, with Jezrahiah their overseer. 43 Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had made them rejoice with great joy: the wives also and the children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.

Introduction

We have spent a lot of time with Nehemiah over the last several months.

It has been a great learning exercise for me, and I hope for you.

In a few more weeks we will come to an end of our study in this book, but has happened many times before, when we finish this study it wont just mark the ned of one thing, it will also mark the beginning of another.

The new study will not delegitimize this one, it will not erase this one, but it will open a new chapter in our study of God’s word.

I will typically think back on a study when we finish one and rejoice at the things God not only taught me but the things that he allowed me to share with you.

Together, through this process we have grown and seen God work.

We should celebrate and rejoice the end of one thing and the beginning of another.

Our passage today teaches us how to celebrate God’s work.

Vs 27-29: A call goes out to bring all the Levites back to Jerusalem for a dedication service for the wall.

It’s been a somewhat considerable length of time since the walls had been completed.

Some say it may have even been a few years.

Whatever the reason for the delay, it is never too late to celebrate the work of God.

As the preparations are made for this dedication ceremony, an effort is made to bring in all of the Levites.

Only a few of the Levites actually live in Jerusalem.

Sure it was convenient for the few in Jerusalem.

Vs 29 tells us that many of the Levites had built villages around the city.

This dedication was supposed to be a big deal.

That meant that some people would have to be inconvenienced in order to attend.

It is hard to transfer the feeling of emphasis and importance to other people.

We have lots of events or ministry opportunities.

They all require a lot of work.

Sometimes the hardest part is getting people on board.

Why was it important for the levites to be on board?

Music was going to be a big part of the celebration.

They would need people who knew what they were doing to help get things going with the singing.

The levites were some of the most well-trained musicians in Israel.

They had professional singers in their number.

There were 3 companies of Levitical singers.

They were raised to be organized and prepared for this ministry.

Thank God for parents who raise their kids to be ready to serve God.

This is especially seen in Instrumentalists

Someone may be born with a good voice, but it takes preparation to play.

These people had all kinds of instruments ready to assist people in offering praise to God.

You know it was going to be happy music, too.

It was supposed to be a time of gladness and thanksgiving, according to vs 27.

Taking time to celebrate milestones is important.

Spiritual people turn even civil achievements into opportunities to praise God.

Passages like this reinforce the value of reflecting on God’s faithfulness.

Vs 30: Part of the preparation for the ceremony was a purification process.

Before the celebration could begin, there was work that needed to be done.

This would not a party of defiled people.

Before praise and worship could be offered, the people needed to be clean.

There was to be a widespread effort to purify the people and the city.

Cleanliness and holiness are important aspects of worship.

Priests and Levites were purified.

The people were purified.

Even the gates and the walls were purified.

I am grateful for the people who help us keep the church clean.

I expect our staff to live clean lives if they are going to lead people in worship

How often do we spend time purifying our hearts as attendees?

Once the people have been gathered and prepared, it’s time for the celebration to start.

Vs 31-39: Nehemiah and Ezra split the company into two groups and make a circuit around the city.

This verse brings back Nehemiah as the 1st person narrator.

This had been missing since about chapter 7, I believe.

The reason Nehemiah comes back into the picture is because of his role in the formation of the plan for a parade.

Yes, the big ceremony is going to start with a parade.

Nehemiah and Ezra will both lead a parade clockwise and counter clockwise around the city walls until they meet up again at the temple.

The two groups will travel in opposite directions along the top of the wall.

Each procession was led by either Nehemiah or Ezra.

The leaders were followed by princes of the people, the priests, and the levites.

The unity of the people here is unmatched.

This walking on the walls is a symbolic gesture

It was meant to point to the desire of the people to claim a blessing.

They are basically reclaiming the city by walking over it.

It is humorous that Sanballat and Tobiah claimed a fox would knock the walls down, but now we see that the whole city was able to walk around them

As they work their way around the city, notice the inclusion of an important historical figure in verse 36.

David’s influence continues over the Israelites.

He had been dead for 500 years when this happened.

They use his instruments.

I am sure they are singing some of his songs.

They used his organization of the priests and levites.

Vs 40-43: The day ends with a celebration in the Temple.

The people gave thanks.

They sang loud.

The celebration was not quiet or meditative.

It was a time of open celebration.

They offered sacrifices.

They rejoiced with great joy.

The whole family rejoiced together.

Women and children were involved.

It was not just the professionals providing the music.

The joy of Jerusalem was heard afar off.

There are two meaning for this last phrase.

The first is that obviously some people stayed home and they could hear what was going on at the Temple.

Second the people who were there carried the report of the incredible day far and wide.

This day is kind of a capstone to the revival that we saw carried out over the last several chapters.

It gives us a bit of a pattern to follow as we celebrate God’s work of revival in our own lives.

Application

A successful dedication ceremony involves a few things.

Involvement.

The people who have been affected by God’s work should be willing to participate in the celebration.

If you have benefitted from god’s work, you should participate in giving him praise.

That’s one of the things I have loved watching in our church over the years.

More and more people are participating in the praise time in our services.

Purification.

Whether its a private or a corporate meeting before God, we should come with a desire to be made clean.

My sins were forgiven when I got saved.

Positionally I am righteous.

When it comes to the day to day actions of my life I am in constant need of washing.

This morning I spent time confessing y sins to God so that I could stand before you and preach with a clean conscience before God.

How many of you, as members of this church, took some time to clear the table with God so that you could come and lift up holy hands in praise?

Ceremony.

Formality.

Liturgy.

Ceremony.

One of the things that I had to learn pretty early on is that sometimes we need sobriety and seriousness in our services.

Bud Calvert told me within my first year as a youth pastor, Not everything has to be a joke.

Singing.

You cannot remove singing from your relationship with God.

If you think you can, then you will not like heaven.

We sing to give thanks.

We sing to celebrate our hero.

We sing to rejoice.

Dedication services should mark the beginning not the end of a thing.

If a congregation loses forward vision and stops acting in faith, then what God had accomplished could become a burden rather than a blessing.

The dedication of the wall was a point of beginning.

We will soon celebrate our own point of beginning.

I hope that when we dedicate this building in a few months that we will not take it as an end.

Conclusion

God works among us so that we will celebrate him and what he has done.

What do you have to celebrate in your life today?

Salvation

Provision

Answered prayer

Protection

Whatever it is, we want to join together and celebrate it this morning.