Nehemiah 12: A Choir of Dedication

Intro:

Wear your Blue suit, Papa’s blue suit (3 generations of believers)

Do you like to sing?

Couple of times that singing has profoundly influenced me: Finnish song with papa, the Spot restaurant, MIssions trips, my wedding.

You will remembers songs a lot better than you will remember a sermon outline

Outline:

Priest and Levites: “” (vs. 1-26)

Joyful Dedication: “” (vs. 27-43)

Service at the Temple: “” (vs. 44-47)

Summary: Singing engages the heart to celebrates God’s great works

Prayer:

Priests and Levites: “3 Generations” (vs. 1-26)

1st Generation (vs. 1-11)

Came up with Zerubbable and Jeshua (vs. 1-11)- 1st return to the land (almost 100 years earlier), Zerubbable is a descendant of David and an ancestor of Jesus! Jeshua is the leading preist who supervised the building of the temple and the reestablishment of religious and political life in Judah after the exile. Before, in 1 Chron. 24:7-19 David appointed 24 priestly divisions to serve in the temple

Chiefs of the Priests (vs. 1-7)

Levites (vs. 8-11)- 22 in total

Mattaniah (v.8), who with his brothers was in chage of the songs of thanksgiving

2nd Generation (vs. 12-21)

In the days of Joiakim (vs. 12-21)- Son of Jeshua

Priests, heads of father’s houses

3rd Generation (vs. 22-26)

In the days of Eliashib (vs. 22-26)- Son of Joiakim

Levites, heads of father’s houses

So too were the priests in the reign of Darius the Persian

The chiefs of the Levites…Jeshua the son of Kadmiel (v. 24)

With their brothers who stood opposite them (antiphonal singing, back and forth)

To praise

and to give thanks

According to the commandment of David- this kind of singing was instituted by David.

The man of God- “in 2 Chr 8:14, always in relation to his work in organizing worship. The title “man of God” usually refers to prophets, but here the author no doubt was comparing David with Moses, who had founded Israelite worship

Mervin Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, electronic ed., vol. 10, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1993), 263.

Watch by watch

“These were in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra, the priest and scribe.” -Summary verse

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ne 12:26.

Application/Implications:

So, why the ancestory lesson? This is a big deal! Read 1-2 Kings this week and you will find out how often the leadership goes astray before the exile. They are seeking to do it right this time.

What played a big role in these 3 generations: Songs of thanksgiving and praise

Praising

Giving thanks are a crucial part of faithfulness.

What are you praising God for today? what are you thankful for? WAIT FOR THE ANSWERS!

I have seen this in the Nicholson family, Paul and Glenna, Pastor Lars and Sarah, and now Leila

Are you willing to be a godly eader in your family that follows Jesus willingly no matter where he leads?

Transitional phrase: These three generations are seeking to leave a goldy legacy, following were God has led. So what does that sound like...

Joyful Dedication: “Gathering to Sing” (vs. 27-43)

Gathering (vs. 27-30)

Levites in all their places

to bring them to Jerusalem

To celebrate the dedication with (v. 27)

gladness

thanksgiving- “thanksgiving choir”

with singing

with cymblas, harps and lyres

Sons of the singers

gathered together from the disctirct surrounding Jerusalem

and from the villages of the Netophathites “weeds, nettles”(Netophah, “village located in the hill country near Bethlehem and home to several biblical figures, including warriors, Levites, and musicians.”)

also from Beth gilgal (near Jericho) and from the region of Geba and Azmaveth (NE of Jerusalem, in Benjamite area) PICTURE OF GEOGRAPHY

For the singers had built for themselves villages around Jerusalem

The priests and the Levites

purified themselves

Purified the people

and the gates and the wall- sprinkling the blood of sacrificed animals. “It no doubt included fasting, abstaining from marital intercourse, making sacrifices, and perhaps bathing and using clean garments (Gen 35:2–3; Num 8:21–22; 1 Chr 29:15; 35:6; Ezra 6:20; Neh 13:22; Mal 3:3).

Mervin Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, electronic ed., vol. 10, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1993), 265.

Appointing two “Thanksgiving Choirs” (vs. 31-39)

Leaders of Judah on the wall-where are they standing? On the wall! The Walls are strong enough to hold them! What were the taunts by the adversaries? “If a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!” Now a choir of people are singing from it, loudly!

Appointed two great choirs and gave thanks

One went south- they start at the same place that Nehemiah started his nighttime inspection of the wall

One went north-

Rejoicing with Great Joy (vs. 40- 43)

Both choirs of thos who gave thanks stood in the house of God- they do like a backward “8” to both enter the temple from the east. The parallel arangement of the two processions must have been striking. The first recorded marching band (PIC OF THE WALL)

I and half the officials with me

And the priests

and the singers sang with Jezrahiah as their leader

and they offered great sacrifices that day

and rejoiced

for God had made them rejoice with great joy

the women and children also rejoiced

and the joy of Jerusaelm was heard far away- “God calls us to celebration as well as service. The law even commands thankfulness and rejoicing (Deut 12:7, 12, 18; 14:26; 16:11–15; 26:11; 27:7; cf. 28:47). All had been completed. The decree of Cyrus (Ezra 1:1–4) had been fulfilled (Ezra 1:5 to Neh 7:73a), and the community had been restored (Neh 7:73b–12:26). The prophecy of Jeremiah (Ezra 1:1) had begun to be fulfilled, and the stage was now set for the completion of God’s work in Israel (Jer 31:31–34). All of this would be acknowledged in the dedication of the work brought about by God.

Mervin Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, electronic ed., vol. 10, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1993), 264.

Application/Implications:

I wonder what that must have been like for Nehemiahto have stood at the very spot he began and not only see it restored, but be walking and singing on it! Maybe there is an area of your life that was broken or is broken down now and God wants you to turn to him with it

One of the greatest warriors in Israel’s history was also one of the most prolific musicians.

Singing and music are great warriors in the battle against sin and suffering

Paul and Silas in Jail

Jesus after the final supper sang with his disciples

Can I suggest that you add some of the songs we sing today to your play list this week

This is not just something for the adults, but also for the kids

They took singing seriously

They took purity seriously

Zephaniah 3:17 “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”

What will you sing over this week?

Transitional phrase: The people gathered to sing, rejoicing over what He had done. This compelled them to not only sing with joy, but to give and serve with joy.

Joyful Service: “” (vs. 44-47)

Joyful Giving (v. 44)

Men appointed

The storerooms

the contributions

the firstfruits

the tithes

To gather into them the portions required by the Law for the

priests

and Levites

according to the fields of the towns

for Judah rejoied over the priests and the levites who ministered

Joyful Service (vs. 45-47)

They performed the service of their God

and the service of purification

as did the singers and the gatekeepers

acording to the command of David and his son Solomon

For long ago in the days of David and Asaph (the most rich musical contribution we have in the Word of God)

there were directors of the singers

There were songs of praise and thanksgiving to God

All of Israel

in the days of Zerubbable

and in the days of Nehemiah

gave the daily portions for

the singers

the gatekeepers

and they set apart that which was for the Levites

and the Levites set apart that which was for the sons of Aaron

Application/Implications:

They took singing, purity, and giving seriously!

Appointed men- Go through the Deacons oversight

Are you joyfully giving?

Are you joyfully serving?

Transitional phrase: We have so much to be thankful for! In this last song I want youlift your voices and rejoice loudly as you sing! If you are at the end of your row on the ends, would you step out into the isle? if you are at the back move to the back. We can still do this and be distanced but I want us to make a circle as we sing this last song

Summary: Singing engages the heart to celebrates God’s great works

Discussion questions

Worship- Renew the Mind (Scripture)

1. What passage of Scripture did we look at? Summarize it in your own words.

2. Who were the three generations mentioned in vs. 1-26 and what specifically did they give attention to?

3. What did all the Levites gather to do in verses 27-43? What did it look like?

4. In what ways did this great thanksgiving choir affect the people in verses 44-47?

Grow- Engage the Heart (Conversation)

1. What about your life and legacy are you thankful for today? What would you like to see God do?

2. According to this chapter, what kind of importance does God play on singing?

3. ?

Serve- Enlist the Body (Action)

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