Nehemiah 11-12 and Psalm 126
(saving Nehemiah 13 for tomorrow)
Devotion by Telva Elwell (SC)
The wall and the gates of Jerusalem had been rebuilt. (Nehemiah 6:15) Leadership and positions of service had been filled. Israelites were moving in to occupy the city of Jerusalem. (Nehemiah 11) The stage was set for a celebration!
It was time!
The dedication of the wall of Jerusalem attracted people to come to Jerusalem to be present for the dedication of the wall of the city. What a huge crowd that came that day! The Levites came to celebrate the dedication with gladness, thanksgiving, and singing. Cymbals, harps, and lyres were played in great celebration. In addition, singers came from the areas around Jerusalem, and other surrounding areas. The singers had even built for themselves villages around Jerusalem. The priests and Levites purified themselves and the people. All the celebrants were spiritually prepared and excited! Let the celebration begin! (12:27-30)
Nehemiah then brought the singers and musicians up onto the wall. What excitement must have stirred through the crowd when they mounted that wall that many thought impossible to rebuild! The city must have exploded with songs of praise and thanksgiving as Nehemiah instructed one half of the singers to sing songs of praise, accompanied by the blast of trumpets and other instruments created by David, the man of God. He sent them to march south on the top of the wall, along with Ezra the scribe. As they marched, they sang loudly with whole hearts overflowing with praise. Likewise, the second choir was sent to march north on top of the wall, along with Nehemiah. They sang and worshiped and praised the great God who had done mighty works in Jerusalem. The two choirs then met at the house of God where they gave thanks and presented sacrifices to their great God. They rejoiced! “For God had made them rejoice with great joy. And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away.” (v. 43)
One of the Songs of Ascent was probably song. Psalms 126, one of those songs, has such meaningful words for such an occasion as this:
“When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing; then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them. The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad. Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the south. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”
Yes, the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away, but how that joy must have stung for some.
Throughout the celebration of praise and thanksgiving to God, this message was being seen and heard by those outside the congregation of the Israelites. There were a few familiar faces and names of people among the foreigners who probably wanted to hide in embarrassment. And it was all because of the completion of the work at Jerusalem on the 25th day of Elle (6:15). “All the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God” (6:16). Even their enemies and naysayers believed that what they were hearing with their ears and seeing with their eyes, was indeed proof positive that God was with Jerusalem and that He had caused the wall and gates of the city of Jerusalem to be restored! (Ps. 126:2)
Flash back several weeks earlier when word spread throughout the region that the wall was being rebuilt. Sanballat and Tobiah were up to their mischief trying to discourage and hinder the work of the Jews in rebuilding the wall. They teased; can these feeble old Jewish men even build these walls themselves? Will they sacrifice? They knew it would take more than a few prayers to rebuild the wall. Could they even finish it? They laughed at the materials they were using, calling the stones rubbish, because they were broken and burnt. They jeered, “How could anyone build anything out of trash?” (4:2) And yet, they built it! There it stood on this great day of dedication after its completion. So, with God even feeble old men can accomplish great things! Yes, they were able to finish the wall with God’s help! Even burnt stone dug from the rubble could become a strong wall! Sanballat and Tobiah probably heard the praise, the trumpet blasts, the loud songs of worship that day and cringed. But what may have been worse was seeing the wall standing strong, and the people standing strong and thankful upon that wall—that very wall that Tobiah declared would fall in a heap if even one fox went up on to the wall. (4:3). This was just what Nehemiah prayed to God to do…to “turn their taunt on their own heads” (4:4). What a testimony to God and the power of prayer! Now a multitude of people stood upon the wall and sang out praises to the One true God for the whole world to hear!
What are you doing to make sure that your wall stays strong, and that songs of praise to the One true God can be heard in your part of the world?
Reflection Questions
- What is praise? How important is expressing praise in your prayers to God? What things do you praise God for? Is there a relationship between expressing praise to God and feeling joy in your life?
- What is the difference between praise and thanks? Or are they the same thing? Do you share your thanksgiving and praise with others?
- What did Paul mean when he said, “In all things give thanks? (1 Thess. 5:18) Does giving thanks remove fear and worry from your life? How do you incorporate giving thanks in your life when you feel overtaken and undone by loss or grief?
Seek Grow Love 