Nehemiah 11 and 12
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WE come now in our meditations in Nehemiah to what most of us, including myself, would describe as rather uninteresting chapters. They are full of names which we are not able to identify because we are not part of such a culture. They describe the organisation of life in Jerusalem at this time of Nehemiah, and of the how the people were distributed in Jerusalem and round about, and something of the organisation of the religious activity which went on. The history becomes a little more interesting when we read the description and arrangement for the ceremony which took place for the dedication of the walls of Jerusalem, but not alot. Because of this we tend to pass over such chapters with only a very cursory attention.

Although I feel like this and perhaps am describing simply my own reaction to these chapters, I also have a sense of duty towards the Word of God, which these two chapters form part. I believe that nothing in the Word of God was recorded for us without purpose, and for our benefit. I also have an obligation laid upon me as a teacher and preacher which I find I can�t ignore, which is not to neglect any portion of God�s Word, however uninteresting it might seem, because of this conviction that the Holy Spirit would not have had these chapters recorded for us if they were not of some purpose and blessing in the life of God�s people, and the church.

I find I am unable to find much of benefit in the names and arrangements, but I do find God saying something to me about the underlying picture of the life of God�s people here at this time. It seems to me that chapter 11 and chapter 12 to verse 26 is describing the sort of life in Israel after the walls of Jerusalem had been completed, and are looking beyond that immediate time. Then chapter 12:27 to the end describes the dedication of the walls of Jerusalem which perhaps was the start of this period in Israel�s life. What I see is a more settled life and a more ordinary life. But at the same time Israel still had enemies, and the Holy City still needed protection, and above all the spiritual life of the people needed to be nurtured and maintained.

We like the exciting episodes in life, and the times of special activity. The excitement and problems these bring, carry us along in a tide of activity, and Israel had had such a time as they tackled the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem and faced all the hostility which was directed against them by their enemies. After the walls were completed things settled down. Israel had been successful and victorious through God�s good hand upon them, but now life returned to a more normal aspect.

In fact life is taken up mostly with the ordinary things, and the exciting things come more rarely at different times in our lives. This is true of church life also. There are times of special activity and times of special blessing from God, but most of the time church life is the week by week worship of God and service of God which is never very exciting, though nourishing and satisfying.

The trouble is that we hunger after the spectacular and exciting, and when we do not get it, we grow dissatisfied. This often happens in church fellowships. When things are ordinary people often label them as lifeless and spiritually dead when this may be not so at all. A more settled ordered church life is quite normal, as long as we do not let ourselves be overcome by familiar order and lose our spiritual vitality. What can we learn from these chapters concerning a more settled church life.

After the walls of Jerusalem had been built and the city was secure, it became the centre of the nations life, and necessary plans were made for the ordering of life in the city, and for the leadership of the wider community of the people of Israel. Most of the people lived safely in a wider area around Jerusalem, but they looked for leadership and protection which came from the central structure in Jerusalem.

Church life also needs structure and leadership, and this is for the spiritual good and strength of the whole congregation, and also the wider community of congregations. There is nothing unspiritual about order, and much good is found in structured services and liturgies, and settled ways of conducting services and running the life of the church.

Leaders have to be appointed, and ministers need to be called to lead the people forward in their spiritual life. We find here in Nehemiah�s time that leaders were appointed, and the church needs to have such appointment too, but again the leadership is the servant of the church, and those appointed to lead are not ones who are set above the people, though the people are called to respect that leadership.

Next, as we read through these chapters we find that special tasks in the life of Jerusalem are given to different people who had gifts to perform them. For example in 11: 16 we are told that some had charge of the outside work of the house of God. Then in the next verse some were given responsibility to lead thanksgiving and prayer. Then in 11:22 we see others made responsible for the singing and worship in the house of God. Then again in 12:8 Levites are mentioned who are in charge of the songs of thanksgiving.

Now we are not told much about these responsibilities, and no doubt there were many other duties and responsibilities which are not mentioned, but we have a picture of many people involved in the maintenance of the worship of God and in the maintenance of the house of God. What we see is the whole body of the church being involved in worship and in the maintenance of worship, and the gifts God had given different people were recognised and these people were given the duties comparable to the skills God had given them.

Then in the early part of chapter 11 we find people being selected or volunteering to leave their homes in the surrounding country and coming to represent their community by living in Jerusalem, and this amounted probably to some sacrifice, though it was an honour as well. From this we are reminded that the service of God does require some sacrifice on the part of God�s people, and some are called to more sacrifice than others, but this sacrifice is given gladly for love of the Lord.

So in spite of our first impressions of these two chapters it does speak to us of the necessity and rightness of order within the church of God, and that all God�s people are called to make a contribution to the life of the church. It also tells us that there are different jobs to be done, and even though some of them may seem unspiritual in character, like looking after the maintenance of church fabric, and catering, these are necessary and important jobs and must not be despised, but done to the glory of God. Those called to these less spectacular responsibilities must be recognised for their worth, and this contribution honoured. On the other hand those who are privileged to have more up front service must not place themselves higher than those who have more ordinary responsibilities.

What is important is that all should work together to glorify God, and seek to maintain his honour in the life of God�s people, also that God�s people are maintained in their spiritual life, and that spiritual life may continue to be vibrant and holy, even though outwardly not very spectacular. There is always a danger when things are settled in the life of the church, for love of the Lord to grow cold and spiritual vitality to diminish. The whole church must be watchful concerning this, and everyone should give themselves wholeheartedly to the Lord in the responsibilities assigned to them.

After the walls of Jerusalem had been completed and the life of the city and been brought to a good condition, then Nehemiah instituted this dedication of the walls to God. It required the whole cooperation of the people, and people, specially the Levites, were called into the city for this time of dedication. The purpose was to give thanks to God for the success of the rebuilding of the walls, and dedicate the walls, and the city they protected, to God, and commit the nation again to obedience and service to the Lord.

If any have been involved in the building of a new church, and the commencement of a new work centred around such building as I have, this dedication rings bells. The building is nothing in itself. The building is simply the focus and the means of doing the work of the Lord, and the important building is the building up of the real church of God, which are the body of people who have come to put their trust in Christ as Saviour, and to the adding to that number of true believers as the Lord adds to the church those who are being saved. Such a work is in the hands of God, and the success and blessing is given by him alone. The building he has enabled his people to build is his and must be dedicated to his service, and we ourselves need to be dedicated to the Lord so that we may be in his will for the work ahead. It is only in this way that a church can grow and be blest. It is very easy for a church building to be used for the wrong purposes, and for the life going on within it to go in a wrong direction. The dedication and consecration of the building focuses our attention to this purpose, that we place the building in the hands of God, and dedicate ourselves to live for the Lord and work for the Lord in that building.

This is what Nehemiah had in mind, and he focused the minds of the people on the whole of the walls of the city by walking around the wall in two groups, and at the same time to giving praise and thanksgiving to God. Then the whole gathered in the temple for a final thanksgiving and dedication.

These times are important because they focus our minds upon God and love for him. We remember the goodness of God to us, not just in the building of the church or building, but in his saving love which brought us out of darkness into his marvellous light, and then points us forward in loving service and submission to his will. The Christian life is lived in the will of God, and the service we give is from our great love for God which arises out of our experience of his great love for us.

Dedication in this way points us in the right direction. God has a plan for his church and for each one of us. It is only as we live and work in this will of God that we shall see blessing and growth to the glory of God. We need to be pointed in this direction, because unless our plans and activities come from God, there will be no real blessing, even though there may be outward success as seen through the eyes of the world.