By Kevin Ivy
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tullahoma
Focal Passage: Nehemiah 8:9-12; 12:27-31a
As we have journeyed through this account by Nehemiah together we have been encountered with the absolute necessity of prayer (Nehemiah 1:1-11), the importance of wise planning (Nehemiah 2:1-8, 17-18), and the vital role persistence in the face of opposition plays in carrying out God’s plan (Nehemiah 4:1-3, 6-9, 14-18).
We have been confronted with the reality that how we live is a reflection of who we really are spiritually (Nehemiah 5:1-13). We have also been reminded of the priority God’s Word plays in all that we do (Nehemiah 6:1-3, 15-16, Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-8). All of this culminates in God’s plan being accomplished and His people rejoicing in praise (Nehemiah 8:9-12, 12:27-31). Serving God is not complete without celebrating His great work.
Nehemiah, who left Persia with the intention of returning to the capital city and to his role as the king’s cupbearer, was eventually appointed governor of Judah. He, along with Ezra the priest, and the Levites worked to lead the people out of grief over their sin into gladness for God’s grace. The people were weeping at the words of the law. When the people heard God’s law, they understood their violations of it. They were not weeping tears of joy, but repentant tears as they grieved over their sins that led to their captivity (vv. 10-11). The people had to be told not to mourn or weep any more. It is good to respond to God with repentance, but it is also appropriate to respond to His promise of forgiveness with celebration and praise. It was now time to stop mourning and start rejoicing and celebrating. They were reminded that while God does punish sin, He also blesses obedience. They had not been utterly destroyed as a nation, in spite of their sin, but by God’s grace they were on the brink of a new beginning. That called for a celebration. That called for praise! The joy of the Lord was their strength.
When the walls were completed, all of the Levites were gathered to Jerusalem for a glorious celebration. The people celebrated what God had done in and through them by dedicating the city walls afresh to the Lord. Just as Solomon’s temple was dedicated with much celebration and praise (II Chronicles 5-7), and just as Haggai and Zechariah’s temple was dedicated with much celebration and praise (Ezra 6:16-18), now the walls are dedicated with celebration and praise (Nehemiah 12:27-31a). This event was not done half-heartedly. The people gathered to sing hymns of thanksgiving and songs of praise. They accompanied their songs with cymbals, harps, and lyres. There were two great choirs appointed. This celebration was not somber and reserved, but celebratory, loud and exciting.
A celebration of God and His work is not just emotional, but spiritual. In the midst of the excitement, they did not neglect their own personal holiness and purity. The priests and the Levites purified themselves. They purified the people, the gates, and the wall. It is imperative that as God’s people gather to celebrate and praise, that they do so in holiness, purity, and with a clear conscience. That is what happens in this text. A purified people praise and celebrate the work that God had accomplished in and through them. The people had been returned to the land! The temple had been rebuilt! The wall had been completed! Jerusalem was poised and ready for her true King to come: Jesus Christ!
