WHAT A DAY OF REJOICING! Nehemiah 12:1-26 Restoration is a time of rejoicing. The conclusion of a great work for God is a time of rejoicing. Seeing a work accomplished by united people, despite serious obstacles, is a cause for great rejoicing. But uncontrolled enthusiasm without order creates mass confusion and chaos that can devolve into nothing more than a noisy riot. Nehemiah and Ezra, along with other leaders, brought dignity and order to a great celebration without quenching the people of God's open expressions of joy. At first, the long lists of priests and Levites were compiled to determine who should lead and why they were placed in the grand parade.
There are four lists of priests and Levites, beginning with those who returned with Zerubbabel, 150 years before Nehemiah went to Jerusalem. These lists may have been compiled to determine who would lead in the many roles priests and Levites would fill in the restored city, in temple worship, and perhaps even in the parade around the city atop the walls. The singers apparently sang the psalms in two facing groups, responding to each other. One side would sing a phrase, and the other would repeat it or sing the next line.
In the historical context of the 100 years since the rebuilding began, an order was established to remind people that this was a work of many years. It is common for us to view history from our own point of view, shaped by the unfolding of events and the limitations of our experience. True, the work of one hundred years could have been completed in a comparatively short time if not for fear of man, opposition, and unnecessary caution due to lack of faith. But despite that, God had used His people to fulfill His purpose, and it was now time to rejoice in a way that would honor God. Four different lists of priests and Levites were likely compiled to determine who would lead in the dedication of the restored city and in worship at the temple.
Family lines within the priesthood were maintained in their priestly roles from one generation to the next, as in Aaron’s family. Temple service within the families of the Levites was also designated and passed down from one generation to the next. These groups were not only responsible to God and the Israelites for following the order established by God, but were also accountable to Darius, the King of the Persians. These records are not the books of Chronicles we have in scripture, but official records kept in government archives.
Priests and Levites' work was tied to the spiritual life of the nation. That is the heart, the moral center of any people and any culture. Without worship, there is no meaningful reason for our existence except to make the best of a chance happening that brought us life. Without some objective higher than our own pleasure, life has at best only occasional experiences to offset the boredom of meaninglessness. It is important for us to value what spiritual leaders in the past have passed on to us. That gives us perspective on our lives. Spiritual leaders in the present build on the foundations and efforts of those who have given us a legacy and a heritage of faith.
We are built upon the accomplishments of those before us, who built on the accomplishments of those before them. Without such a transmission of truth and understanding, we would have no foundation for what we do in the present and nothing to pass on to those who follow us. Many people who have been or will be affected by us will never be known to us personally. Yet everyone is known by God for who they are and what they have done, do, or will do. Knowing the influence for good and for God we can have in their lives is enough to keep us committed to living for God.
“O HAPPY DAY.” Nehemiah 12:27-47 After the wall of Jerusalem was completed, the people repented and renewed their commitment to the Lord. Some were compelled to move into the city, so the wall's dedication was delayed until a functioning government, under qualified leaders, could maintain order. The priests and Levites were also needed to lead the people in their religious practices, and they would be compelled by their consciences to obey the law. They had to be purified first, in both spirit and body, before they could serve God. Then they could take the steps necessary to purify the people, the walls, and the gates.
The dedication of the work was a way of giving God's people a possession for His purposes and His glory. The temple, the city, and the wall each served a distinct purpose, yet all had a divine purpose. Each was His, and each use was important to the others. The walls and the gates provided safety and security for God's people. Family and community unity were maintained, and a united fellowship in the city promoted strength and the common good. The temple, a place where God's people came together to worship and praise Him, strengthened their spiritual and moral lives. There they would see beyond daily activity to the big picture of God living with His people in the past and future, and the blessing of God with them in the present.
A dedication of a completed work identifies the unique purpose for which it was done. Setting apart a building, or in this case the walls, the city, and the temple, for God keeps its use clear so the people will not expect to use it for just any reason. The place where the Lord's people gather is not used as an auction barn, a repair shop, or an entertainment center, but for uses consistent with the purpose for which it was built.
In the time of our Lord, He "cleansed the temple" because the Father's house was to be a house of prayer, not a place of business for "a den of thieves." David had left instructions concerning the use of the temple and how singing was to be done. A spiritual atmosphere is created when God's people come together in "the place of the name" to engage in spiritual practices consistent with the assembly's spiritual life.
The people came to the dedication, and we learned the value of worship. Worship unites God's people. In worship, spiritual things predominate in our minds and emotions. The future becomes real and important in light of a finished work. Hope is stirred, and enthusiasm for eternal things becomes real to us as the most important activity of our lives. Full hearts and praise go together. Thanksgiving to the Lord results from true praise. Audible expressions of appreciation reflect the thoughts of our hearts toward God and toward other people. The coordinated words of praise and thanksgiving are understandable when sung in tune with others. When we say the same words at the same time in the same tone, what would have been only noise without a tune becomes beautiful and God-honoring.
Purity among the priests and Levites had to come first before they could purify the people. After that, they could symbolically go to the wall and the gates and perform a purifying and dedicatory act that was observed by those watching. People would know, when they walked through the gates in the wall into the city of Jerusalem and then went on to the temple, that this was a set-apart place, dedicated to God, His will, His word, and His work for the blessing of His people.
Public worship at the dedication featured responsive singing from two large choirs, their voices carrying through the city and even beyond the walls. The two choirs went up onto the wall, marching in opposite directions around it until they met near the temple in the northeast corner of the city. Ezra led one group, and Nehemiah followed the other. Once the reproach over the people was lifted at the completion of the wall, one hundred years after the exiles' return began, there was reason for thanksgiving. The sounds of thanksgiving and praise were heard by the Lord's people - and by those outside who had opposed the rebuilding of God's city and house.
The singers and the gatekeepers had their roles clearly defined, so they knew where they should be and what they were to do without any mix-up. Apparently, the choirs sang responsively when they met. Likely, one group would sing a line of a psalm, and the other group would sing the next line. The impact of such singing is very impressive to listeners and can evoke worship from both the hearers and the participants. Perhaps there would be a part of the singing that would join both choirs together in a climax of coordinated words that would rise higher and louder as it concluded. However they did it, there was "great joy" among all the people of God as praise ascended to the Lord.
When God's people come together, things are to be done decently and in order under the Holy Spirit's guidance. Overseers know what is appropriate for an event or a meeting of the saints. They need to plan ahead so there is no confusion or contention when the event occurs. Joy results from God's work being done in the way He intends.
Godly order keeps the Lord's people within the bounds of Scripture and avoids extemporaneous expressions that are merely ecstasy or fleshly emotion expressed in confusion. "Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs" have a biblical basis and are easily understood in terms of the words and message being conveyed. The sounds of musical instruments did not overwhelm the words of worship the singers expressed. There are those who "make music" today, but the words are obscure and hard to hear as the instruments lead the tune. What is old is not wrong when it comes to the praise and worship of God's people.
Where the choirs met near the temple, priests then offered sacrifices at the house of God, so there was both sight and sound as the God of heaven was honored. The worship, praise, thanksgiving, and joy of God's people moved them to respond to the obvious needs of the temple, the priests, and the Levites who served on their behalf. The response was to give their portion each day to meet those needs.
When we give of our substance, that which "God has prospered" us, there is joy in the sacrifice of giving. It is an expression of appreciation, not a grudging responsibility, but a great privilege of expressing thanks for God's grace to us. Such times of holy consecration and dedication are not forgotten as we look back on our experience as children of God. What joy it brings at the present as well, and it stirs our hearts in anticipation of the great joy when God's children all gather at home with the Lord and begin to sing together in harmony our praises to the Lamb.
Two companies of singers loudly sang God’s praise, one going each direction along the recently raised wall. Ezra led one group, Nehemiah the other. The sound of praise and hymns grew louder and louder until they finally all arrived at the house of God. The sound of singing could be heard beyond the city walls. A day of recovery was a day to rejoice. To the glory of God, they sang with one voice.
There is something very special that is hard to explain. When God’s people rejoice together at the sound of God’s name, their hearts need expression. So, when joined together in song, each one singing in praise to God yet all together as one, it is affecting to the hearers and singers alike. Joy comes when the spirits are lifted, and faces are bright at the thought of God’s grace, marvelous as it is. We experience its blessing and give praise to our God.
It is a happy day of rejoicing when God’s people all share a time of fellowship on the journey with those who care that the Lord has preserved us in ways beyond our thought. We lift our voices to praise God for what He has done. O happy day of rejoicing, when in God’s house we sing our thoughts of the Savior and what His cross-death brought to us who were lost, but now as children of the King, united in song, worship, and praise as we cling to the cross.
It will be a happy day when the saints of God will rise as one, to meet our Lord at His coming, at the great gathering in the sky. Perhaps a song will be begun as we rejoice in our redemption and think of all it cost Him when He died to save us. It will be a happy day when all the saints in heaven sing unto Him who loved and washed us in His blood to make us clean and fit us for the glory of living in the house of God forever. Our songs of praise unite us now, and there nothing will separate us.