Under Nehemiah's leadership, the walls of Jerusalem have been rebuilt. That was very significant in terms of their visible identity as the Lord's people, as well as for protection. But being the Lord's people is more than symbols; they need to construct a community that is alive to God, walking in his ways.
The second half of the book is going to be concerned with that and this chapter shows us the first steps that Nehemiah took to rebuild the community.
1. Just the Job! (vv.1-3)
In vv.1-3 people are given significant tasks to do in Jerusalem:
i) Gatekeepers, Singers & Levites - The first group mentioned are the city gatekeepers. Nothing surprising in that; the gates needed to be guarded. But why singers and Levites too?
The answer to that question takes us back to the heart of why the city was being rebuilt. It wasn't simply to be a place for the people to live but the centre for their worship and witness. To put singers and Levites in place showed that Nehemiah knew that and was anxious to act upon it.
Their life on earth was to centre upon the Lord. He was the reason that Jerusalem existed at all. The people of God are for the praise of God. That's still the case today. The church is not here for its own sake but for the glory of God. Mission is not an end in itself but is for God's glory as the nations are blessed in him. All we do must be tested by this.
No doubt some of the details of city life were fairly mundane and not so obviously 'spiritual'. And church life today is like that too. But there was and is a bigger picture to keep in mind: God and his glory, God and his purposes.
The people would need to be led and encouraged in their praise and in their life of obedience (as ch.8 shows). So the singers and Levites were appointed to serve. Being a church is not about a commercial enterprise but about faith and love. And so the Lord has appointed pastors and teachers and given gifts to the body for the building up of the whole.
ii) Jobs for the boys? Nehemiah's next move may seem at first sight to be less spiritual and more political. Anticipating his return to Susa, he appoints his brother and Hananiah to positions of influence and responsibility in the city. Is this a case of job's for the boys? Were they his cronies?
The text itself shows us how to see this. Hananiah was put into that position because of his spiritual qualities. "He was a man of integrity and feared God more than most men do" (v.2). Nehemiah is not concerned to build a dynasty for himself and his friends; he is seeking first God's kingdom and so he appoints men of integrity and spiritual maturity.
And when you look at the NT the same truth comes through over & again. Leaders are to be appointed in the church on the basis not simply of gifting but of character and maturity. Nothing is more vital for the health of the church than that her leaders be men of the right spiritual calibre.
iii) Home Guard - But notice that city life is not just about Levites and leaders; it's about 'ordinary' folk doing their part by way of guarding the city walls. Nehemiah was very practical in his instructions about the home guard and they included "residents of Jerusalem" doing their part.
All of us are in the 'home guard' of the church. And, yes, we may well resemble Dad's Army at times but it is vital that we grasp hold of this. We all have a part to play in maintaining the purity of the church, in life and witness.
How we live at home, how we deal with others at work, how we interact in the community is vitally important. We are God's holy people, set apart for him. We live in dangerous times where truth is under attack. We must be concerned about that, pray about that and do what we can where we can to preserve truth and life.
2. Just a List? (vv.4-73)
So much for the first 3 verses...what are we to make of the next 70? Maybe you were bored when we read it or even thought it was wrong to inflict such a reading on the church. But we must be careful. All scripture is God-breathed and is useful, able to build us up and equip us as the Lord's people. We must be careful that we don't despise or become impatient with God's Word. It is we who are to submit to it, not it to us.
If you look back to Ezra ch.2 you'll see that this is virtually a carbon copy of what we have there. It is a list of those who returned from exile in Ezra's day. It is a record that Nehemiah finds and uses as he sets about repopulating the city. That is his concern and a number of important points emerge from the list in terms of that purpose.
i) Identity & Continuity - Part of what this list did was to create a sense of identity and continuity among them as the people of God. Despite the exile, they were still connected to the great events of the past, they were still identified with the Lord's great deeds of salvation on behalf of his people. This list affirmed their identity as his people in a hostile world.
We have a history too as God's people. The church didn't just appear in a clear blue sky one day! We're part of the historic work of God to save a people for himself. The history of God's people, in the Bible and since, is exciting and faith affirming. This is who we are - God's people, the latest in a long line.
ii) True Israelites - And that sense of identity also clarified and reinforced that they were distinct from their neighbours. We've seen before that Nehemiah refused to compromise with those of other faiths and this list is clearly a way of showing who is part of the true Israel, that is in terms of their descent. He is determined to keep the people pure.
This is another timely reminder to us that we must be careful in our definition of what a Christian is. It may not be fashionable, even in Christian circles, but what a person believes really does matter. It's not about a kindly disposition towards some idea of God but of genuine faith in Jesus as the Son of God, come in the flesh, to die on a cross for our sins.
It isn't arrogant to hold to that, nor is it out of some kind of twisted religious bigotry and hatred. Rather, it springs from a concern for the glory of God and out of love for a world lost in sin that has no other hope. We must not go soft on this, for God's sake and for the world's sake.
iii) Lessons Learned - In this list that there is a determination to learn the lessons of the past, in particular the sin of the past. In the days before the exile, God's regulations for temple worship was trampled and disregarded. But vv.64f show a new concern for purity and obedience to God's law. Sin matters; God's Word matters. We need to learn from our own past failures and endeavour to live in true obedience.
iv) The Grace of Giving - Lastly, this list reminds us that those who returned from exile, who saw that the Lord was at work, who had a vision for God's glory, were excited at what he was doing and had the grace of giving. It was yet another evidence that God was with them. Can we see God at work today, here and elsewhere? Does it excite us? Do we want to be part of what he is doing? Then ask him to show you how you can give, not just money but yourself, for his glory's sake. Amen.
