Nehemiah 12:27-47
I enjoyed reading about the joyful celebration of the dedication ceremony, which, as verse 27 describes, was filled with “songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps and lyres.” To summarize the remainder of today’s passage, the Levites were called to lead the service and first went through acts of purification. Then, 2 groups of choirs and musicians were organized by Nehemiah. One group went one way, and the other group went the other. The sounds were jubilant as they played their instruments, sang, and rejoiced in God. Verse 43 says that the "joy of Jerusalem was heard from afar." The group entered the temple and had more of a formal dedication service there, and the passage ends with talk of those who were set up to receive the contributions of God's people and some details of the organization of the temple.
What a beautiful dedication ceremony amidst the unstable environment. Enemies were still a threat, the economy was still tanking, and hardship was plentiful, and they still took the time to thank God. Thankfulness and joy, joy and thankfulness. I don’t think that you can have one without the other. Nehemiah’s choirs gave thanks. These choirs were called “thanksgiving choirs”. That in itself makes me want to rejoice. It’s not hard to imagine what they were thankful for. I’m sure they remembered and were grateful for God’s moving in the heart of King Artaxerxes, who permitted this wall building project in the first place. They would have been grateful for the protection over them as they traveled from Babylon back to the Promised land and as they built the temple and wall right under the nose of their enemies. They were thankful indeed for the godly leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah. They were thankful for the spirit of unity and cooperation that prevailed, for the most part, through the project; for strength and the will to labor; for food and shelter; for wives and children who stood by them despite the hazards, hardships, and disruptions.
I mentioned verse 43 above, and it’s worth repeating, “And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away.” Celebration. Gratitude. We need to do more of both. We need to experience and share the joy of the Lord more. We need to have a smile on our face, a word of encouragement on our lips, an attitude of thanksgiving in our hearts—we need to take the time to be thankful for God’s provision and thankfulness.
I enjoyed reading about the joyful celebration of the dedication ceremony, which, as verse 27 describes, was filled with “songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps and lyres.” To summarize the remainder of today’s passage, the Levites were called to lead the service and first went through acts of purification. Then, 2 groups of choirs and musicians were organized by Nehemiah. One group went one way, and the other group went the other. The sounds were jubilant as they played their instruments, sang, and rejoiced in God. Verse 43 says that the "joy of Jerusalem was heard from afar." The group entered the temple and had more of a formal dedication service there, and the passage ends with talk of those who were set up to receive the contributions of God's people and some details of the organization of the temple.
What a beautiful dedication ceremony amidst the unstable environment. Enemies were still a threat, the economy was still tanking, and hardship was plentiful, and they still took the time to thank God. Thankfulness and joy, joy and thankfulness. I don’t think that you can have one without the other. Nehemiah’s choirs gave thanks. These choirs were called “thanksgiving choirs”. That in itself makes me want to rejoice. It’s not hard to imagine what they were thankful for. I’m sure they remembered and were grateful for God’s moving in the heart of King Artaxerxes, who permitted this wall building project in the first place. They would have been grateful for the protection over them as they traveled from Babylon back to the Promised land and as they built the temple and wall right under the nose of their enemies. They were thankful indeed for the godly leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah. They were thankful for the spirit of unity and cooperation that prevailed, for the most part, through the project; for strength and the will to labor; for food and shelter; for wives and children who stood by them despite the hazards, hardships, and disruptions.
I mentioned verse 43 above, and it’s worth repeating, “And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away.” Celebration. Gratitude. We need to do more of both. We need to experience and share the joy of the Lord more. We need to have a smile on our face, a word of encouragement on our lips, an attitude of thanksgiving in our hearts—we need to take the time to be thankful for God’s provision and thankfulness.
Posted in Devotional