By this point in the book, the walls are up, they heard God’s word and they have also expressed themselves in covenant. Now, they are to see what comes next. It is the holy city where God gathers them for worship in service for His purposes.
(A) The holy city is indwelt with people gathered by God (Neh 11:1-2)
In Nehemiah 7:4, we saw that the city was wide and large but the people within it were few, for no houses had been rebuilt. Though the walls were up, the city was empty. Today, we think of a city as a land of opportunity. But in this point of Nehemiah, this was not a habitable city.
The end of Nehemiah 7 marked a change in narrative voice — from Nehemiah’s personal account to a more general account. By Nehemiah 11, we see that the people are still the ones rising up to respond.
In Nehemiah 11:1-2, we read of how Jerusalem was being filled. Lots were cast such that 1 in 10 would move back in (Neh 11:1). And the people blessed all those who lived in Jerusalem (Neh 11:2). Living in Jerusalem is not as desirable as the villages and fields were not in Jerusalem (Neh 11:25). Those who found the lot on their lap also seemed to go willingly. After all, this is ultimately not a random process but is a way of discerning God’s will (c.f. Prov 16:22). They recognised that this is God’s will and they were willing to fill the holy city.
Why is this important? They commit themselves to maintain temple worship and they sought to do so by receiving tithes and firstfruits (Neh 10:38-39). This is a tenth of the produce or what was being offered.
This is similar to what we read in 1 Chronicles 29:3-10, where King David called for offerings for the building of the temple. David exhorted the people to offer willingly, consecrating themselves to the LORD (1 Chron 29:5). The people gave willingly or with a whole heart (1 Chron 29:9). After all they saw that all things come from God and of His own they are giving Him (1 Chron 29:14).
All that we have is the Lord’s! All that we are, too, is the Lord’s. And we give ourselves to Him. For every instance that we see tithing happening in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, and even today, we are not to see that only that part belongs to the Lord. We are to see that all that we are belongs to God. All our budgeting and tithing is meant to show and teach us that everything belongs to the Lord.
So it is with the way we think about our lives and worship. How much does your tithing teach you that all that you are belong to the Lord? How about your participation in Christian things? Or have you been content with carving out small spaces for God and keep the rest of life from Him? That 10% gift is meant to remind us that 100% belongs to God!
(B) The holy city is filled for worship (Neh 11:3-24)
Nehemiah 11 provides a genealogy while in Nehemiah 10, it was a list of names of those who signed the covenant. In Nehemiah 11, we also see a count of each group and the people are represented by certain key individuals.
Some of the names could be familiar to us. In Nehemiah 11:17, Asaph is mentioned, and many of the psalms were written by him. Many of the representatives from the tribe of Judah, Benjamin and Levites can be traced to the time of David. These were the tribes that stuck with David during a period of civil war.
But why these? There are two main groups that focus on the walls of the city as well as the house of God. The walls were protected by valiant men (Neh 11:6), men of valour (Neh 11:8) and mighty men of valour (Neh 11:14). These men were there to defend the walls! There were gatekeepers who kept watch at the gates (Neh 11:19) and they were there to monitor.
There were also those who did the work of the house and also the high priest (Neh 11:11-12). There were also those who did the outside work (Neh 11:16). There were people to take care of every part of the house of God. There were also those who gave thanks and the singers (Neh 11:17, 22-23)
Defence is not just for peace’s sake. In the New Testament, we read of how we are to pray for peace in order that we can live quiet and dignified lives. Peace is to enable worship.
Remember that in Nehemiah 9, these people were clear that they are from the lineage of the idolatrous, completely unworthy to be gathered into His holy presence. Yet, God gathers them back so that they can participate in worship. Life under a Davidic king is being restored even for a people like that. This is who they were made to be, and us too.
As we consider their hard hearts, stiff necks, we are to also think that such was some of us. God gathers them back for worship, orientated towards Him.
We can think of giving ourselves to God as a chore (in the same way we think tithing is a chore!). But consider the rhythms of life that God had rescued them back into. These people had known what it is like to worship everything else and are coming out of a time of national humiliation and deprivation. They know firsthand the wicked fruit of worshipping false gods. Now, that they are back in the holy city, it is a reminder that God desires to dwell with His people.
This is the point of worship -- that God will be with His people. If there is a moment in our life when if we find our hearts cold or numb to the idea that God gathers a people to dwell with them, turn to Him and ask that He awakens in us this joy and ask that our affections be recalibrated. This should be the hope of every Christian heart, as articulated in these lyrics from “All glory be to Christ”:
When on the day the great I Am
The faithful and the true
The Lamb who was for sinners slain
Is making all things new
Behold our God shall live with us
And be our steadfast light
And we shall ere his people be
All glory be to Christ
This list makes sense only if we believe these. It does not even matter that a representative is listed or that we are grouped among the 468 or 928. Would you be content with such a life? We are left only with numbers, numbers only known to God, and gathered by God. Would you be content if that is what your life amounted to? Would you be glad to declare that it is well because what a privilege it is to be gathered by God for worship?
(C) The holy city is established for God’s holy purposes (Neh 11:25-36)
These villages are oriented towards Jerusalem (Neh 11:25-36). This final picture of the people given land and oriented toward God’s holy city reminds them that God’s larger purposes are coming to pass! We are meant to see that God’s promises to restore them is finally coming to pass. Just like how they were brought from exodus to the promised land, here, they were returning from exile to this land.
This matters because of what God promised to do! It is a fulfilment of Isaiah 11:9-10. God’s purpose was not just for His people to be in a holy huddle. He desires for His people to live in worship of Him so that the nations can be blessed. This is the purpose that they have found their lives folded into. He purposes to fill the earth with knowledge of Him, through His people. Our evangelism is not a personal project but it is done as His people gather and dwell with Him.
There is no task too insignificant or unimportant. Whether guarding the wall or making sure the house of God is running properly, or watching the gates, these are all important work. We can have a holy confidence that God can do far more abundantly than we ask of Him. He has shown us how the root of Jesse has arisen as a signal for the people.
Are there areas of your life when you find this living reality of dwelling with God absent? Has His purposes taken centre stage? Ask God as you gather with His people, as you think about what it means that the nations will be blessed through and as you gather.