Neh 12:27 | KingComments | STEP | This is where history continues. The wall is already completed in Nehemiah 6 ( ). The intermediate chapters tell the story of the consecration of the people as a whole because the Word of God brings them to self-judgment. Now that the people have consecrated themselves, the wall can be dedicated. The completion is cause for joy and thankfulness to God and a feast to dedicate the wall. The feast of dedication is celebrated because the LORD has not only brought His people back from the land of the foreigner, but has also granted that His house and His holy city are surrounded with a wall for His people. The wall is a testimony for friend and foe that those who once were scattered because of their sins are now under God’s care. This is a cause for joy. This joy manifests itself in thanksgiving and songs accompanied by musical instruments. This is how David arranged it ( ; ; ). Each Levite has his own voice and his own instrument, but they are all full of what the LORD has arranged. He is the object of their songs of praise and thanksgiving, and therefore it is harmonious. There have been more dedication feasts in the history of Israel: at the bringing up of the ark by David to the city of David ( ), at the dedication of the temple ( ), at the laying of the foundation of the temple ( ), and at the dedication of the house ( ). The joy at dedication ceremonies is always in connection with God’s house and is there in spite of the decay. These feasts are not imposed by law, but take place spontaneously. This is also the case here. The dedication of the wall becomes a general feast. And not only for the builders of the wall and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. The Levites, the singers, come from all sides. The wall of Jerusalem is a symbol of salvation and its gates of praise. Before the feast is celebrated, the priests and the Levites first purify themselves and then the people, the gates and the wall. There can be no real dedication without purification. It is a purification with water, for which they may have used the water for impurity ( ). The washing with water through the Word is always necessary ( ). In this way we come to confession and become clean.

‏ Nehemiah 12:27

The Dedication of the Wall

This is where history continues. The wall is already completed in Nehemiah 6 (Neh 6:15). The intermediate chapters tell the story of the consecration of the people as a whole because the Word of God brings them to self-judgment. Now that the people have consecrated themselves, the wall can be dedicated. The completion is cause for joy and thankfulness to God and a feast to dedicate the wall.

The feast of dedication is celebrated because the LORD has not only brought His people back from the land of the foreigner, but has also granted that His house and His holy city are surrounded with a wall for His people. The wall is a testimony for friend and foe that those who once were scattered because of their sins are now under God’s care. This is a cause for joy. This joy manifests itself in thanksgiving and songs accompanied by musical instruments. This is how David arranged it (Neh 12:36; 1Chr 15:16; Ezra 3:10). Each Levite has his own voice and his own instrument, but they are all full of what the LORD has arranged. He is the object of their songs of praise and thanksgiving, and therefore it is harmonious.

There have been more dedication feasts in the history of Israel: at the bringing up of the ark by David to the city of David (2Sam 6:12), at the dedication of the temple (1Kgs 8:62-66), at the laying of the foundation of the temple (Ezra 3:10-13), and at the dedication of the house (Ezra 6:16-18). The joy at dedication ceremonies is always in connection with God’s house and is there in spite of the decay. These feasts are not imposed by law, but take place spontaneously.

This is also the case here. The dedication of the wall becomes a general feast. And not only for the builders of the wall and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. The Levites, the singers, come from all sides. The wall of Jerusalem is a symbol of salvation and its gates of praise.

Before the feast is celebrated, the priests and the Levites first purify themselves and then the people, the gates and the wall. There can be no real dedication without purification. It is a purification with water, for which they may have used the water for impurity (Num 19:11-13). The washing with water through the Word is always necessary (Eph 5:26). In this way we come to confession and become clean.