Neh 12:27-43 | 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 12:27-43

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.

The First Choir of Thanksgiving

By climbing the wall and walking over it, the wall becomes the property of the people (cf. Jos 1:3). In this way the people take possession of what lies within the wall. The walk on the wall is not meant to look at everything outside the city, but to look at everything inside. Separation is not negative, but positive. It is about what is dedicated to God. This can only be done by separating it from what is not dedicated to God. Going over the wall therefore gives the people a wide impression of the location of the city and how glorious God’s temple is.

The wall of separation around our lives has the same purpose. It is intended that we walk on it with thanksgiving for all that God has given us. Then we will not fall into sour sectarianism, but our lives will be a testimony of what God has done in it. In the first place for our children, as well as for all those around us.

Let us listen to the son of Korah in Psalm 48. After their jubilation for the salvation of Zion is their call:

“Walk about Zion and go around her;

Count her towers;

Consider her ramparts;

Go through her palaces,

That you may tell it to the next generation.

For such is God,

Our God forever and ever;

He will guide us until death” (Psa 48:12-14).

If we go over the wall like this, we will see the city of God as God sees it. We will then see the church as it is according to God’s counsel. That elicits expressions of thanks and these in turn are a testimony for all who see and hear it. That is the effect of separation according to God’s thoughts.

The first choir of thanksgiving departs from the west, near the Valley Gate. Their route runs on the southern part of the wall in the direction of the Refuse Gate. Ezra is at the head of this procession. Nehemiah makes way, as it were, for the Word of God in the person of Ezra. That must lead and be followed by all.

We then come to the Fountain Gate, to draw fresh water, to be revived and encouraged by the Word of God on our way. Our gaze is lifted up, through the steps, to the dwelling place of David, a picture of our Lord in heaven to Whom all authority is given in heaven and on earth (Mt 28:18).

When we fix our eyes on the Lord Jesus, we come to the Water Gate in the east. The east speaks among other things of the future, of the expectation of the Lord Jesus. Water speaks not only of refreshment but also of cleansing (Eph 5:26). We are looking forward to Him and this will have a purifying effect on us, because “everyone who has this hope [fixed] on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1Jn 3:3).

The Second Choir of Thanksgiving

Nehemiah walks behind the second choir of thanksgiving. He is not at its head. Every thought of self-interest is missing. He does not walk there in the spirit of Nebuchadnezzar with the thought: “Isn’t this the great wall I built?” (Dan 4:30). He knows that he is but an instrument of the LORD.

This second choir passes a lot of buildings. Except for the Gate of Ephraim and the Gate of the Guard they are all mentioned in Nehemiah 3 (see there for the commentary on these structures). Possibly nothing had to be repaired at the Gate of Ephraim and the Gate of the Guard. While this choir is walking over the wall, these buildings again come to their attention.

We will always have to be reminded of certain truths on our way in separation according to God’s will. Peter is committed to reminding believers of what they have learned (2Pet 1:12). Jude does the same (Jude 1:5). And Paul does not mind repeating things he has pointed out before (Phil 3:1).

There is always the danger of forgetfulness. This forgetfulness can strike in the width of our life of faith. Then we become careless with the things of God. We become more and more absorbed in the things of this life and no longer worry so much about the interests of God. God’s interests get sidelined and we forget what He has done for us and no longer examine His Word.

This forgetfulness can also strike us in the depths of our life of faith. Then we will emphasize certain truths, while forgetting other truths, no longer paying attention to them. And when others point this out to us, we declare “those other truths” as of a lower, less important order or as not applicable to us.

Both Choirs in the House of God

The tour over the wall is finished. This gave the choirs a great impression of the size and location of the city, each from a different perspective. Wouldn’t that say something about our view of the church? Who dares to say that he oversees the whole plan of God? Which local church, however endowed with gifts of great insight, can say that it oversees the whole of God’s thoughts?

“We know in part” (1Cor 13:9). We need each other to come to a full view. “All the saints” are needed to discover “what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God” (Eph 3:18-19).

Both choirs meet in the house of God, in the presence of God. There they become one mighty choir. If the Word of God precedes us on our way on the wall and leads us into the joy of what is dedicated to God, we will end up in the house of God. That will be in perfection when the Lord Jesus comes to take us into the Father’s house. But it is also true now. We will praise Him in the church in the presence of God with all the ‘members of the two choirs’ for all that He has done (Eph 3:20-21).

Great Joy

The walking on the wall, taking possession of the city for God with thanksgiving to dedicate it to Him, culminates in great joy. This is the result when His people walk before Him in holiness and truth. In accordance with the “great joy”, “great sacrifices” are offered. Thus God is honored and admired. He receives all thanks and worship for what He has given His people.

The sacrifices speak of the Lord Jesus. It does not say what kind of sacrifices they are. Most likely they are peace offerings. Of those offerings God gets His share, and the priest and the people also get their share (Lev 3:11 ; Lev 7:19 ; 31). The peace offering is an offering that expresses the fellowship between God, the Lord Jesus, and His people. Through the offering of the Lord Jesus this has become possible. It is a ‘great’ sacrifice. For us it means that we have a great impression of the work of the Lord Jesus and tell that to God and to each other.

The fellowship we are allowed to have with one another is experienced in a special way at the Table of the Lord. While there, we think of His work and remember His death. On the one hand it makes us sad that we are the cause of His death through our sins. On the other hand, we remember with joy that He did it, making fellowship with Him and God and with one another possible. That is why we speak of “the cup of blessing” or “the cup of praise” at the Supper of the Lord (1Cor 10:14-18). At the celebration of the Lord’s Supper we will rejoice at the extent to which we have “walked on the wall” during the week.

In this verse we read about “rejoicing” and “joy” no less than four times. This joy comes from God. He is its source. It is a great joy, not only for men, but also for women and children. The added value of this joy is that it is a testimony to the wider environment (cf. Ezra 3:13). All those who did not go along share in the joy. It is like the anointing of the Lord Jesus through Mary, through which “the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume” (Jn 12:3), so that everyone present could smell the fragrance of the perfume meant for the Lord Jesus.