“I had the leaders of Judah go up on top of the wall. I also assigned two large choirs to give thanks. One was to proceed on top of the wall to the right, toward the Dung Gate.
Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed them, along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah, as well as some priests with trumpets, and also Zechariah son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zakkur, the son of Asaph, and his associates—Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah and Hanani—with musical instruments prescribed by David the man of God.
Ezra the teacher of the Law led the procession. At the Fountain Gate they continued directly up the steps of the City of David on the ascent to the wall and passed above the site of David’s palace to the Water Gate on the east.”
Nehemiah 12:31-37
Last time we saw the musicians join the Wall Dedication party, and the priests and Levites purify themselves, the regular folk, and the wall to be set apart as His. Today we see our leader, Nehemiah, directing the key players for the ceremony.
The first thing our governor did was bring up (alah – to go up, ascend, arise) the leaders of Judah. Why, yes, leadership matters. I say this with humility as typing it made me realize I owed a text on something I’m supposed to be in charge of. Eek.
But the truth is, God has given me experiences in being under authority and knowing I will stand before him with it. All I can say is, we better be bowing in humility as we stand in dignity from Him either way. If our leadership is used for anything other than service of those we are to lead, He will have a say about it. May we, may I, shudder to think any authority given is to be used for ourselves, advancement in power, or a license to abuse or control others. Spiritual leadership matters as we are to represent the King from an entirely different Kingdom.
Nehemiah then appointed (amad – to take one’s stand) two large (gadol – great, high, prominent from gadal – grow up, advance, magnify, promote) thanksgiving choirs (todah – sacrifice of thanksgiving, praise). Do you not love the word for choir here automatically means gratitude? If you’re going to be worshipping the Most High, the Prominent One, there is nothing left to demand. All we can do is say, “Thank you.”
And in a move we haven’t seen in a while (2 years), we get to go back to our map of the rebuilt city. The reason? Our narrator-governor begins to name the gates again: one group of leaders went right toward the Dung Gate (far top left on map). So I believe we need to picture the entire crew walking in from the top of our map, which is west according to the key. The group from today’s verses then veers right (south) and around east.
Nehemiah then lists those included in this group. But since we’ve recently dissected these names, we’ll simply note that our Helper Priest, Ezra the teacher of the law (saphar – to recount, relate, assigned, declare, measure, number, proclaim, relate, taken account), led the procession. Led here means “went before them paneh – face, above, adjacent, countenance, gaze, sight.”
And I think that’s a great description of a leader: the first one to turn his or her face toward the direction to which movement is required. To gaze on the difficulties, face the uncertainty, and set their sights anyway on the God Who Sees and knows the outcome, then take the people there. After all, if we’re simply staying put, we’re not leading, we’re managing. Both are needed, but when God is on the move, we want to join Him. And if that means walking into a purifying furnace for His glory and our good, we tremble and obey. Because to not would be way more tremble-worthy of a decision.
Anything toward which you need to set your gaze? I cannot think of the recent shootings without begging God that as a nation we’d come together and care more for our fellow image bearers than bearing our arms. That we’d repent of trusting Him so little with our fears, demanding others pay the grievous price.
When I think of people’s loved ones gone after simply shopping in a store, or children and teachers no longer coming home because they went to school that day, or hearing last night at dinner of even more shootings at a hospital and church, then watch grown adults demanding to have assault weapons of war, I cannot stomach the direction we’re heading.
And perhaps that’s where I need to turn my face: to continue to plead with God on my knees, and vote in directions that honor Him. To seek to live a life that does not separate what I believe about His Kingdom and what I embody in my life. To not pretend the Great Commission ignores the Great Commandment, or that our call is to make converts, not disciples of The Way. To remember that how we live before a watching world matters.
The group went to the Fountain Gate (just below the Dung Gate on our map), and continued directly up the steps of the City of David. Steps here is ma’alah meaning “stairs, a high degree, climactic progression.”
To be risen to the heights just for a nice view is a waste. We are there to do exactly as the leaders, our Helper Priest, and this choir: to turn our faces to Him and proclaim His greatness by singing a sacrifice of thanksgiving. Even in the middle of the carnage, disillusionment, fear and polarizing politics. We say thank you because He is not shocked, not wringing His hands, never oblivious or aloof. Always near to the broken-hearted, a Father of just love, patient that we may come to repentance.
Once on the wall, this particular group moved past David’s house and continued east as far as the Water Gate (Number 9 on our map).
All this talk about walking on a city wall makes me think of how we joined the team living in a city in China one summer to do this weekly. Every person there to teach or learn, work or travel, who also loved and wanted to share Jesus, would prayer walk the wall of the city every Friday. Without fail, at least a representative of believers would pray God’s Words back to Him, asking His Spirit to move in people’s lives that they may come to worship Him in the unique, cultural way He created them. It was beautiful and powerful and opposed. Anywhere the enemy has strongholds in a culture, the spiritual forces of evil will resist Truth.
Friends, our culture is no different. If anything has our allegiance above His kingdom, it will become an individual and communal stronghold. And if we refuse to lay down our idols, He must – as any good Father would do – discipline us for our own good.
Remember, He’s incapable of being petty, has no need to throw around swagger boastfully. This is all His. There is nothing left to prove. But His way forward demands our whole hearts in obedience to Him. Saying to myself at the same time: does He have them?
All I can say is, if He is turning our faces toward justice and showing us areas in which to repent, He intends to meet us there.