The city was wide and large, but the people within it were few, and no houses had been rebuilt.
Then my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles and the officials and the people to be enrolled by genealogy.
Nehemiah 7:4-5a ESV
Last time we read about Nehemiah’s instructions to the gatekeepers. They were to open late, close early, and stay diligently on guard. Today we see our governor’s next project from God.
“At that time the city (iyr – town, excitement) was vast (rachab – spacious, proud/arrogant) and great (gadol – high, prominent, bitter), but the folk (am) within were small (meat – little, scarce) and the houses had not been rebuilt (banah – construct, fortify, fashion, restore).”
The first thing that catches my eye in this section is how the word for city in Hebrew can also mean excitement. God had clearly been working in Jerusalem since the return of the exiles. The Temple was completed, the city wall had been rebuilt by a widespread effort, and now the city, the excitement of God on the move, is being described as both spacious and prominent. It strikes me as important that a couple of other synonyms for these words are arrogant and bitter.
Ooo, how quickly one can turn into the other. Excitement about the prominent work of God’s activity in our lives becomes know-it-all arrogance and self-righteous bitterness. How we need diligent guarding. How important it is we lean into His humility and contentment.
“…but the folk (am) within were small (meat – little, scarce) and the houses had not been rebuilt (banah – construct, fortify, fashion, restore).”
You might remember there was a reason the first wave of exiles had not been focused on building their houses: God’s House, the Temple, was to come first.
But the point in God’s perfect timetable had come for the focus to shift to the people of the city. They are described as am – ordinary folk – and meat (small, scarce). But we know what God can do with even a small amount of ordinary people who trust Him: exceedingly more than all we can imagine. And the focus was on building up: restoring and fortifying. This, too, sounds like the expertise of our Creator God.
What does it look like to turn attention to your neighbor or classmate or coworker or any other ordinary folk in your life? What would it look like to build up, restore, or fortify those image bearers? What about collections of those people: neighborhoods, schools, churches? Restoring and building up matters there. Or what about full-on excitement, city? Systems of government, policies, boards, leadership, decision-makers? How could those of us who know God help fortify and build up systems to ensure liberty and justice for all? And if we each invest in our cities, how could the impact spread across the nation?
“So my God entrusted toward (el – into, beside) my heart (leb – inner man, will, mind, heart) to assemble and rally (qabats) the nobles (chor), the officials (sagan), and the folk (am) together to enroll by genealogy.”
The Hebrew word for God here is Elohim, but it is precious that in this instance it is translated my God. Nehemiah had been through some stuff with Creator God. He was not only the God of Israel to him now. He was his God.
I waited patiently for the Lord;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
and put their trust in him…
You are my help and my deliverer;
you are my God, do not delay.
Psalm 40: 1-3, 17b
Has He become so personal to you, too? Cherish that work, friend. And remember the point: “Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in Him.” Becoming personal to all created in His image is His heart. We get to be part of that. The worst possible scenario would be Him becoming a personal, intimate God to us without any reflection of His heart to be personal and intimate with others. He cannot be contained and none of us own Him, heaven forbid.
“…to assemble and rally (qabats) the nobles (chor), the officials (sagan), and the folk (am) together to enroll by genealogy.”
The work entrusted to Nehemiah was to assemble and rally different groups: nobles (those of privileged birth), officials (those in leadership positions), and ordinary citizens. Simply bringing together such a variety of people is an accomplishment; to rally them toward a single purpose is praiseworthy.
Nehemiah’s rallying goal here, in light of the vast city with scarce inhabitants, was to yachas – the verb meaning “to enroll oneself by genealogy.” This was important for several reasons if the governor wanted to build up Jerusalem. First, walls and guards are only a start. If a city is going to be genuinely safe – reflecting mercy and justice and exhibiting humane laws and systems – the people matter most. Therefore, tracing everyone’s lineage and previous home before the exile was necessary. Not only did it make sure the Levites were the only ones ministering in the temple according to the Holy Scripture, but it would show those currently living in the surrounding towns whether their home of origin was in the city. (source)
No matter if you’re from an itty bitty small town or the biggest metropolis in the region, we are all meant to find our Ultimate Home in the City of God.
“For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.” Hebrews 13:14
Genuinely praying, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” will affect how we see the future and work toward its fulfillment now. And knowing the perfect home awaits can help us endure setbacks in the imperfect present one. For Nehemiah it meant encouraging those on the outskirts into the excitement. Closer to Temple and their spiritual roots. Inhabiting a vast city whose purpose was to reflect the glory of Yahweh. Joining hands and opening their hearts to each other to grow the city.
The most beautiful, though perhaps unintended, result of Nehemiah’s God-given plan was how a more precise lineage record preserved the family line of our Messiah. (source) Because of the careful records kept, a violent exile and subsequent return did not extinguish either the line or details of the Savior of the World’s ancestry. We can know He is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, a descendant of David, and the Only One born of Creator God.
And we bow again today, with reverent excitement, to such a King.