The choirs sang under the direction of Jezrahiah. And on that day they offered great sacrifices,
rejoicing because God had given them great joy.
The women and children also rejoiced.
The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away
Nehemiah 12:42b – 43
Last time we saw the two groups take their places in the Bethel, the House of God, and Nehemiah standing where he was called. We also highlighted a few names of the priests who took their places, reminding ourselves our ultimate allegiance is to a Kingdom not of this world. Today we will see great rejoicing.
The first phrase is, “The choirs sang under the direction of Jezrahiah.” Sang here is, interestingly, our familiar word shama, meaning “to listen with intent to obey.” I honestly do not think of singing as obedient listening. It feels more like telling Jesus with lyrics how we love Him.
But what if it was more of an exercise in hearing His voice? The funny thing is, in the Hebrew it is not just sang, but sang loudly. So funny we’re to loudly sing with our voices but listen obediently in our hearts. What a seeming contradiction, and yet, I can think of many times when I’ve been worshipping in song and He has made something clearer to me simply because I was focused on Him and not all the distractions of life.
Welp, it’s Sunday morning, friends. If we’re communing with others in worship, may we belt it out and listen within.
Our group did not just sing, but they worshipped under a leader named Jezrahiah. His name means “Yah will shine” from Yah and zarach – to rise, come forth, dawned, to irradiate, shoot forth beams. Speaking of singing loudly, this leader was to represent Yah rising forth like the sun in the morning, beams of light flooding the world.
You are the light of the world.
How I want Him and His ways to be such a warmth, a beautiful dawn, a clarifier in our lives. I want His presence in us to be outrageously obvious. Don’t you? Would you not love people to say of you, “I don’t usually agree with them, but their presence is like a glorious sunrise?”
Indeed, Yah will shine.
The phrase under the direction of is paqid – commissioner, deputy, overseer, officer. So, put all together, this group was to sing loudly, listen obediently, and watch Yah shine. And Jezrahiah was to oversee this for them as they began to worship in Temple. Let’s continue on to see what all was done in worship.
“And on that day they offered great sacrifices.”
Offered here is zabach (slaughter for sacrifice) great is our familiar gadol (great, high, prominent from gadal – grow up, advance, magnify, promote) and sacrifices is zebech (flesh of an animal).
Something is getting slaughtered.
And we know slaughtering for sacrifice was bloody work. But it was necessary to be near to the God Who had allowed the exile, made a way for them to return, provided for a Temple and wall rebuild, and was pleased with a dedication. It was also a way to show their great thankfulness.
Because the very next line is, “they rejoiced (samach – cheers, give happiness, gladden, merry, pleased, take pleasure, very happy) for God had made them rejoice (samach) with great joy (simchah – joy, gladness, mirth).” Friends, this group was happy. Not just “joy no matter the circumstances,” but very pleased, laughing, merry, toasting cheers. This is throw your head back and guffaw kind of happy. He had done great things for them and they were filled with joy.
And I love, love, love that the women and children are mentioned too. Just in case it seemed as though only the men were there, or grateful, or throwing their heads back in laughing praise. Oh no, He had rescued all His people. They all had a place in Temple to worship and be merry.
And the coolest part is how, because of this, the joy (simchah again) of Jerusalem (“Foundation of Peace”) was heard (shama again) far off (rachoq – distant, far, remote).
So, what do you think? Do you assume the sound waves of the actual songs and worship and merriment carried to remote places? Or do you think the story of what He had done and their gratitude had reached those far away?
I’m more inclined to believe the second one. Whether people can hear our actual praise or not, may the testimonies of His faithfulness to us, His Body, His entire Body, reach to remote places. May anyone in earshot and even those outside of it know of His worth and it be heard with intent to obey His reign.