“Now the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem. The rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of every ten of them to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the remaining nine were to stay in their own towns. The people commended all who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.”
Nehemiah 11:1-2
Last time we saw the final vows our group took to uphold the Law of God. Today we see the group’s next step in establishing a community that honors Yahweh to a watching world.
The leaders (sar – chief, captain, commander, officer, official, general, governor, a head person [of any rank or class]) of the people (am – folk) settled (yashab – to abide, remain, dwell, stay, wait, endure, continue, establish, to sit down [specifically as judge. In ambush, in quiet) in Jerusalem.
First we see the leaders making the choice to settle in Jerusalem. This word for leader means anything from captain to general to governor to a person of any rank or class who is the head. These are the ones with the title and position, designated officials to govern the rest. And the fact that they remained, endured, waited, abided in the capital city is significant for stability, protection, and fulfilling the vows they just declared and signed.
Leaders, how does this sit with us? Those of us who bear a position in any portion of life are being looked at to see whether we are abiding as we should. If our judgements are just, like our Father’s.
No matter how long or loud or often you pray,
I’ll not be listening.
And do you know why? Because you’ve been tearing
people to pieces, and your hands are bloody.
Go home and wash up.
Clean up your act.
Sweep your lives clean of your evildoings
so I don’t have to look at them any longer.
Say no to wrong.
Learn to do good.
Work for justice.
Help the down-and-out.
Stand up for the homeless.
Go to bat for the defenseless.
Isaiah 1:15-17 MSG
If we endure in speaking out, particularly when human lives are on the line. If, like me, we are given privilege that could allow us to ignore injustice, but choose not to.
And it must be said: when black people are being murdered in the streets, are we using our positions of influence to call such crimes evil? No, are we handing over the microphone to black leaders who have lived with gross injustice all their lives and leading the rest of us in this time? And then following their leadership?
The rest of the people in our passage were not from Jerusalem and had homes elsewhere. Rest for “rest of the people” in Hebrew is shear – other, remnant, survivors. Those who had returned from exile and settled in, built their homes, began to work the land. Those without designated titles of leadership but vowing to obey Yahweh all the same.
This group of the people cast lots to see which one-tenth of them would live in Jerusalem. You might remember, Nehemiah had already had the people enroll in a genealogy to see whose pre-exile ancestors dwelt in the capital. Apparently, to continue on in this inhabiting of Jerusalem, one out of every ten families was also to join those making the city their new home. To do this, they were to cast lots.
Cast is naphal – fall, lie, allot, cast down, divide by lot, fail, die; and lots is goral – allotted portion, territory allotted, pebble, portion, destiny. And this was to see who would dwell in the holy (qodesh – apartness, consecrated, sacred, things dedicated) city.
So the group is rolling the dice, tossing pebbles, to find each family group’s territory, allotted portion, destiny in the sacred city. Perhaps you are like me and, while having a title of leadership in a certain area, overall your daily life is one of ordinary folk. You aren’t a governor or senator, the president of a company or a pastor of a church. And, also perhaps like me, you are dumbfounded at the way we get to participate in the holy, the sacred things.
May we never, ever forget human lives are sacred. We know this because we are pro-life. We believe that all life is precious. And one way we are invited to participate in the holy on our watch is to make sure black lives matter in our police system, governing laws, and our own hearts.
This country was founded on the opposite: casting our lots by making territory that does not belong to us ours through violence, genocide, and forced relocation of native peoples, then enslaving human beings like chattel in order to keep and expand that land. And now? Using violent force to ensure its protection. Manifest destiny? Or a history with which we must reckon in ourselves and before the God Who Sees?
The final section of our verses is all the people commending (barak – kneel, thank, abundantly bless, salute) those who volunteered to live in Jerusalem. Volunteered is nadab – to incite, freewill offering, willing, to volunteer as a soldier, to present spontaneously. The people who were to return to their homes thanked those who willingly offered themselves to help populate the holy city.
It makes me smile because they weren’t exactly volunteering, it was the luck of the dice, the lots cast. And yet, they were going to fulfill their duty, perhaps leaving homes they recently built, transferring possessions, beginning the work of making a new home from scratch.
I’ve got to ask those of us who – whether we feel like it is true or not – have been born into privilege whether we are willing to fulfill our duty? We might need to be honest about the cost we must count, but it helps to keep in mind our brothers and sisters who count the cost daily living in our divided culture. When overt racism and white supremacy come out from the shadows in which they have always lingered, we must take a stand. This is not about a difference of opinion, it is calling evil, evil. Then it is taking it a step further to learn from and support those doing the work day in, day out.
May we bow before the Creator of all and willingly offer ourselves to righteousness.