Nehemiah
chapter 7 reminds me of those “in between times”; those times
after a major accomplishment, or after a time of great stress. Most
people can hold it together during difficult times because they have
little time for distraction, but what happens after the divorce is
final, or after the funeral, or after the celebration ends? The
chapter begins, “After the wall had been
rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers and the
singers and the Levites were appointed“.
Nehemiah immediately made changes to assure there was no let down.
“I put in charge of Jerusalem my
brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel,
because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most men
do“. Nehemiah recognized he was a
project manager, not a governor. He knew the hearts of those that
were with him through the struggle and put each into their
appropriate role. He wisely understood that after a success our
tendency is to let our guard down. Nehemiah directed, “The
gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened until the sun is hot. While
the gatekeepers are still on duty, have them shut the doors and bar
them. Also appoint residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their
posts and some near their own houses“.
Is there an area of your life that requires more diligence?
Nehemiah
continued, “Now the city was large
and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not
yet been rebuilt“. I am reminded
of the empty nesters, or the first home buyers. He seems to have
closed the front door then turn to see the big empty space. Life has
many transition points.
“So
my God put it into my heart to assemble the… people for
registration by families. I found the genealogical record of those
who had been the first to return“.
Nehemiah was an organizer, so he began the next project. Remember
the genealogies dictated the portion of the land and in some cases
dictated job responsibilities. Nehemiah made a list of
“the people… who came
up from the captivity of… Babylon… they returned to Jerusalem…
with Zerubbabel“. He carefully
listed the numbers by each family name. Every time I read names
listed in the Bible, I am reminded of John Chapter 10. Jesus
compared us to sheep. He taught all that would listen that as the
Good Shepherd, He would lay down His life for His sheep. But He also
explains, “He calls his own sheep
by name and leads them out” (John
10:3). In verse 28 Jesus gives an extraordinary promise, “And
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall
anyone snatch them out of My hand“.
Is the Lord calling you to something new?
The
“name calling” continued. “Next
he sorted out The
priests… The Levites… The singers… The gatekeepers… The
temple servants“, again listing
each group by family name. Nehemiah’s tally revels, “The
whole company numbered 42,360, besides their 7,337 menservants and
maidservants“. Not a lot of
people for this capitol city. But the chapter ends with a reminder
that the completion of the wall was just the beginning of the return
of God’s People to the Promised Land. Jerusalem was just one town
and the rest of the nation was yet to be possessed. “The
priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers and the temple
servants, along with certain of the people and the rest of the
Israelites, settled in their own towns“.
In the spiritual life of believers it seems like there is a pattern
to follow. We are called, followed by a time of healing and
learning, and then we are prepared to minister to others. Often, it
is when we get our focus on others that we are restored. So what
now? Again in John chapter 10 Jesus tells all of us lost sheep, “I
am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in
and out and find pasture“. It is
time to enter because abundance awaits.