Nehemiah III: Thanksgiving and Celebration

Commentator for Nehemiah is Rev. Matt Wolfington.

One of the important aspects of Nehemiah’s view of the wall around Jerusalem is the fact he did not separate the secular (the building of the wall) from the sacred (worship of God). It was natural and appropriate to call a special worship service at the completion of the wall-building project that God had guided and protected. Thanksgiving and celebration were expressed through sacrifice. Although the type of sacrifice is different in what we experience now from the New Testament worship, sacrifice is still important. If we love God, we must give ourselves and our stuff to Him. We should not be ashamed to be heard when we praise God. “God had given them great joy” is the climax of the work of both Ezra and Nehemiah.

Chapter 13 is a bit anticlimactic after such a great recounting of the work down through Nehemiah and the people. However, chapter 13 teaches the need for ongoing efforts to conserve revival. The church is famous for remembering revivals and not repeating them over the years. One of our most important missions in the faith is to prepare others to take our place and carry on what we started. One wonders if Nehemiah had not prepared other strong leaders. Why did his reforms lapse when he was absent? A strong leader is often needed to restore order. God’s people responded when godly leadership put things in order. Verse 13 shows how Nehemiah put persons who “were considered trustworthy” in responsible positions. I started our sectionof Nehemiah talking about his integrity. Part of the work of continuing revival is that of putting people of integrity in leadership positions. 13:14 As a man of prayer, Nehemiah committed to God what he had “so faithfully done.” Nehemiah is a good example of someone who personified faithfully.

Finally, I want to mention Nehemiah’s concerns and observations. The prophets recognized that when the people became careless about the Sabbath, it was an indication of their indifference to God’s will in other areas of life as well. Nehemiah mentioned everyday chores that could be done other days; doing them on the Sabbath deprived that day of its special value. Nehemiah had the courage to go against the tide and rebuke even the leaders for their laxity.

13:18 - Nehemiah pointed out that the downfall of Jerusalem and the captivity were a result of this same carelessness about obeying God’s standards. We, as Christians, differ on our understanding of our responsibility toward the scriptural emphasis on keeping the Sabbath. I encourage you to seek God’s heart on this matter and ask yourself why we obey some commandments and not others.