What I Noticed Today (Nehemiah 11-12)
Nehemiah 11
Note: The memoir of Nehemiah resumes in Nehemiah 11.
Note: Because the city had been destroyed, very few people actually lived in Jerusalem. Now that the walls and gates had been repaired the city could support a larger population.
In verses 1-4, the leaders of the people stayed in Jerusalem, and the people cast lots for one in every ten people to remain in Jerusalem. The remaining exiles returned to live in their original family towns.
- The heads of the province, the priests, Levites, and temple servants lived in surrounding towns and came to Jerusalem when it was their time to serve.
In verses 4b-21, is a record of the people of Judah and Benjamin’s living in Jerusalem, along with the priests, Levites, and gatekeepers.
- 4b-6 the descendants of Judah.
- 7-9 the descendants of Benjamin.
- 10-14 the priests.
- 15-18 the Levites.
- 19-21 the gatekeepers.
In verses 22-24, Uzzi was head of the Levite singers in Jerusalem, and Pethahiah was the king’s agent for the people.
In verses 25-36, the people who lived in the villages of Judah and Benjamin are listed:
- 25b-30 Judah’s descendants who lived in surrounding villages.
- 31-36 Benjamin’s descendants who lived in surrounding villages.
Nehemiah 12
In verses 1-11, is a list of the priests and Levites who accompanied Zerubbabel and Jeshua (Ezra 3:2) to Jerusalem.
- 1-7 the priests and Levites who returned with Zerubbabel and Jeshua.
- 8-11 the leaders of the priests in the days of Jeshua.
Note: The priests listed in Nehemiah 12:10-11 are all high priests.
In verses 12-21, is a listing of the leaders of the priests in the days of Joiakim.
In verse 22, the leaders and families of priests and Levites were recorded while Darius lived.
Note: There are three Persian kings named Darius and scholars are unsure to which Darius verse 22 refers. Most likely the reference is to Darius II who ruled Persia from 423-404 B.C.
In verses 23-26, the leaders and families of the Levites were recorded in the book of Historical Records.
Verses 27-43 record the triumphant dedication of the wall of Jerusalem.
- Nehemiah gathered the people together for the dedication.
- He brought the leaders to the top of the wall, along with the singers.
- They gave thanks to the Lord and then set out, walking around the city.
- One group followed Nehemiah; the other group started out in the opposite direction following Ezra.
- They walked around the city on top of the wall going in opposite directions and met at the temple.
- They offered many sacrifices and sang songs of thanks to God.
In verses 44-47, on the day the wall of Jerusalem was dedicated, Hezekiah placed men in charge of the temple storehouse rooms.
- These rooms held the contributions from the people for the support of the priests and Levites.
Note: The order for the provision of offerings for the priests and Levites was established by King David some 500 years earlier, and put into practice by his son, Solomon (1 Chronicles 28:11).
Some thoughts for additional consideration:
- God’s hand was on the people of Israel as they labored to rebuild the temple. Once the work was completed, they rightly celebrated with great joy the work that had been accomplished, giving thanks and praise to God.
- How often do we run from one work of ministry to another without stopping to recognize God’s hand in our lives? Whatever we accomplish, we accomplish through His grace, and we should always stop to give thanks to God for His power and strength in our lives!
What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.
