Nehemiah fixed the focus of the people on what God had done for them. He planned a great parade to walk around the entire wall. What we see in verses 31-39 is Nehemiah creating two huge choirs, each complete with priests, Levites, musicians, instrumentalists, harpists, cymbals, stringed instruments, and vocalists. What were they going to do?

When it comes to seeking heart satisfaction and fulfillment, C. S. Lewis famously said,

“If there lurks in most modern minds the notion that to desire our own good and earnestly to hope for the enjoyment of it is a bad thing, I submit that this notion has crept in from Kant and the Stoics and is no part of the Christian faith. Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are halfhearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased” (“The Weight of Glory”).

Our hearts were designed to find satisfaction by delighting in God. In fact, satisfying our heart in this way is the foundational starting point for our mission God has designed life so that our heart loves must be ordered properly. The first commandment and Great Commandment are about giving God first place in our affections. “Have no gods before me.” “Love me with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength.” We were created to be worshippers, to delight ourselves in the Lord—to find pleasure in praising God’s moral beauty.

In fact, Peter tells us that the purpose of our redemption is to fulfill our created role as worshippers. Peter writes, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Pet 2:9). Nehemiah 12 is the story of God’s people celebrating God and proclaiming his excellencies. From it we remember again how to keep our heart properly aligned by filling our heart with the joy of praising him. But before turning to that text, let’s set the stage by remembering an incident from the life of our Lord, recorded in Luke 17:11-19:.

On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?”

In this familiar story in the life of Jesus, the penetrating question that comes from Jesus’ lips is, “Where are the nine?” “I just performed a life transforming miracle for ten men and only one returns. Only one gives God the praise he deserves. How rude can people be? How ungrateful can people be?” Somewhere there are nine former lepers starting life all over again, undoubtedly caught up in the exhilaration of being whole once more, so caught up in the blessing of their new life that they just never got got around to tracking Jesus down to convey their gratitude to him. Jesus almost in disbelief says, “Were there not ten where are the other 9?”

In this episode in Nehemiah 12 we see a nation gathered to express its gratitude to God.

And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, with thanksgivings and with singing, with cymbals, harps, and lyres. And the sons of the singers gathered together from…. (many districts surrounding Jerusalem.) And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and they purified the people and the gates and the wall. 

Then I brought the leaders of Judah up onto the wall and appointed two great choirs that gave thanks. One went to the south on the wall to the Dung Gate. And after them (one group of leaders and priests). And Ezra the scribe went before them. At the Fountain Gate they went up straight before them by the stairs of the city of David, at the ascent of the wall, above the house of David, to the Water Gate on the east.

The other choir of those who gave thanks went to the north, and I followed them with half of the people, on the wall, above the Tower of the Ovens, to the Broad Wall, …. and they came to a halt at the Gate of the Guard. So both choirs of those who gave thanks stood in the house of God, and I and half of the officials with me; and the priests, with trumpets; And the singers sang with Jezrahiah as their leader. And they offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also rejoiced. And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away (Nehemiah 12:27-43).

What Made This Worship Experience So Meaningful?

1. Nehemiah went out of his way to prepare for worship. Vs. 27: they sought the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, with thanksgivings and with singing, with cymbals, harps, and lyres. And the sons of the singers gathered together.

The tribe of Levi’s responsibility was caring for the temple, offering sacrifices, and leading worship. There were divisions within the tribe of professional musicians and a professional choir who were supported by the tithes of the people. Nehemiah had to recruit a large group. This was no easy task of making a few phone calls. We know that there were several hundred in Jerusalem besides all those who still lived outside the city to be recruited.

It is instructive to me that Nehemiah didn’t just expect worship to happen spontaneously, when the final stone was placed into the wall. Normally great worship takes a lot of preparation. Here it is led by trained musicians who, you can be sure, did a lot of practicing ahead of time. When I was a young, immature Christian who didn’t know much, I thought we should cancel choir practice and send choir members out to share the gospel on choir night. That shows how little I understood about the centrality of worship in setting our hearts on the Lord as a regular part of our schedule.

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