"Dedication
of the Wall"
International
Sunday School Lesson for Sunday August 18, 2013
Scripture
Text: Nehemiah 12: 27-39,43
Purpose:
To
designate special times of worship for celebrating what God
accomplishes through us
Bible
Lesson Background Nehemiah
12:27-43
Nehemiah
12:27-39, 43 (CEB)
27
When it was time for the dedication of Jerusalem’s wall, they
sought out the Levites in all the places where they lived in order to
bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with joy, with
thanks and singing, and with cymbals, harps, and lyres.
28
The singers also gathered together both from the region around
Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites, 29 also
from Beth-hagilgal and from the region of Geba and Azmaveth, because
the singers had built themselves villages around Jerusalem. 30
After the priests and the Levites purified themselves, they purified
the people, the gates, and the wall.
31
Then I brought the leaders of Judah up onto the wall and
organized two large groups to give thanks. The first group went in
procession on the wall toward the right, in the direction of the Dung
Gate. 32 Following them went Hoshaiah and half the officials of
Judah, 33 along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, 34 Judah,
Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah. 35 There were also some young
priests with trumpets—Zechariah son of Jonathan son of Shemaiah son
of Mattaniah son of Micaiah son of Zaccur son of Asaph—36 along
with his associates Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai,
Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani. They brought the musical
instruments of David the man of God. Ezra the scribe went in front of
them.
37
When they reached the Fountain Gate they went straight up by the
stairs of David’s City, on the ascent to the wall, past the house
of David to the Water Gate on the east. 38 The second group went
in procession to the left. I followed them with half of the
people along the wall past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad
Wall, 39 past the Gate of Ephraim and over the Mishneh Gate, the
Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred as far
as the Sheep Gate. They came to stop at the Gate of the Guard......
43
They offered great sacrifices on that day and rejoiced, for God had
made them rejoice with great joy. The women and children also
rejoiced, and the sound of the joy in Jerusalem could be heard from
far away.
My
Thoughts by Burgess Walter
Most
of us can probably recall at least one celebration in our life that
involved either a dedication of a new sanctuary, parsonage, or maybe
and new fellowship or activity center. These are always exciting
times and usually attention is paid to every detail, to make certain
that the ceremony is inclusive, and everyone is made to feel a part
of the ceremony. As I read the account in Nehemiah, that is sort of
the picture I get of all the individuals, in this dedication of the
wall around Jerusalem.
We
usually have our best choir and orchestra or individual musicians
available for the ceremony. Every effort is made to please those in
attendance. We often feature a more famous or higher ranking pastor
or speaker. All of this may be patterned after Nehemiah's writings.
I
think Nehemiah offered a balance between the civil and the clerical.
It is hard to imagine this wall approximately 2 miles long and 8 feet
wide lined with people playing their instruments and singing psalms
of praise to God.
The
question that arises for me, what makes this a time of worship? It
looks more like a celebration of mans accomplishments.
Let
us begin by reviewing what Nehemiah and Ezra ordered, first there was
a purification ceremony for the priest and the Levites and then in
verse 30 “After
the priests and the Levites purified themselves, they purified the
people, the gates, and the wall.” Nehemiah
and Ezra knew that there could be no true meaningful worship without
first purifying not only the fixtures but also those that were going
to participate in the ceremony, and then too, those that were
attending the dedication.
For
us today, Christ has provided the purification we need to worship a
Holy God. The blood of Christ is more powerful than that of bulls and
rams. Christ provides for us an avenue where we can worship a Holy
God, even though we ourselves are not holy enough to approach a holy
and righteous God. I think God only sees the Christ in us as we come
and worship before Him. However those that have never been washed in
the blood of Christ, can only come to God as a sinner and cry out for
his mercy and grace. Amazingly God always hears that repentant cry,
and washes them in the blood of Christ immediately.
How
do you prepare yourself for worship? I think worship begins with a
prayer of confession, and pardon is offered by God, that we may
boldly enter into His presence.
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