Dedication and Consecration

Nehemiah 12:27-47

    27 Now at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought out the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings and singing, with cymbals and stringed instruments and harps. 28 And the sons of the singers gathered together from the countryside around Jerusalem, from the villages of the Netophathites, 29 from the house of Gilgal, and from the fields of Geba and Azmaveth; for the singers had built themselves villages all around Jerusalem. 30 Then the priests and Levites purified themselves, and purified the people, the gates, and the wall.

    31 So I brought the leaders of Judah up on the wall, and appointed two large thanksgiving choirs. One went to the right hand on the wall toward the Refuse Gate. 32 After them went Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah, 33 and Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, 34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah, 35 and some of the priests' sons with trumpets—Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Michaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph, 36 and his brethren, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God. And Ezra the scribe went before them. 37 By the Fountain Gate, in front of them, they went up the stairs of the City of David, on the stairway of the wall, beyond the house of David, as far as the Water Gate eastward.

    38 The other thanksgiving choir went the opposite way, and I was behind them with half of the people on the wall, going past the Tower of the Ovens as far as the Broad Wall, 39 and above the Gate of Ephraim, above the Old Gate, above the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate; and they stopped by the Gate of the Prison.

    40 So the two thanksgiving choirs stood in the house of God, likewise I and the half of the rulers with me; 41 and the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Minjamin, Michaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets; 42 also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. The singers sang loudly with Jezrahiah the director.

43 Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and the children also rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard afar off.

    44 And at the same time some were appointed over the rooms of the storehouse for the offerings, the firstfruits, and the tithes, to gather into them from the fields of the cities the portions specified by the Law for the priests and Levites; for Judah rejoiced over the priests and Levites who ministered. 45 Both the singers and the gatekeepers kept the charge of their God and the charge of the purification, according to the command of David and Solomon his son. 46 For in the days of David and Asaph of old there were chiefs of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God. 47 In the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah all Israel gave the portions for the singers and the gatekeepers, a portion for each day. They also consecrated holy things for the Levites, and the Levites consecrated them for the children of Aaron.

We can learn much from this picture of the church in worship and service.  Nehemiah Dedicated the completed wall around the city of David, the city of promise and the Holy City of God’s worship through sacrifice.  Then they consecrated the articles used in the service of worship in God’s house within those walls and took on their responsibilities as tasked and called.  They brought singers in from the surrounding areas to worship the LORD with instruments and voices, with minds and hearts devoted to Him.  They purified themselves, making holy because He is holy, preparing proper worship with cleansed hands and hearts and minds, just as we do by Christ’s atoning blood sacrifice and His righteousness in which we bathe ourselves, just as we choose daily to die to our desires opposed to His will and word, sanctifying our whole being in Him to worship rightly.  We also take on our responsibilities as given gifts by God in His house, the church (1 Peter 4:10), according to the word of God in Christ by His enabling Spirit living in us.  The people of God in Nehemiah’s time blew trumpets and worshipped joyfully as the walls were finished and then served Him; we find joy on the gospel work of the church among God’s people in Christ, singing praises and serving each other in living worship as well (Colossians 3:16, Ephesians 5:19-21, 1 Peter 2:9).  Our sacrifices are of our lives because He gave His for ours, willingly laying them down as if crucified daily along with Christ (Romans 12:1, Luke 9:23).  In this we also have God-given joy because He causes us to rejoice in our salvation (Habakkuk 3:18, Psalm 35:9).  We joyfully minister to each other in this house of living stones until we stand before Him in the Celestial City of New Jerusalem to come.  Maranatha, even so, come quickly, Lord!