Nehemiah 12:37-47
Ne 12:37
And at the fountain gate, which was over against them,
they went up by the stairs of the city of David, at the going up of the wall,
above the house of David, even unto the water gate eastward.
The city of David was located on the east side and the
water gate was at the ending of the City of David where his sepulcher is
located. It must have been a large
procession because the distance from the fountain gate was much longer than to
the dung gate. The city of David
was also known as the city of Zion and was built on higher ground which means
the wall was higher in that section so an ascent was necessary.
Ne 12:38
And the other company of
them that gave thanks went over against them, and I after them, and
the half of the people upon the wall, from beyond the tower of the furnaces even
unto the broad wall;
Then the other company which was toward the dung gate to
the left now joined with the other company to make one large group.
This must have been very large because the tower of the furnaces was
located on the west side and it was where they baked their bread.
The broad wall was a spot on the wall which was thicker than the other
places.
Next unto him repaired Uzziel the son of
Harhaiah, of the goldsmiths. Next unto him also repaired Hananiah the son of
one of the apothecaries, and
they fortified Jerusalem unto the broad wall. (Nehemiah 3:8)
It may have been near the Old Gate which was on the west side just north
of the tower of the furnaces.
Ne 12:39
And from above the gate of Ephraim, and above the old
gate, and above the fish gate, and the tower of Hananeel, and the tower of Meah,
even unto the sheep gate: and they stood still in the prison gate.
The gate of Ephraim was a little south of the old gate
and situated about half way between the old gate and the tower of furnaces.
The fish gate was located on the northern part of the wall.
The tower of Hananeel was also located on the northern part of the wall
to the east of the fish gate. The
tower of Meah was east of the tower of Hananeel on the north wall.
The sheep gate was east of the tower of Meah on the north wall.
The prison gate is the gate which leads into the prison which was in the
King’s house and the prisoners were allowed to come out during the day.
It is where Jeremiah was imprisoned.
Ne 12:40
So stood the two companies of them that gave
thanks in the house of God, and I, and the half of the rulers with me:
Then the two companies were joined together and made
sacrifices in the house of God or temple but the main praise activity for the
day was on the wall in the outdoors.
Ne 12:41
And the priests; Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Michaiah,
Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets;
These are the names of the priests who joined with the
people on the wall and they had the trumpets which sounded a mighty sound from
the height of the wall.
Ne 12:42
And Maaseiah, and Shemaiah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and
Jehohanan, and Malchijah, and Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang loud, with
Jezrahiah their overseer.
These are the continuation of the names of the priests
who blew the trumpets. The trumpets
were probably blown in harmony with the singers who were led by Jezrahiah.
Ne 12:43
Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and
rejoiced: for God had made them rejoice with great joy: the wives also and the
children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.
Then they had made great sacrifices which may have been
cattle and oxen and afterward they had feasted upon them.
God gave them the spirit of rejoicing at that time because it was a day
of great celebration that the task of the rebuilding and repairing of the walls
finally complete. Not only were the
men participating in the celebration but also the wives and the children too,
all the families were gathered to celebrate what the LORD had done for them.
The celebration was so immense that it was heard from far off.
With Jerusalem being surrounded by hills, the sound of the celebration
must have reverberated through the hills.
This verse is also a great prophecy of the last day when the entire New
Jerusalem or body of Christ will be rejoicing when the last one is saved and the
church will be saved triumphantly in Heaven.
The completion of the walls symbolizes the completion of the body of
Christ. No longer will the body of
Christ be fragmented here and there and have breaches in it, it will be a
completed strong wall on the last day in glory forever.
Ne 12:44
And at that time were some appointed over the chambers
for the treasures, for the offerings, for the firstfruits, and for the tithes,
to gather into them out of the fields of the cities the portions of the law for
the priests and Levites: for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites
that waited.
On the great day of celebration people were now appointed
to positions for the upkeep of the temple and Jerusalem.
Celebrations only last for a little while but the reality of running a
city will commence the next day.
There were some who were appointed to be administrators of the temple treasure
chamber which would oversee the collection of tithes and offerings for the
temple service along with agricultural tithes.
They would also appoint officers to go the fields outside the city and
collect all the tithes which would be portions for the priests and Levites in
their temple service. The people
were very joyful in that they were
very glad to give the tithes for the workers in the service of God.
Every man according as he
purposeth in his heart, so let him
give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
(2 Corinthians 9:7) This is how
Christians should be giving to see the Gospel go forth all over the world, they
should be giving with joy.
Ne 12:45
And both the singers and the porters kept the ward of
their God, and the ward of the purification, according to the commandment of
David, and of Solomon his son.
The ward was the charge given to the groups of people.
The singers would wait until it was their turn to minister and the
porters would be vigilant as the doorkeepers to make sure everything was proper
in the temple and that no heathen entered in. Then
there was also a charge of the purification of both the people and the utensils
as instituted by King David and continued by Solomon.
27 For by the last words of David the Levites
were numbered from twenty years old and above: 28 Because
their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the
house of the LORD, in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of
all holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God; (1 Chronicles
23:27-28)
Moreover David and the captains of the host separated to
the service of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should
prophesy with harps, with psalteries, and with cymbals: and the number of the
workmen according to their service was: (1 Chronicles 25:1)
Ne 12:46
For in the days of David and Asaph of old there were
chief of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving unto God.
Of the sons of
Asaph; Zaccur, and Joseph, and Nethaniah, and Asarelah, the sons of Asaph under
the hands of Asaph, which prophesied according to the order of the king. (1
Chronicles 25:2) Some of those
songs we have in the book of Psalms which were written by both Asaph and David.
Asaph wrote some psalms such as: Psalm 50, and 73-83.
Asaph was the leader of David’s choir.
Ne 12:47
And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days
of Nehemiah, gave the portions of the singers and the porters, every day his
portion: and they sanctified holy things unto the Levites; and the
Levites sanctified them unto the children of Aaron.