Nehemiah 7:1-15
Ne 7:1
Now it came to pass, when the wall was built, and I had
set up the doors, and the porters and the singers and the Levites were
appointed,
Once the wall was completed, Nehemiah knew that life in
the city would be chaotic if there was no ruling structure.
So Nehemiah begins to make appointments in both the political realms and
the religious realms. Nehemiah was
a true organizer in that he wanted to see the city once again prosper but it
wouldn’t if there was anarchy. He
probably remembered the time of the Judges.
In those days
there was no king in Israel:
every man did that which was
right in his own eyes. (Judges 21:25)
Well Nehemiah was not going to see a return to the time when there was no
competent leadership. Once the
walls were completed along with the hanging of the doors at the gates, he then
began to make appointments. The
porters were the door keepers which was an honorable office in the temple.
The porter is also mentioned in John 10:3.
To him the porter openeth; and the
sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them
out. (John 10:3) The porter was
also known as a gate warden. The
singers and the porters were both Levites since they were attached to the
temple. The singers were those who
led in worship and were masters of song.
Then all the other positions which pertained to the temple service were
appointed by Nehemiah but only of the Levites.
The Levites also helped in guarding the gates of the city until others
could be trained to do the work.
Ne 7:2
That I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of
the palace, charge over Jerusalem: for he was a faithful man, and feared
God above many.
Since Nehemiah was the Governor in charge of all
Jerusalem by edict of the King, he had the authority to place godly men in
charge of the city and appointed his brother Hanani, which means my grace or
mercy and was the one who brought Nehemiah the news about Jerusalem.
Hananiah was called a “faithful man” and feared God.
This is a biblical principle which must be followed by all who have
leadership positions in ministry who are ready to retire and hand the reins of
ministry to another.
And the things that thou hast heard of me
among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to
teach others also. (2 Timothy 2:2)
Paul counseled Timothy to commit the truths to faithful men which he
taught to Timothy. 2 Timothy was
the last book that Paul wrote before his home going under Nero.
Nehemiah trusted these men and knew of their character and that Jerusalem
would be in good hands under their leadership.
Ne 7:3
And I said unto them, Let not the gates of Jerusalem be
opened until the sun be hot; and while they stand by, let them shut the doors,
and bar them: and appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, every
one in his watch, and every one to be over against his house.
Then Nehemiah still being cautious and not dismissing the
fact that his enemies were still alive and well and could be planning something
against them. He gave command that
the gates of Jerusalem were to remain closed until at least noon time when the
sun would be over head. Then he
gave command that Hanani and Hananiah should be at the gates and make sure they
were closed and the bar put across them.
Nehemiah was taking no chances that any of the enemy could sneak in and
do surveillance of the city. They
were to appoint watches so they could sound the alarm if they saw any enemy
approaching. There were those who
could watch by means of the locations of their houses.
There were four watches in the night and maybe they were allotted in that
fashion.
Ne 7:4
Now the city was large and great: but the people
were few therein, and the houses were not builded.
The city being large was, according to Josephus was about
6 miles in circumference. Many of
the dwellings within the city were still not repaired or rebuilt because they
focused on the wall. 42,360 people
returned with Zerubbabel and many more with Ezra but many of the people had
decided to settle in the regions outside the city which meant the inhabitants
within the city were few.
Ne 7:5
And my God put into mine heart to gather together the
nobles, and the rulers, and the people, that they might be reckoned by
genealogy. And I found a register of the genealogy of them which came up at the
first, and found written therein,
Then once the wall was completed and the Levites were
stationed in the temple, then God puts upon Nehemiah’s heart to gather the
nobles and check their genealogies to see if they really belonged in Jerusalem
or if they were not of the true stock of Israel. With the Babylonian captivity,
the people of Judah were spread throughout the entire empire of Babylon, there
might have been those who were Gentile in origin and there needed to be a census
of true Israelites. Then Nehemiah
utilizes a register which came with the Israelites under Zerubbabel which would
give the names, the lineage, and to what town they lived in before the
captivity.
Ne 7:6
These are the children of the province, that went
up out of the captivity, of those that had been carried away, whom
Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and came again to Jerusalem
and to Judah, every one unto his city;
Within the register were the names of all of those who
were the children of the province of Judah.
These were the ones which were carried away to Babylon in 586 B.C. which
would have been about 140 years prior.
Then there was also a listing of all those who came back in 516 B.C. with
Zerubbabel which would have been about 70 years prior.
The two lists may have been different because some died in Babylon and
others voluntarily remained behind in Babylon.
With that span of time it was important that the lineage of each family
be checked as to who was descended from whom.
Ne 7:7
Who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah,
Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The
number, I say, of the men of the people of Israel was this;
The Nehemiah mentioned here was a different Nehemiah than
this book is named after since that one came with Zerubbabel 70 years ago.
Jeshua was a priest.
Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak,
and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his
brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings
thereon, as it is written in
the law of Moses the man of God. (Ezra 3:2)
Ne 7:8
The children of Parosh, two thousand an hundred seventy
and two.
The children of Parosh, two thousand an hundred seventy
and two. (Ezra 2:3)
Ne 7:9
The children of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy and
two.
The children of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy and
two. (Ezra 2:4)
Ne 7:10
The children of Arah, six hundred fifty and two.
The children of Arah, seven hundred seventy and five.
(Ezra 2:5)
Ne 7:11
The children of Pahath-moab, of the children of Jeshua
and Joab, two thousand and eight hundred and eighteen.
The children of Pahath-moab, of the children of Jeshua
and Joab, two thousand eight hundred and twelve. (Ezra 2:6)
Ne 7:12
The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and
four.
The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and
four. (Ezra 2:7)
Ne 7:13
The children of Zattu, eight hundred forty and five.
The children of Zattu, nine hundred forty and five. (Ezra
2:8)
Ne 7:14
The children of Zaccai, seven hundred and threescore.
The children of Zaccai, seven hundred and threescore.
(Ezra 2:9)
Ne 7:15
The children of Binnui, six hundred forty and eight.