Psalm 127 – The Reason Behind It All
When the wall of the city had been completed there was still work that needed to be done. The city had to be made secure. They could not ignore the fact that there were those nearby who would have taken any opportunity to undermine the work. So Nehemiah made sure that the gates were put securely in place, and gatekeepers appointed to make sure that the gates were not left unguarded. It was of fundamental importance that the city and its people should be kept safe from external enemies.
The rebuilding of the wall however, was not an end in itself. The whole purpose of making the city secure was so that it could be returned to what it should be; a place wherein the people of God could live safely and worship God as they had been instructed in the law of God. The singers and the Levites were there to lead the people in worship; the walls were not rebuilt so the people of Jerusalem could look at nice walls. They were rebuilt so they could worship God with greater glory and freedom than ever before.
It must always be remembered that central to any work that is undertaken by the people of God within the church must be worship and praise. Any work that is done that does not exalt the Lord Jesus Christ and lead the people of God to praise and glorify God is of questionable value. It is very significant that the first act that Nehemiah did when the walls were completed, even before appointing a civic leader for the city, was to appoint those who would be responsible to lead the people in worship, praise, and prayer. This demonstrates that Nehemiah understood that he was engaged in a work of tremendous spiritual significance. To have ruined city walls was sad, to have the city of Jerusalem without the worship and praise of God was a disaster!
Questions
- What was the whole point of building the city walls?
Prayer Points
- Pray that we would put God first in all that we do.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.