The Wall is Finished! Now What? (Nehemiah 7:4-8:2)

The Old Testament was laid out in its final form as a pedagogical method for teaching Theology to all who would read it. There are three divisions in the OT: Pentateuch (Law/Covenant Given, Especially Deuteronomy), Prophets (Law/Covenant Broken and Prosecuted, both by God and his Prophets), Writings (How to Experience Covenant Blessings, Obey the Law, and Live in God’s Presence—by fulfilling the Law). Ezra and Nehemiah were almost always treated as one book from antiquity. It is in the last section of the Hebrew Canon, the Writings. This will inform how we view the book as a whole, and how we interpret our passage today.

Theological considerations are the central part of the book. If we were to give it a Genre, it would be history—but not how we do history. It is history with a Theological Purpose. The same is true with our list of names. Our passage is repeated almost word-for-word in Ezra 2.

So, we are going to treat Ezra and Nehemiah as two parts of a whole for a second. When I was growing up in the church, I learned about these two historical books this way: Ezra is about the post exilic Jews rebuilding the temple, and Nehemiah is about the post-exilic Jews rebuilding the walls. This is not false . . . But! There is much more content in these two books than simply the building of the temple and the walls. The sheer weight of these two books shows that the matter of rebuilding the Covenant People of God is central to the endeavor before both Ezra and Nehemiah.

Two concepts to prove what I am getting at:

First, which gets more attention? The rebuilding of the structure, or the rebuilding of the people? The answer is the people.

Second, what does the book say they are doing? Rebuilding the house.

Ezra 1:2 CSB

This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: “The Lord, the God of the heavens, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and has appointed me to build him a house at Jerusalem in Judah.

Ezra 3:12 CSB

But many of the older priests, Levites, and family heads, who had seen the first temple, wept loudly when they saw the foundation of this temple, but many others shouted joyfully.

Nehemiah 7:3 CSB

I said to them, “Do not open the gates of Jerusalem until the sun is hot, and let the doors be shut and securely fastened while the guards are on duty. Station the citizens of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some at their homes.”

Rebuilding the House has three senses:

Rebuilding the House means rebuilding the Temple of God

Rebuilding the House means rebuilding the City of God (Jerusalem)

Rebuilding the House means rebuilding the People of God (Israel)

Because of the wide range of meaning, we can understand the answer to the question in the message title: Now What? The temple was already rebuilt, the wall was rebuilt, the houses would start to be finished, but the “household of Israel” needs to be re-established as a Covenant Community. The remaining parts of Nehemiah center on this theme, and it will guide us today.

I. A Lamentable Return: The Need for Re-population

Nehemiah 7:4–5 CSB

The city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and no houses had been built yet. Then my God put it into my mind to assemble the nobles, the officials, and the people to be registered by genealogy. I found the genealogical record of those who came back first, and I found the following written in it:

A. Expected Circumstances of the Return (Isaiah 62)

A Physically Rebuilt Temple

A Physically Glorious Jerusalem

A Restored, Righteous, Ethnically Pure People

B. Actual Circumstances of the Return

1. A Weep-worthy Temple Ezra 3:10-13

Ezra 3:10–13 CSB

When the builders had laid the foundation of the Lord’s temple, the priests, dressed in their robes and holding trumpets, and the Levites descended from Asaph, holding cymbals, took their positions to praise the Lord, as King David of Israel had instructed. They sang with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord: “For he is good; his faithful love to Israel endures forever.” Then all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord because the foundation of the Lord’s house had been laid. But many of the older priests, Levites, and family heads, who had seen the first temple, wept loudly when they saw the foundation of this temple, but many others shouted joyfully. The people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shouting from that of the weeping, because the people were shouting so loudly. And the sound was heard far away.

2. An Empty City Nehemiah 7:4

Nehemiah 7:4 CSB

The city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and no houses had been built yet.

3. A Small, Temporary, Unrighteous People

Nehemiah 7:66 CSB

The whole combined assembly numbered 42,360

Exodus 12:37 CSB

The Israelites traveled from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand able-bodied men on foot, besides their families.

Ezra makes it clear in the first chapter that the return from exile was viewed as another exodus. However, comparing the numbers is revealing. In the first exodus, over 600,000 men were present; Nehemiah records only 42,360. Jerusalem during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah was far from the glorious return they expected. What’s more is both Ezra and Nehemiah have to deal with people that have intermarried with other nations. The blatant disregard for God’s law is telling.

God is Always Faithful to His Covenants; Humanity is Always Unfaithful

The main problem of Israel was not the missing temple, the missing walls, the small population, or even the evil actions of the surrounding nations! The main problem for Israel was Covenant Unfaithfulness, and that problem was an inside job—not a result of their circumstances. Each and every Israelite was wicked from birth. The Covenant blessings, covenant community, and covenant Word can and did stay the people’s rebellion (both in quantity and quality) for a time, but ultimately the nation descended into chaos. The solution wasn’t morality, ethnic purity, or willpower, but a perfect human substitute. The returnees would have been looking for a Messianic figure, even as the temple and wall were being built; no such figure appeared and wouldn’t for around four hundred years. They would not have known that a new kind of humanity, a new kind of Covenant, a new kind of city, and a new kind of community would be necessary to solve the issue of sin.

Application: You can survive unmet expectations

The Israel that found itself in the trenches of rebuilding and at the sharp end of opposition still faced unmet expectations. Ezra would have been excited to return to the promised land to rebuild, and was clearly floored by the unfaithfulness of the people. Nehemiah stood firm against strong opposition, and against the unfaithfulness of the people. The community continued rebuilding amidst the perceived anti-climatic-ism of the return. Their solace: human faithfulness is not the solution, but God’s faithfulness is.

II. A Lasting Faithfulness: Returnees Numbered (Nehemiah 7:6-73)

In contrast to the unfaithfulness of people, God is endlessly faithful.

Application: Keep a record of God’s Faithfulness

The genealogies and records—indeed the whole book of Ezra/Nehemiah—was a wise endeavor. They had a written, permanent reminder that God preserves a remnant, event through exile and moral decline. Future generations including us benefit from such records.

God uses Ordinary People to accomplish his purposes

The list of names is essentially a list of unknown people. Only a few are mentioned elsewhere.

The exception is in the heading of the record: Zerubbabel! Who is that? The heir to the Davidic throne. God used ordinary people to maintain the Davidic line so the Messiah would have documentation of having fulfilled the prophecies.

God Uses Ministers to equip Regular People for the work of ministry

The goal of the work of the ministry and the Gospel is to rebuild the “house” of the Lord

People are being gathered by faith through the preaching of the word

The city of God is “seated in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”

Ephesians 2:6 CSB

He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus,

The Temple is our bodies as we dwell and work in unity

Application: Be Equipped for the Work of Ministry

III. A Longing for Better: God’s People Rebuilt?

Nehemiah 7:73–8:2 CSB

The priests, Levites, gatekeepers, temple singers, some of the people, temple servants, and all Israel settled in their towns. When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, all the people gathered together at the square in front of the Water Gate. They asked the scribe Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses that the Lord had given Israel. On the first day of the seventh month, the priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly of men, women, and all who could listen with understanding.

God’s Method for Restoration begins with His Word

Rebuilding was put in writing for a reason.

God gave the Word primacy among his people. Kings were subject to the Prophets. The Law was binding on every Israelite, and was to be memorized and applied.

God gave the Word and only the Word to sustain his people for 400 years until the birth of Christ.

The Word accomplished what it was designed to do!

God’s Method for Restoration includes Covenant Renewal

The Wall is Done! Why is there more Nehemiah? The wall and the temple are not the point of the book. Neither is the Ethnic Jewish nation the main thrust of the book. Instead, the main goal of Ezra and Nehemiah is to add to the progressive revelation of the Covenant of Grace.

We can see this in two ways: first is the Covenant Renewal commanded in Deuteronomy and practiced in Nehemiah 8-10. Deuteronomy is structured like a Suzerain/Vassal Covenant from the Ancient Near East. The two parties in such a treaty are not equals, but one has power over the other one. The Suzerain of the covenant set forth in Deuteronomy is God. One major section of such a covenant is provisions for periodic reading and renewal of the covenant. That is the next section of Nehemiah. They read the Word and reaffirm the covenant. This is a necessary part of what is going on in Nehemiah 7. God is moving the whole of History to his appointed end, which he tells us in the Bible about 43 times: “I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

So we ask another question: these men are going to renew the covenant, so are they the fulfillment of God’s appointed end? Is this the End-times Covenant people, a kingdom of priests to God with the law written on their hearts?

No.

Nehemiah doesn’t end in Ch. 12 with the Holy People in the Holy City worshiping at the Holy Temple, it ends in Ch. 13 with ambiguity.

The second way we can see that the Covenant of Grace is the message of Nehemiah is in Nehemiah 7:64

Nehemiah 7:64 CSB

These searched for their entries in the genealogical records, but they could not be found, so they were disqualified from the priesthood.

Sincerity was there for these men, but the cultic limitations restrain them from full participation. They were Levites, and they were supposed to live off of the goods provided by the other tribes so that they could maintain the temple. In this particular situation, they are excluded from the benefits of the Covenant community. Chapter 13 starts off excluding the foreigners.

The Urim and Thummim was needed to divine the will of God, meaning that there is ambiguity and not clarity.

The breastplate that the Urim and Thummim were attached to was titled the Breastplate of Judgement—not accidentally. The application of the Law as a Covenant of Works brings condemnation and judgement. This is not the end-times covenant community.

God’s Method for Restoration is Conditioned on Faithfulness

The Exile was explicitly tied to Covenant unfaithfulness Jeremiah 11:1-17

Jeremiah 11:1–17 CSB

This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Listen to the words of this covenant and tell them to the men of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem. Tell them, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: “Let a curse be on the man who does not obey the words of this covenant, which I commanded your ancestors when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the iron furnace.” I declared, “Obey me, and do everything that I command you, and you will be my people, and I will be your God,” in order to establish the oath I swore to your ancestors, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is today.’ ” I answered, “Amen, Lord.” The Lord said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: ‘Obey the words of this covenant and carry them out.’ For I strongly warned your ancestors when I brought them out of the land of Egypt until today, warning them time and time again, ‘Obey me.’ Yet they would not obey or pay attention; each one followed the stubbornness of his evil heart. So I brought on them all the curses of this covenant, because they had not done what I commanded them to do.” The Lord said to me, “A conspiracy has been discovered among the men of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem. They have returned to the iniquities of their ancestors who refused to obey my words and have followed other gods to worship them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah broke my covenant I made with their ancestors. “Therefore, this is what the Lord says: I am about to bring on them disaster that they cannot escape. They will cry out to me, but I will not hear them. Then the cities of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods they have been burning incense to, but they certainly will not save them in their time of disaster. Your gods are indeed as numerous as your cities, Judah, and the altars you have set up to Shame—altars to burn incense to Baal—as numerous as the streets of Jerusalem. “As for you, do not pray for these people. Do not raise up a cry or a prayer on their behalf, for I will not be listening when they call out to me at the time of their disaster. What right does my beloved have to be in my house, having carried out so many evil schemes? Can holy meat prevent your disaster so you can celebrate? The Lord named you a flourishing olive tree, beautiful with well-formed fruit. He has set fire to it, and its branches are consumed with the sound of a mighty tumult. “The Lord of Armies who planted you has decreed disaster against you, because of the disaster the house of Israel and the house of Judah brought on themselves when they angered me by burning incense to Baal.”

If the post-exilic people are under the same Covenant, so if they continue in unfaithfulness, they will receive the same curses

The post-exilic Israelites have not dealt ultimately with their main problem—sin.

Covenant unfaithfulness is therefore certain.

So how can wicked people be faithful?

We get a glimpse of how in how Ezra/Nehemiah deals with Man’s Responsibility vs God’s Sovereignty

Man is Responsible; God is Sovereign

“Cyrus issued his decree because God had moved his heart (Ezra 1:1). While some of God’s people chose to remain in Babylon, others decided to return to rebuild God’s house because God had moved their hearts (Ezra 1:5). Ezra was successful in his ministry because of his devotion and because the gracious hand of God was on him (Ezra 7:9-10). Artaxerxes granted Nehemiah’s request because the graciousness of God was on Nehemiah (Neh. 2:8). Nehemiah made plans, and yet God put those plans in his heart (Neh. 2:12; 7:5) [. . .] As with other places in Scripture, the Philosophical or theological interface between divine sovereignty and human responsibility is neither analyzed nor explained. The text simply teaches that God is sovereign and that humans are responsible, and that God sovereignly uses responsible human beings to accomplish his objective in history: the rebuilding of his ‘house.’”

The tension of Man’s responsibility and God’s Sovereignty is brought to resolution in only one place, and that is the solution to our problem

The temple has been rebuilt: John 2:18-22

John 2:18–22 CSB

So the Jews replied to him, “What sign will you show us for doing these things?” Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up in three days.” Therefore the Jews said, “This temple took forty-six years to build, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. So when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the statement Jesus had made.

The City of God is being rebuilt and Re-populated - Even the breastplate of judgement is replaced with a breastplate of righteousness; the Urim and thummim have become unnecessary because the Holy Spirit interprets the Word for us.

Titus 2:14 CSB

He gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people for his own possession, eager to do good works.

1 Peter 2:5 CSB

you yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Covenant Faithfulness has been obtained for us 1 John 3:5

1 John 3:5 CSB

You know that he was revealed so that he might take away sins, and there is no sin in him.

Jesus is the Solution. He is the Davidic hope through Zerubbabel, the Messianic hope through his righteous life and substitutionary atoning death, and he is our eternal hope for Sanctification by the power of the Holy Spirit that he gave us as a gift to make us spotless for the day we can be called “married.” (Isaiah 62)

Final Applications

Nehemiah lived with many “unknowns” - you can know!

If you are here today and you are unsure of your place before God, a pity you. The most important aspect of life is whether you are right with God or separated from Him. Assurance is a possibility for the Christian. You can know for sure if you are numbered among the elect. Come ask me or Jeremiah how you can know for sure. If you are not a Christian, I would love to help you know what you must do to be saved.

God is Faithful to his Promises - you can rest!

If you are here today and you are just busy, I am calling you to rest. Jesus raised from the dead, just as God promised. He is seated at the Right hand of the Father, and Ephesians says we are seated with him. You can rest in you position because God will not abandon you or forsake you. God will keep his promises.

HOWEVER, if you are living comfortably with unrepentant sin, watch out. God is faithful to his promises. He will prosecute the ungodly. He will condemn those that refuse to repent. He may unleash temporal curses on your head for what you are doing today—and you will have to live with the consequences. God keeps his promises.

God will build his house - you can work!

Do not let the doctrine of God’s Sovereignty bind your hands! God uses faithful Christians to accomplish His work on earth. As an example, revelation talks about the incense bowls filled with the prayers of the saints, and God uses them to accomplish his judgement. You would be correct in saying the Spirit causes the believers to pray, and you would also be correct in saying that man is responsible to pray. You have work to do, and it matters. God will use this sermon in someone’s heart; God will use faithful fathers in their home when they teach their children the Gospel and lead their wives in Godliness; God will use the faithful single woman who uses the time she doesn’t have to spend on raising kids to help others pursue Christ; God can and will use your faithfulness to accomplish great things.

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