Daily Reading: Nehemiah 11
These are the chiefs of the province who lived in Jerusalem; but in the towns of Judah everyone lived on his property in their towns. (Nehemiah 11.3)
Devotional Thought: Back in chapter 7, Nehemiah was distressed about the emptiness of Jerusalem. It didn’t make sense to rebuild its walls but have the city remain largely empty to where it could easily be overrun by a conquering army. The best way to insure that the walls wouldn’t need to be rebuilt again was to make sure the city was adequately populated so it could defend itself. So Nehemiah set his mind to this task.
Whatever he did worked, because here in chapter 11 the number of people who wanted to move to Jerusalem was so overwhelming they have to cast lots and only 1 in 10 will be allowed to relocate. This former ghost town was so overrun with applicants that there was only room for ten percent. The rest were instructed to remain in their current towns or villages in the surrounding area.
Beginning in v. 3, we encounter a roster of key leaders—military officials, tribal leaders, priests, Levites, gatekeepers, civic and royal officials—who were allowed to assume residence in the restored city. All these notable men and their families took the lead by choosing to settle in Jerusalem—not only setting a good example for God’s people but establishing the restored Jerusalem as a beacon for all the people of the world.
In many ways, the lesson here is that the success God gives is always the means to an even greater end. For Nehemiah, the call to rebuild the walls and restore the city was not just about rebuilt walls and a restored city. It was about establishing a place that would stand out like a lighthouse and testify to the entire world about the glory and grandeur of God. The fundamental end of a God-ordained vision is ultimately God’s glory.
John Whitsett
Prayer: Heavenly Father—help me to remember that the various tasks and endeavors I’m involved in are not ultimately about those things. In the end, it’s about you and your glory. May I live in such a way that, as Matt. 5.16 says, people see me but are compelled to give credit and recognition to you. Amen.
Psalm of the Day: Psalm 107:33-38
33 He turned rivers into a desert, flowing springs into thirsty ground,
34 and fruitful land into a salt waste, because of the wickedness of those who lived there.
35 He turned the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into flowing springs;
36 there he brought the hungry to live, and they founded a city where they could settle.
37 They sowed fields and planted vineyards that yielded a fruitful harvest;
38 he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased, and he did not let their herds diminish.
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