Jerusalem’s Walls Dedicated
- The setting.
- The dedication ceremony was not immediately after the walls were completed; about 7 or 8 weeks after.
- Re-centered on praising God for His boundless mercies the nation now properly gives their tithes to the Lord for Levites.
- The dedication.
- Dedication is the awareness that God has given something, that we receive it with gratitude, and promise to use it correctly.
- God gives us: new life in Christ, the truth of the gospel, the Reformed confessions, membership in Christ’s body, etc.
- Also everything we have materially He has given to us.
- The dedicatory ceremony.
- The singers among the Levites were gathered from the surrounding villages to join those now living in Jerusalem (27).
- There was purification (30) of the people, the walls and gates.
- The singers climb steps to the top of the wall, then divided into two (31,38), some going to the right and rest to the left.
- The procession proceeded around Jerusalem, the city of David, dedicating it to the God of David’s great Son.
- Rest of the day was filled with service at the temple: great sacrifices were offered (43) in recognition of God’s great mercies.
- The greatness of their joy was in part evidenced in that they could be heard far off (43b).
- All the people (including the wives and children) were caught up in praise to God for what He had done for them.
- The depth of joy experienced by the people is evidenced in their giving and worship (44-47).
- This shows that their joy was not a temporary high, but something they worked to have as a steady burning light.
- Their giving showed that they wanted to support the real walls of Jerusalem (the preaching of the pure doctrines of gospel).