In the time of the terrible siege of Jerusalem, when the Roman armies surrounded the city, when famine was killing the Jews by hundreds, and when every day the enemy seemed more likely to take the city, history tells us that a strange thing happened. Some priests were watching, as was their custom, in the temple courts in the middle of the night. They had passed through the Beautiful Gate, crossed the Court of the Women, and had ascended the steps leading into the inner court, which was close to the Temple itself. Suddenly they stopped, for the earth shook beneath them, while overhead came a noise as of the rushing of many wings, and a multitude of voices was heard saying, again and again, the solemn words, “Let us depart; let us depart.” The angels of God were leaving the doomed city to its fate.
For centuries Jerusalem had been known as the Holy City. Why was it called that? Not because of its inhabitants, for, instead of being holy, many of them were sunk in wickedness and impurity. Jerusalem was called the Holy City simply because of one inhabitant: It was the dwelling place of God, and His presence there made it what no other city on earth was, the Holy City. “In Salem [Jerusalem] also is His tabernacle, and His dwelling place in Zion” (Psa. 76:22In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion. (Psalm 76:2)).
“Blessed be the Lord out of Zion, which dwelleth at Jerusalem” (Psa. 135:2121Blessed be the Lord out of Zion, which dwelleth at Jerusalem. Praise ye the Lord. (Psalm 135:21)). So wrote the Psalmist, and he was right. God had chosen Jerusalem as His home on earth, His abiding place, His dwelling, and so long as He remained there, Jerusalem and all its surroundings were holy. The mountain on which it stood was the Holy Mountain and the city itself was the Holy City. The temple itself was the Holy Place, while the inner sanctuary, in which God’s glory appeared, was the Holy of Holies.
But at the time of the siege of Jerusalem, God had left the city, for the Son of God had been cast out of it and crucified. It was no longer to be called the Holy City. And therefore it was that the holy angels cried aloud to one another, “Let us depart,” for it was a holy city no longer. God had left it; it was His no more.
But in Nehemiah’s day, Jerusalem, in spite of her sins, was still the Holy City. We find her twice called so in his book (Neh.11:1,18), and inasmuch as it was the Holy City, God’s home on earth, His special property, His constant dwelling place, Nehemiah felt it was only right that as soon as the city was finished, as soon as all within its walls was set in order, the city and all it contained should be dedicated to the service of that God to whom it belonged.
Accordingly, as we visit Jerusalem in thought, we find the people busily preparing for a great and glorious day. By means of a grand and imposing ceremony, they were going to dedicate the city of God.
It was nearly thirteen years since the walls were finished and the gates set up. Why then did not Nehemiah hold the service of dedication before? Why did he allow so long a time to elapse before he summoned the people to put the finishing touch to their work by laying it at the feet of their King?
The Tirshatha had probably two good reasons for the delay. In the first place, there was much to do inside the city after the walls and gates were finished. The city itself had to be rebuilt, strengthened and put into order. Then he probably dared not attempt such a grand celebration without special permission from Persia. If he made a great demonstration of any kind, it would be easy for the Samaritans to put their own construction upon it, and to write at once to Persia to accuse him of setting up the standard of rebellion.
It was, therefore, advisable to obtain direct permission for such a step from Artaxerxes himself.
Now the city was in order; the necessary precautions had been taken, and Nehemiah can feel that there is nothing to hinder the holding of the solemn ceremony of the dedication of the Holy City to God.
Who are these men who are arriving by companies at all the different gates of Jerusalem? They are the Levites, coming up from all parts of the country to the service of dedication. They are carrying with them various musical instruments—cymbals, psalteries and harps—old instruments used by King David, and some of them evidently invented by him and bearing his name, for we find them called, in Neh. 12:36,36And his brethren, Shemaiah, and Azarael, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethaneel, and Judah, Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God, and Ezra the scribe before them. (Nehemiah 12:36) “The musical instruments of David the man of God.”
These are to be used in the grand service which is about to take place. Many new musical instruments had been invented since the time of David, and the Jews of the captivity had seen and used these in Babylon and Shushan. We read, in the book of Daniel, of the cornet, the flute, the sackbut and the dulcimer; all these instruments were familiar to the Jews of Nehemiah’s day. But we do not find any of these newly invented instruments in use at this grand service. They cling to the old instruments, used in the first temple, dear to their hearts as being connected with King David, and as having been used by their fathers before them.
Not only the musicians, but the singers too are called together from the valleys around Jerusalem, in which the temple choir had chosen to live, in order that they might go up by turn to lead the temple singing (Neh. 12:2929Also from the house of Gilgal, and out of the fields of Geba and Azmaveth: for the singers had builded them villages round about Jerusalem. (Nehemiah 12:29)).
When all who were to take part in the service had assembled, there was a great sprinkling. The priests and the Levites purified themselves, the people, the gates and the wall.
A red heifer (see Num. 8 and 19) was led by one of the priests outside the city. There she was killed, her blood was caught in a basin, and it was sprinkled seven times before the temple. Then her flesh was burned outside the city, and the ashes were carefully collected and mixed with water. This water was put into a number of basins, and the priests and Levites went with it up and down the city, sprinkling it first on themselves, then on the men, women and children in the city, and afterward on the wall, the gates and all that was to be dedicated to God.
All were to be made pure before they could be used in God’s service. The Great Master cannot use dirty vessels; they are not fit for His use.
If you want God to use you in His service, you must first be sprinkled, made pure from all defilement of sin. Until this has been done you cannot properly serve God.
How, then, can we be cleansed and purified? How can we be made vessels suitable for the Master’s use, fit for the service of God? Thank God, we have a better way of purification than by washing in the ashes of a heifer. “For if the... ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh; how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Heb. 9:13-1413For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 14How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:13‑14)).
The blood must be sprinkled; the conscience must be purged; then begins the service of the living God. And when we become defiled by sin after our service begins, we must be washed by the water of the Word of God. The Word will remind us of the death of Christ (the ashes) and what it cost to cleanse us.
When all was ready and the purification was complete, the great company of the musicians met in the temple courts. The blast of the priests’ trumpets was heard on one side, and the sweet melodious songs of the white-robed singers on the other.
When all were in order they marched to the Valley Gate on the western side of the city. Here Nehemiah divided them into two companies, in order that they might make the circuit of the city, walking in joyful procession on the top of the new walls. One company was to go north and the other south, walking around the city until they met on the other side. All the people stood below, watching the progress of the two processions, each of which was formed of singers, nobles and priests who were dressed in white and flowing robes.
It must have been a great and imposing sight, as the bright Eastern sun streamed on the dazzling white of their fine linen, and made their instruments glitter and shine. Then there was the sound of glorious music, which seemed to encircle the city in a wave of rejoicing and song. Everyone made merry that day, and no wonder; it was a day to be remembered.
The order of each procession was as follows. First and foremost went a band of musicians with their various instruments. Then followed a small company of princes, the finest men in the nation, arrayed in all the brilliance of Eastern costume. Bringing up the rear were seven priests, bearing trumpets. Each procession had a leader. Nehemiah conducted one, and Ezra the Scribe the other.
Ezra’s procession proceeded southward, and then eastward. They passed the Dung Gate, where the refuse of the city was swept out. Then they came to the Fountain Gate, opposite to the Pool of Siloam, and here they descended by steps in the Tower of Siloam. They probably came down in order that they might dedicate the buildings over the Pool of Siloam and the Dragon Well. Then they climbed to the top of the wall again, by the steps that went up to that part of Jerusalem called the City of David. From thence Ezra’s procession moved on to the eastern wall, where they were to meet the other party.
Nehemiah’s company, on leaving the Valley Gate, turned northward, passed the Tower of the Furnaces, went across the Broad Wall, which was almost the only piece of the old wall still standing, passed the Gate of Ephraim, the Old Gate, the Tower of Hananeel, the Tower of Meah, the Sheep Gate, and on down to the temple, and the gate named the Prison Gate, because it opened upon a street leading to the court of the prison.
Then, somewhere near the Water Gate, the two processions met, and marched together into the court of the temple, the two bands now joining together in a united glorious company, while the two groups of singers formed again one enormous united choir, and filled the temple courts with their harmonious song.
Not a voice was silent; there was no idle person in the choir. Headed by their choirmaster they praised the Lord with all their hearts. “The singers sang loud, with Jezrahiah their overseer.”
Nor were the musical people the only ones who showed their joy that happy day. For, as the priests offered great sacrifices, the rejoicing was widespread and tremendous. “For God had made them rejoice with great joy.” And it was not only the men who were rejoicing, but the wives and the children also, so that “the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.”
How often we read of women’s tears in the Bible! Rachel wept over her children and would not be comforted; Hagar lifted up her voice and wept over her son; Naomi wept as she came back to her desolate home; Hannah wept as she knelt in the tabernacle court; the widow wept as she followed her only son to the grave, and the company of women wept as Jesus of Nazareth was led out to the cross.
We read of so many women’s tears, so very few women’s smiles; we hear so much mourning and lamentation, so very little happiness and rejoicing. But, on this day of dedication, the wives were as merry and glad as the husbands, and even the children took part in the general joy.
It is interesting to notice that the book of Psalms was the national song book of the Jewish nation. A large number of the Psalms were composed for special occasions, in order to commemorate certain memorable days in the history of the nation.
One Psalm, namely Psalm 147, was probably composed in the time of Nehemiah, in order that it might be sung at the dedication of the walls.
Verse 1: “Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.”
Verse 2: “The Lord doth build up Jerusalem: He gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.”
Verse 12: “Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion.”
Verse 13: “For He hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; He hath blessed thy children within thee.”
There follows in the Psalm a curious mention of snow and ice. The dedication of the city took place late in the year, and probably Jerusalem was white with snow as the singers in their white robes went round the walls, the snow being a glorious emblem of the purification which had just taken place. White as snow-washed white in the blood.
Verses 16-18: “He giveth snow like wool: He scattereth the hoar frost like ashes. He casteth forth His ice like morsels: who can stand before His cold? He sendeth out His word, and melteth them. He causeth His wind to blow, and the waters flow.”
Surely as the people rejoiced on the day that the city was finished, they must have remembered the words of old Daniel the prophet, written while they were in captivity a hundred years before this time.
What had Daniel declared? He had foretold that his nation should return from captivity, and that Jerusalem should be restored. “The street shalt be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.” Nehemiah’s work was evidently revealed to Daniel, and he was also told something about Sanballat, Tobiah and the other troublers of the Jews.
No wonder then that the joy of Jerusalem was heard afar off that day, as they thought of the good days that were coming. The word of the living God had come true: the street was built and the wall was built. Now they had only to wait for the fulfillment of the rest of the prophecy, for the coming of their own Messiah and King.
We should all like to have stood in Jerusalem on that joyous dedication day, and watched the glorious procession entering the temple on Mount Zion. But we shall see one day a far grander procession than that.
The leader of that procession will ride on a white horse. His eyes will be as a flame of fire; on His head will be many crowns; His name will be King of kings and Lord of lords. He will be followed in the procession by the armies of heaven, clothed in fine linen, clean and white, and riding on white horses (Rev. 19). Coming down to earth, His feet shall stand in that day on the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and then passing through the Golden Gate, the King and His followers will enter Jerusalem.
As soon as the Lord, who was cast out of Jerusalem, returns to her, she must become once more the Holy City. Even upon the bells of the horses and the vessels of the temple shall then be inscribed, “Holiness to the Lord”; all will be dedicated to Him and to His service.
Then indeed the glad cry will go up: “Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.”
Then again, in that glad day, the joy of Jerusalem shall be heard afar off, for God Himself will call upon all to rejoice with her. “Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her” (Isa. 66:1010Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her: (Isaiah 66:10)).
And the King Himself will lead the rejoicing: “And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in My people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying” (Isa. 65:1919And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. (Isaiah 65:19)).
Shall we indeed take part in that grand procession? It all depends on whether we are sprinkled, made pure, washed white in the blood of the Lamb. Only those who were purified could take part in Nehemiah’s procession; only sprinkled ones, cleansed by Christ, will be allowed to join in the song of rejoicing, when the Lord comes to reign in Jerusalem gloriously.
If we are indeed His redeemed ones, let us always keep the blessed hope of that day before us. Let it cheer us as we are tossed to and fro on the waves of this troubled world.
Courage! oh, have courage,
For soon His feet shall stand
Upon the Mount of Olives,
In the glorious Promised Land;
For the Prince of Peace is coming,
With pomp and royal state,
To pass, with all His followers,
Within the Golden Gate.
Courage! oh, have courage!
For the time it is not long,
E’en now across the mountains
Comes a distant sound of song;
The dreary night is closing,
‘Tis near the break of day,
And thy King, the King of Glory,
Will soon be on His way.