Nehemiah 7:1-4 said that after completing the walls and installing the doors and gates, Jerusalem was well-protected by a defensive perimeter. Nehemiah then requested the porters, singers, and other Levites to oversee the gates and walls. He appointed his brother Hanani and Hananiah, the military governor of the fortress near the temple, as the rulers of Jerusalem.
Nehemiah instructed these men to
open the city gates only after sunrise and to close them while the sun was
still up. However, while Jerusalem was spacious, the population was small, and houses
had not been built.
Nehemiah inspired by God gathered
the nobles, officials, and people for a genealogical enrolment. He probably planned
to repopulate Jerusalem. His vision was to bring people from the surrounding
cities and towns, strengthening the city's defenses against potential enemy
attacks. Hence, he needed to know the headcounts.
Nehemiah found the book
containing the genealogy of the first arrivals who had come years earlier. It
was a record of the returnees who had migrated to Judah from Babylon under the
guidance of Zerubbabel and Joshua. Nehemiah's attention to detail was evident
as he utilized this old record to establish a new one, preserving the original
for future use. Nehemiah 7: 6-73 then detailed the long list of returnees by
family and clans.
Like the situation Nehemiah
faced, manpower for ministry is also in great need in the church today. To mitigate
the situation, we need God-inspired leadership. We need leaders like Nehemiah with
deep foresight and great organizational skills. Could God be speaking and tugging
at your heart, urging you to step up to our call and be equipped to strengthen the
ministry in the church?
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