Nehemiah Chapter 7: Priorities

Nehemiah Chapter 7

Priorities

4. The city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt.

5. My God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials, and the common people to be registered by families. I found the genealogical record of those who had been the first to return, and it was written there as follows.

◇ Nehemiah, who had been serving as an official in the palace of Susa under King Artaxerxes, heard the distressing news from his homeland. Upon hearing about Jerusalem, which had been reduced to ruins, he wept, fasted, and prayed. Subsequently, as part of God's plan, he was appointed as governor over Judah by the king's command.

Upon arriving in Jerusalem as the governor of Judah, Nehemiah began the work of rebuilding the city walls after just three days, before he had even recovered from the long journey or assessed the situation in Jerusalem or Judah. The city was in ruins, with hardly any proper houses, and consequently, very few inhabitants. He prioritized rebuilding the walls over constructing homes and gathering residents within the city.

He had wept and fasted in prayer when he heard about the ruined walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah came to Jerusalem with the goal of rebuilding it, and his first objective was the reconstruction of the walls. After the walls were rebuilt, he took a census of the people, taught them the Book of the Law (Chapter 8), led them in repentance according to the Law (Chapter 9), and established the residents for the city (Chapter 11).

Nehemiah had priorities. Priorities that would lead the people back to God!

♧ Lord, help us to understand what is important in our lives, to set the right priorities, and to act upon them. Holy Spirit, lead us in truth. Amen.