Nehemiah 12:27-43: The Fight for Joy

Nehemiah 12:27-43: The Fight for Joy

Please turn with me in your Bible to Nehemiah 12. If you’re using one of the Story Bibles we provide, that’s on page 327. We’ve been going through the book of Nehemiah passage by passage. And this Sunday, we find ourselves in Nehemiah 12:27-43. And before we go any farther, let me pray.

Please read with me from Nehemiah 12:27-43: 27 And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, with thanksgivings and with singing, with cymbals, harps, and lyres. 28 And the sons of the singers gathered together from the district surrounding Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites; 29 also from Beth-gilgal and from the region of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built for themselves villages around Jerusalem. 30 And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and they purified the people and the gates and the wall. 31 Then I brought the leaders of Judah up onto the wall and appointed two great choirs that gave thanks. One went to the south on the wall to the Dung Gate. 32 And after them went Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah, 33 and Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, 34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah, 35 and certain of the priests’ sons with trumpets: Zechariah the son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph; 36 and his relatives, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God. And Ezra the scribe went before them. 37 At the Fountain Gate they went up straight before them by the stairs of the city of David, at the ascent of the wall, above the house of David, to the Water Gate on the east. 38 The other choir of those who gave thanks went to the north, and I followed them with half of the people, on the wall, above the Tower of the Ovens, to the Broad Wall, 39 and above the Gate of Ephraim, and by the Gate of Yeshanah, and by the Fish Gate and the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, to the Sheep Gate; and they came to a halt at the Gate of the Guard. 40 So both choirs of those who gave thanks stood in the house of God, and I and half of the officials with me; 41 and the priests Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets; 42 and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang with Jezrahiah as their leader. 43 And they offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also rejoiced. And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away.

Here’s the main idea of this passage: worship doesn’t exist apart from joy. Worship doesn’t exist apart from joy. In other words, to worship God is to delight in God, to rejoice in God, to look to God as the all-satisfying source of our joy. And yet, if you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, you understand that we often struggle to have that joy. We often feel weary, depleted, worn down. Kind of like when you spend a lot of time out in the sun and feel physically depleted afterwards. And you might not have even been doing that much. You might have just been relaxing on the beach or fishing or casually walking. But even if you didn’t exert yourself physically very much at all, just being in the direct sunlight for an extended period of time is enough to wear you out. And life itself seems to have a similar effect on us emotionally and spiritually. There’s something about life and life’s responsibilities and life’s pressures that often makes us feel spiritually depleted. And of course that’s even more true if we’re going through a difficult time in life. But even in those seasons of life where things aren’t exceptionally difficult, the ordinary affairs and concerns of living often have a way of wearing us down. That’s why I love Nehemiah 12. This passage we just read in Nehemiah 12 gives us three insights about joy for those who struggle to have it. Three insights about joy for those who struggle to have it.  

Joy Is Rooted in the Redemptive Acts of God

Number one, joy is rooted in the redemptive acts of God. And of course we’re talking about true, biblical joy here. That kind of joy is rooted in the redemptive acts of God. That means it’s rooted in what God’s done for us to help us when we were in a helpless condition. Here in our text, verse 27 records that the Israelites were coming together for a “dedication of the wall of Jerusalem.” That’s why they were having this grand celebration we read about in the subsequent verses. The Israelites were celebrating how God had helped them rebuild Jerusalem’s walls. You see, back in the day, Israel had rebelled against God’s instructions, so God had punished them by sending another nation to destroy their capital city of Jerusalem and tear down its walls and carry off the people into exile. But now, because of his faithfulness and in keeping with his promises, God had rescued his people from their exile in pagan lands. He had brought them out of those lands and brought them back to Jerusalem and enabled them to rebuild the city’s walls. So that’s what they’re celebrating here in Nehemiah 12. They’re celebrating God redeeming them from exile and restoring them to their own land. And the completion of the wall was an important milestone in that process. 

So the thing I’d like us to see there is that the Israelites’ joy was rooted very explicitly in God and in the amazing things God had done for them. It wasn’t just a fleeting emotion that they “whipped up” through clever techniques or mental exercises. It also wasn’t something they tried to manufacture by putting together a concert-like atmosphere with elaborate stage lights and fog machines and things like that. That’s not what produces real joy. It may produce some kid of emotional euphoria, just like secular concerts produce emotional euphoria, but it’s not real joy. Joy in the Bible is always a response to truth. It comes as you apprehend truths about God and truths about the gospel in a progressively deeper way. It’s not something you just “whip up” out of nowhere or have as a result of the right music performed in the right way. It’s always something that swells up within you as you comprehend biblical truth. And by the way, that’s what guides our approach to music here at Redeeming Grace. We select songs primarily based on their lyrics. We want to sing songs that have weighty theological substance—songs that are rich with truths about God and about what God’s done for us in Jesus. That’s what we care about—not the age of the song or the style of the song as much as how substantive of a message the song conveys about God. And honestly, there are a lot of songs being produced today that simply don’t make the cut. And that’s unfortunate, because joy is always a response to truth. We can only worship God with joy to the extent that we’ve been reminded of who he is and what he’s done. That’s what we observe here in Nehemiah 12, and that’s what we observe throughout the Bible.

Look with me for a moment at 1 Peter 1:8. Peter is writing to a group of persecuted Christians, and he says, “Though you have not seen him [Jesus], you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.” Doesn’t that sound good? “Joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.” I want that. But where, according to this verse, does that joy come from? We see in the previous phrase that it comes from “believing in him”—in other words, believing what the Bible says about Jesus, grasping those truths, internalizing those truths, cherishing those truths. That’s what produces “joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.” You can only have that joy to the degree that you’ve grasped substantive truths about Jesus. 

You have to grasp first just how wretched we were before Jesus saved us. In Titus 3:3, the Bible says, “For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.” Ephesians 2:1 states that we were “dead in trespasses and sins.” In other words, there was no reason for God to love us and every reason for God to pour out his wrath on us. We were wicked. We were vile. And yet, even while we were in that condition, Jesus came to rescue us. And he rescued by taking our sins on himself and dying on the cross in our place. We should have been the ones to suffer God’s wrath, but Jesus suffered as our substitute. Then he resurrected from the dead to defeat sin once and for all, and that made it possible for us to be brought back into a close relationship with God and be with God forever in heaven. If you’re a Christian, that’s the message you’ve come to embrace. 

And grasping the various facets of that gospel message in a progressively deeper way is the key to having real, biblical joy. It’s the key to having a joy that’s not dependent on your outward circumstances but rather that comes from within. Because remember who Peter was writing to back in that verse we looked at, 1 Peter 1:8. He was writing to persecuted Christians—Christians who were suffering extreme hardships and sometimes even being killed because of their faith in Jesus. And yet, Peter says that because of their belief in Jesus, they possess “joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.” You see, this isn’t a kind of joy that evaporates when the music ends and the house lights come on. Neither is it a joy that’s only possible when life is easy. It’s a joy you can have anytime and anywhere—because it’s not rooted in your ever-changing circumstances but in the unchanging realities of the gospel. 

And by the way, if you really grasp the glory of those gospel realities and what they mean for your life, you will be a joyful person. A few weeks ago, I was at Dunkin Donuts having coffee with a man who had attended our church a few times and who wanted to learn more about Jesus. So we were talking about various things related to Jesus and salvation. And then this man was very honest with me. He told me that he was hesitant to become a Christian because a lot of the Christians he knew were relatively gloomy people. They were just kind of depressing to be around. And he asked me what I thought about that. So I told him that those people either were not truly born again and just thought they had been—so basically, that they weren’t true Christians—or that they were extremely unhealthy Christians who didn’t grasp the wonders the gospel they claimed to believe. Because if you really grasp the gospel and how real and true it is, you’ll have joy. Yes, I understand that some people have chemical issues that can make them feel depressed. But even for those people, if they really grasp the gospel, I believe they’ll have at least a measure of noticeable joy in their life. And to support that idea, I could point you to numerous biographies of Christians throughout church history who struggled with depression but who still had noticeable joy. If you really grasp the gospel, you’ll have joy. 

Joy Is Usually the Fruit of Intentionality

Then secondly, our main text back in Nehemiah 12 shows us that not only is joy rooted in the redemptive acts of God, it’s also usually the fruit of intentionality. That’s point number two this morning: joy is usually the fruit of intentionality. It’s not automatic. You have to intentionally pursue it and sometimes even fight for it. In Nehemiah 12, the Israelites certainly were joyful. Verse 43 states that “they offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also rejoiced. And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away.” So yes, the Israelites were joyful. But notice that their joy was the fruit of them pursuing it very intentionally. They put a lot of effort and energy into planning this celebratory gathering. Verse 27 records how they sought out the Levites from the surrounding regions and brought them to Jerusalem. They also gathered together the singers from the surrounding regions in verses 28-29. Then verse 30 records how the priests and the Levites purified themselves as well as the people and the gates and the wall. That means they were preparing themselves for their joyful celebration both ceremonially, according to Law’s requirements, and spiritually, I believe. Then in verses 31-42, Nehemiah records how he intentionally arranged the choirs, some choir members standing on the southern parts of the wall and others on the northern parts. So the joy they experienced in their celebratory gathering was the fruit of intentionality. It was the fruit of a very determined pursuit of joy. 

And let’s be honest: these Israelites had their fair share of problems just like anybody else. They faced a continual threat to their safety from the people of other provinces. Also, much of Jerusalem was still uninhabited despite their efforts to repopulate it in the previous chapter. They also weren’t immune from the regular problems of life that you and I often face—financial issues, health issues, relationship issues. Yet in spite of all their problems, they were determined to pursue joy and pursued it in a very intentional way. And they did that by planning this gathering to celebrate and to remind themselves of the glorious things God had done. 

In the same way, we also should understand that joy is almost always the result of us intentionally pursuing it. And one way we do that that is being a part of celebratory gatherings like the one we see in Nehemiah 12. That’s why we gather together as a church on Sunday mornings. Our gatherings may not be as elaborate as what we see in Nehemiah, but we’re still gathering together for the purpose of celebration. 

Also, another way we pursue joy is by rolling up our sleeves and thoroughly familiarizing ourselves with the Bible. Remember: joy comes from grasping truths about God—both his character and his redemptive acts through Jesus. And the place where those truths are revealed most vividly today is in the Bible. So if you want joy, start studying and internalizing the Bible. And as you read it, pay careful attention to what it reveals about God. Don’t just approach it as a set of instructions for how to live. Approach it, above all, as God’s self-revelation. It may even be accurate in a certain sense to call the Bible God’s autobiography. Because like any autobiography, the Bible is a written account that centers on one person: God. It tells us about the kind of being he is and the kinds of things he’s done. It’s the story of him. So as you read the Bible, have your eyes peeled for what you can learn about God and about what God’s done for us through his Son Jesus. And then, rejoice in those things! Bask in the glory of those things! Let joy swell up within you as you consider the things you read. And when you do that, I believe you’re fulfilling God’s primary purpose for giving us the Bible. I believe God gave us the Bible, above all, so that we could see him and rejoice in him. And more of the former should lead to more of the latter. The more of God you see, the more of God you’re able to rejoice in.

Joy is a Gift of God 

Then here’s the third and final insight about joy we glean from Nehemiah 12. Not only is joy rooted in the redemptive acts of God and not only is it usually the fruit of intentionality, but it’s also a gift of God. That’s point three: joy is a gift of God. We get that from verse 43 of Nehemiah 12: “And they offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy.” So ultimately, God is the one who grants us joy. Yes, we often have to pursue it very intentionally through Bible study and things like that, but God is the one who ultimately gives it to us. He’s the one who has to open our eyes to see both the reality and the beauty of the things about him we read in the Bible. 

I love this illustration John Piper uses in one of his books. He compares our need for God’s supernatural enablement to a sailboat. He writes, “Imagine that you've decided to go sailing. The problem is that you know next to nothing about sailing. So you to the store and you purchase several books to find out what's involved. You carefully read them and then you talk to a veteran sailor who answers questions for you. The next day, you rent a sailboat. You examine it closely to make certain that everything needed for a successful sailing experience is present and in good working order. Then, you take your boat out onto the lake. Your excitement is at a fever pitch, though you're also afraid. But you follow the instructions you've read and the counsel received from the experienced sailor, and you launch your boat into the water. You carefully monitor each step and hoist the sail. At that precise moment you learn a crucial lesson. You can study sailing. You might even be able to build a sailboat. You can seek counsel from the wisest and most veteran of sailors. You can cast your boat onto the most beautiful of lakes under a bright and inviting sun. You can successfully hoist the sail. But—and this is a big ‘but’—only God can make the wind blow!”

You know, sometimes, it can seem like we’ve tried everything to have joy. We’ve thought long and hard about the gospel, we’ve attended church services, we’ve read the Bible, we’ve fellowshipped with joy-filled Christians, we’ve repented of every sin we’ve been able to identify within us, and we’ve done everything else we can think of but still find ourselves struggling to have joy. What then? What should we do then?

The answer? Prevail in your pursuit until God sends the wind. Have your boat out and your sail hoisted until God sends the wind. Make it a focus of your prayers every day. Listen to what Jesus says in Luke 18:1-8, a passage commonly referred to as the parable of the persistent widow. 1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’ ” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily.

So in other words, if even that human judge, an unjust judge, eventually gives that woman what she persistently asks for, don’t you think our loving Father God will give his children what they persistently ask for? Why wouldn’t he? So if you find yourself still struggling to have joy even after you’ve pursued it intentionally, keep on pursuing it. Keep on praying for it. Be relentless in your pursuit until God grants your request. Refuse to be satisfied with anything less than the kind of joy we read about earlier in 1 Peter 1:8—that “joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.” And by the way, I’m not saying you should seek joy as an end in itself. That would be a very self-centered way of living. Rather, we should seek joy ultimately because we want to worship God in the highest possible way, and we know joy is integral to that kind of worship. So be relentless in your pursuit of joy.

Conclusion

Then as we conclude, look at verse 43 again. As I read it, pay attention to the very end of the verse. “And they offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also rejoiced. And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away.” Think about that last sentence. “The joy of Jerusalem was heard far away.” It reminds me of a large stadium full of people cheering for their favorite sports team that’s heard all over the area because the sound coming from the stadium is so great. My house is actually situated not too far away from the Brentwood High School football stadium. And whenever there’s a football game going on, we’re very aware of it. We can hear the crowds cheering. That’s what I think of when I read that “the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away.” Now, wouldn’t it be amazing if the joy of our church was like that? Wouldn’t it be amazing if we as Christians were so joyful that non-Christians around us couldn’t help but take notice? I’m not talking about any kind of manufactured or artificial “joy” we try to put on in order to make a certain impression on people. I’m talking about an authentic joy we naturally possess as we perpetually marvel at God and what God’s done for us in Jesus. Wouldn’t it be amazing if that joy was so real within us that non-Christians couldn’t help but take notice? Because ultimately, the thing that really makes an impression on people isn’t nice the gift bags we hand out to our guests or the coffee we have available on the back table or the nice graphics we have on the guest brochure or anything like that. Those are all nice gestures, but ultimately, the thing that speaks to people is the degree to which we as Christians are different than the rest of the world. And that distinctness involves several things, but one of them is authentic joy—even many times joy in the midst of difficulty. That’s what gets people’s attention. 

And maybe this morning, you’re one of those people. Maybe you’ve seen a joy in Christians that you’d like to have in your own life and listening to this message has just intensified that desire. If that’s you, I want you to know that you can have that joy even this morning as you embrace Jesus and put your trust in him. And if you have any questions about that… Let’s pray.