1 Now when the wall was rebuilt and I had set up the doors, and the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed, 2 then I put Hanani my brother, and Hananiah the commander of the fortress, in charge of Jerusalem, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many. 3 Then I said to them, “Do not let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot, and while they are standing guard, let them shut and bolt the doors. Also appoint guards from the inhabitants of Jerusalem, each at his post, and each in front of his own house.” (Nehemiah 7:1–3)
Once the wall was built, Nehemiah turned in his hard hat and assumed his desk job. The first order of business was to appoint “the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites.” (Nehemiah 7:1) It was logical to assign the gatekeepers to the gates, but the Levites and the singers, not so much. But these servants were loosely aligned and typically assigned “menial” jobs. But note that this was the first order of business. David alludes to the importance of these people in this familiar statement.
For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. (Psalm 84:10)
The Levites were associated with the priests and were not assigned a portion of the promised land. They had grown accustomed to the support of others. But here they are mentioned first with the gatekeepers and singers. The latter—the singers—appear to be by their very nature an odd choice to be assigned this important role. This example should be used today in churches, who place the singers in front as hosts and as those who facilitate worship. Are these people spiritually qualified to “lead” in this fashion? In my personal experience, in many cases, no, or not quite yet.
Trust is an important element of serving a leader in a key secondary role. Nehemiah chose his brother Hanani and fortress commander Hananiah, both known quantities, to lead Jerusalem. Hanani provided the impetus to Nehemiah’s mission to rebuild the wall at the start (Nehemiah 1:2), and Hananiah was described as a faithful man who “feared God more than many.” (Nehemiah 7:2) Do we select leaders in the church on this basis, that of being faithful to and fearful of God, or because of their profession or occupation, connections, wealth, or all of the above? Some might cry nepotism in the case of Hanani, but who would really question selecting a trusted brother who’d been influential from the start? And Hananiah’s reputation was likely irrefutable in the eyes of the people, because it had been on display.
Now for some “housekeeping” details. Typically, in times of peace, city gates were opened first thing in the morning for traders and visitors. Here, Nehemiah wanted them to delay until the “sun is hot.” It’s not quite clear why this order was issued, but it seemed to ensure well-rested guards and gatekeepers and less “exposure.” As any good leader would say, “be sure to lock the doors,” in this case, not when they were open, but when they were closed. It’s reassuring to be “under lock and key.” Finally, Nehemiah again organized security details based on the proximity of the people’s houses to the gates. They had more skin in the game.
Leave a Reply