The names and families of those serving as priests at the time of Nehemiah's governance are recorded. Then, the grand finale - the dedication of the wall. Nehemiah has come many miles, many months, many mishaps since the day he first heard of the disrepair of the walls of Jerusalem. With God's help and direction, he overcame great obstacles to see this project through to completion. The dedication celebration was conducted on a grand scale. Two great choirs approached the temple from opposite sides and sang loudly in praise to God Who had accomplished much in the city. The sound of this concert could be heard well outside the walls of the city. The items of worship were dedicated, and the law reiterated to them; and then folks went to work.
Not everything went smoothly after that. Nehemiah had to keep a constant eye on the details of his governance. He was confronted many times about small matters that seemed insignificant. He dealt with these matters (which were serious) before they could develop into major catastrophes.
Many look to the book of Nehemiah for leadership principles and advice. In my reading through the book in the last several days, I have been struck by one or two major facets I have not seen as clearly before. The first is that a leader must be a person of prayer. Find one example in this account where Nehemiah is faced with a situation and does not pray. A second highlight of the book in this reading was the importance of focusing on the task at hand; and the need to constantly remind folks of the task at hand so they stay focused.
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