Nehemiah 12:27-47 The people of God come together to celebrate the walls completion, and to commit to the people building. The repopulation of the city (11–12:26) means that the people of God are finally in the place of God, trusting the promises of God. Their joyful celebration reflects this. This chapter sets us up with a picture of celebration which helps us to look forward to the ultimate celebration
We would all love peace, with others, and with ourselves. Yet we so often look in the wrong place. Only the beautiful cross of Christ, which brings us peace with God, can therefore bring us into peace with ourselves and with others.
The People of God are built on the covenant, God’s faithfulness to them shapes their commitment to one another. They are marked by personal, public, and practical commitment.
The People of God are built on a better story, one of God’s powerful faithfulness at work in the face of our weak unfaithfulness.
Confession is the very first step on the way to repentance. But it can be so difficult, we feel shame and guilt, all because we need to know better the heart of Christ. Confession should be a humble act that leads us to worship.
There may be times in the Christian life that we feel we may tension between our need to fully rely on God, and our need to obey his word. How do we follow his will for our life while also depending upon him and trusting that he will provide for us? This was something that the people of God in Nehemiah’s day had to learn, and something each one of us needs to also.
Where does our joy and strength come from? Particularly when times are hard? The people of God are to look to him for all their joy. It is their duty and delight. For us today as we live in this world as citizens of the next, we need to have our souls refreshed and strengthened by the joy of the Lord.
The word of God central to the worship of God by his people. We need to not treat it as secondary, side-line it, or substitute it. We should certainly realise that it is for everyone and needs to be understood. And our relationship with God should be strengthened by his word, leading us to worship and joy.
The Average person will spend a third of their adult life at work, in the Wharf it is likely to be more, as Christians there can sometimes be a disconnect between what happens on a Sunday morning at church and the rest of the week – Why does our work matter to God? Why does God matter to our work?
Christmas is going to be a strange one in 2020, but still not quite as strange as the first Christmas, at which God gave a strange solution to the strange problem of this world.
