There is something wonderful about worshipping the Lord in a large gathering. I first experienced that powerfully at Easter 1999, when I attended Spring Harvest. Walking into the Big Top for the first evening celebration and realising there were 5,000 people there gave me goosebumps. I had never praised God in such a large crowd, and it was thrilling. People from all over the country, all walks of life, here for the sole purpose of worshipping the Lord… a foretaste of heaven.
That kind of gathering – and maybe you have enjoyed something similar – is a good way into today’s passage. At long last, we get to the big party! The wall is dedicated, an occasion which drew people from across the country: the Levites ‘were sought out from where they lived’ (v27); the musicians likewise (v28); the leaders of Judah were all there (v31) and were assigned the task of organising a procession along the top of the wall, along with massed choirs – one heading clockwise, the other anti-clockwise (vv31-39). When they met at the other sides they headed to the temple area for a combined celebration (v40): what a moment that must have been! All the toil and the tears, the worry and the work; now they could give thanks to the Lord who had inspired and overseen it all.
It is very much in character that Nehemiah should have ensured this celebration took place. David Pawson insightfully reflects that Nehemiah ‘was a happy man and encouraged others to be happy. It was Nehemiah who said, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” I don’t think Ezra would ever have said that – he was too busy weeping over the people. In many ways they make a perfect couple. The “help” and the “comfort” belong together.’ As evidence, Pawson reminds us that when the Law was read by Ezra (ch8), ‘Ezra saw the situation as a time to weep, but Nehemiah was telling them to have a party’ (see 8:9-10).
The point is: we need both. Life is hard. The fact that it is hard means we do our fair share of weeping; but it also means that times of rejoicing and celebration become more important than ever. We all need days like the one described in this passage. Special occasions to celebrate and to praise the Lord, above and beyond the normal points of our worshipping life – where ‘the sound of rejoicing… could be heard far away’ (v43). It is not a form of denial that life still has its challenges – we’ll see plenty of those in ch13. It does, however, place those challenges in context, in the wider perspective of the continuing grace and faithfulness of God.
We may not have the chance for such a celebration today – but we can echo praise in our hearts, trusting that the Lord will likewise grant us a divinely-given joy, which is our strength – for this day, and every day.