So, the wall has been built, and the people who will live inside the wall have been chosen. And all I can do is sing, “Teeeeeamwork,” from a kids’ show my girls used to watch. If you were a little bored with this chapter, I can’t blame you. It’s full of names I can’t pronounce and places I don’t know, but it sets the stage further for the re-founding of Judah/Jerusalem and the Temple of God being back in its rightful place and protected by its rightful people. The chapter builds on the previous chapter, which detailed the people of Judah vowing to put God first and to work together as a community. Now, we see that vow being put into action as the townspeople assign duties and tasks and account for where each person is settled. And while that second part might seem super boring and insignificant, you have to remember where the Israelites were and what Judah and its surroundings were like back then. Their lands weren’t really their lands anymore, and the people around them weren’t necessarily their buddies or kinsmen. Plus, they had just resurrected a monumental walled city in the middle of all that, and as past chapters pointed out, some of the neighbors thought the Jews were a little craycray because of how their ancestors behaved, which was pretty rudely from what I understand. So, the Israelites didn’t have it so nice. And they were working hard. I mean, stupid hard, to get things back to where they wanted them to be. I hope if you had a little trouble reading this chapter that at least you got a picture of what it was like to be in the shoes of an Israelite during this time.
Writing prompt: put your shoes on
I’ve been helping to pack a few meals lately with a local community group, and while the work has been great, the organization just blows me away! It’s just one of those things that just flows, you know? That’s how I feel about the rebuilding of the wall. I know it didn’t just happen, and I know there were struggles, but throughout the book of Nehemiah, I just get the sense that things are getting done. Write about a project you’d like to be a part of. Either organize a whole new one on paper, or write about one you’d like to support more. If you choose the latter, do a little research to learn more about how the project/organization started.
jugglingfire.com 