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URBAN RENEWAL!

Linda and I have lived in Chandler since 1967. Our first home was a rental, one block from downtown Chandler. We were able to walk to the original Bashas’ to do our grocery shopping or go to Arrow Drugstore for an ice cream cone. Our second home was about two miles from downtown Chandler. To shop in downtown now required that we pile the kids in the car and drive. Our third home is five to six miles from downtown and we no longer shop in downtown Chandler.
Obviously, we have distanced ourselves from the downtown area over the years and that, to some degree, enters into our decision as to where we do our shopping. But distance is not the only factor that has driven us away from the downtown area. The fact is that many of the stores we enjoyed shopping at have long since been demolished, replaced by merchants that peddle goods not to our taste, or have gone out of business completely.
For example, Bashas’ # 1 store, after being heavily damaged by a monsoon storm, was demolished years ago. JCPenney abandoned downtown Chandler in favor of Superstition Mall. Serrano’s Clothing Store now houses Naughty But Nice with an emphasis on naughty. Chandler Stationers was forced out of business by nationwide competitors such as OfficeMax. And Mr. Hall, sole proprietor of Hall’s Men Store, closed his doors and retired.
The only constant in regards to downtown Chandler is the fact that its renewal is always an item on the agenda of the city council. They have hired one consultant after another trying to figure out how to revitalize the area. They have even done their part by putting all the municipal buildings in that area. That is where you will find the original branch of the library, the police station, the headquarters for the fire department, and all the offices that house city government. But, downtown Chandler like many other downtown areas still struggles to attract people from suburbia where we are quite comfortable and everything we need is close at hand.
Chandler’s problem, however, is nothing compared to what Nehemiah faced in Jerusalem 2400+ years ago. For the city of Jerusalem had lain in rubble for well over a century. So when the Israelites began making their way back to the promised land they looked at the downtown area and said “no way are we settling in Jerusalem.” At least, that’s the English translation.
With its rubble and missing gates, the city was so unattractive that real estate agents steered people away from it. In fact, it was a prime example of what we call urban blight. It’s homes and shops had been completely demolished and, in the process, they had been thoroughly stripped of anything valuable by the Babylonians. Hence, the few people who eked out a living among the rubble, and there were a few, could best be characterized as homeless. It wasn’t a place where you would want to raise your family.
Furthermore, it was a dangerous place to live. Without a wall, and with few people available to defend the city, anyone stupid enough to buy a home within Jerusalem was just asking for trouble. That would be like you or I choosing to buy a home right smack in the middle of Fallujah. It would not only be an unwise decision, it would probably be our last decision.
So it is not surprising that in Nehemiah 7:4 we read:
Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt.
Urban blight had hit Jerusalem hard and most of the returnees had opted for Suburbia. But by this time, as you know, Nehemiah had rebuilt the wall and had hired his brother Hanani as the city planner. He had also hired Hananiah, along with gatekeepers, to enhance security within the city. Then too, he had provided for the spiritual aspect of the city by appointing singers to lead others in the praise of our God and Levites to teach the Word. Nevertheless, despite all that Nehemiah had done, “few people” opted to live in Jerusalem.
Of course, Nehemiah could of argued at this point that his job was done. The wall had been completed and he could have called it quits. But completing the wall was never the objective. The objective, as presented to the king in Nehemiah 2:5, was to rebuild the city. This entailed more than simply repairing the wall, it meant reestablish- ing the community life of the city.
So what the second half of Nehemiah tells us is that good leaders are finishers. They don’t quit halfway through a job, they stay with it. Nor do they quit when things get tough. For Nehemiah, repairing the wall was easy in the sense that it was a straight forward project. Granted, it was a challenge to secure and keep needed workers and the project was bitterly opposed by Sanballat and Tobiah the Ammonite. But, it was easy to see what had to be done.
In the second half of the book, however, figuring out how to bring about urban renewal was a much tougher problem. Nehemiah, after repairing the wall, could have easily declared “mission accomplished” and handed the baton to someone else to figure out the next part. But he didn’t shrink from the task before him. He kept at it, even though he didn’t really know how he was going to reestablish the life of the community.
While Nehemiah was at a loss as to how to bring about the needed renewal, God wasn’t pacing back and forth trying to figure out a solution. He had one, and he was eager to share it with Nehemiah. Hence, we read in Nehemiah 7:5
So my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the common people for registration by families.
I must confess to you that when I read this verse several months ago, I thought, “What good is that going to do?”
Well, it did a lot of good. It brought everybody together and it brought them together just when some of the major festivals were to take place within the life of the nation. So while they were together Ezra read the Word, the Levites gave sense to it, the people responded with all their hearts and recommitted themselves to the Lord their God. Indeed, they even spelled out their commitments on paper and gladly signed their names.
They promised not to give their sons or daughters in marriage to pagan neighbors. They promised to honor the Sabbath as holy by not using their time to buy and sell merchandise. And they promised “not to neglect the house of their God.”
Furthermore, the leaders of the people committed themselves to the well-being of Jerusalem. This was not a commitment in mere words, this was a commitment that was played out by the leaders as they actually settled down in Jerusalem. They didn’t just give lip service to Jerusalem’s renewal, they risk their very lives and the lives of their family by establishing Jerusalem as the place to live.
For in Nehemiah 11:1 - 2 we read:
Now the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem, and the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of every ten to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the remaining nine were to stay in their own towns. The people commended all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.
Do you see what the leaders did before they asked anyone else to do anything? They did what they were about to ask others to do. As leaders, they were only willing to ask of others what they were willing to do themselves. You see leaders, while some might see themselves as exceptions, are not exceptions!
Now regardless of whether or not you were a leader, the idea of resettling in Jerusalem undoubtedly gave rise to a good deal of anxiety. After all, most families were able to get by in the rural communities because they could till the soil, plant a crop, and live off the land. But in Jerusalem, making a living would be far more difficult. Additionally, it meant leaving neighbors, friends, extended family members, and all that you were familiar with so as to set up a new life in a radically different environment. It didn’t seem like much of an exchange, nevertheless, the leaders willingly settled in Jerusalem.
In regards to participation by others, two things prompted them to repopulate the city. First, in order to determine who was to sacrificially sever the familiar so as to repopulate Jerusalem, lots were cast. In Nehemiah’s day, this was one way to discover God’s will for your life. Proverbs 16:33 reads:
The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.
In the days of Joshua, which tribe received which area of land was determined by lots. When the ship on which Jonah attempted to make his escape was in trouble, the sailors cast lots to discover who was responsible for the calamity that was upon them. Rightfully, the lot fell on Jonah and he, at his own request, was thrown overboard.
So here, sacrifices were determined by lot. Somewhat like the draft, when a man’s number came up he packed up and moved to Jerusalem. He and his family probably preferred to stay where they were, but to their credit what they preferred was secondary to what God desired for them and their children.
Second, it is evident that some volunteered. Once the need was made known they willingly stepped forward. Perhaps they stepped forward and lots were cast to bring the number that was needed to repopulate the city up to the required number. Or maybe, these volunteers offered to take the place of some that were chosen by lot.
Whatever the case, the Hebrew word translated “volunteered” means “to impel, to incite from within.” So deep down inside, these men (and women) were stirred up; they were impelled by God to pack up and move to Jerusalem. We don’t know any of their names but we know they were willing to be obedient to the prompting of God’s Spirit within them.
In addition to those who were chosen to move and those who volunteered to move to the city there were others - most of them nameless. From the descendants of Judah there was Athaiah and Maaseiah along with 468 able men. From the descendants of Benjamin there was Sallu and his followers, Gabbai and Sallai along with 928 men.
From the priests we have Jedaiah, Jakin, and Seraiah who was the supervisor in the house of God. In association with these three there were 822 men. Then we have Adaiah and his associates; they numbered 242 men. We then have Amashsai whose chief officer was Zabdiel, he and Amashsai had 128 associates who were able men. These willingly worked within the Temple.
From the Levites we have Shemaiah, Shabbethai, Jozabad, Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, and Abda. These men took charge of the outside work around the house of God and one of them, Mattaniah, led in thanksgiving and prayer. Along with the six that were mentioned by name there were 284 Levites in the holy city. Also, mentioned a little bit later in the chapter, we have Uzzi who was the chief officer in regards to the Levites.
Then there were the gatekeepers. They were Akkub, Talmon, along with 172 others who stood guard at the gates. Clearly, if the city was to attract others, it had to be a safe place to live. Most of the gatekeepers, like those who worked inside and outside the Temple are anonymous. Their names are not listed, but their service is not forgotten.
This chapter about kingdom work reminds us that there is far more to the history of God’s people than the great names that are easily remembered by anyone acquainted with the Bible. It is about millions of forgotten, but nevertheless committed believers. It is about ordinary believers who quietly went about doing God’s will and by so doing honored his name.
An admirer of the famous orchestra conductor Leonard Bernstein asked him: “Mr. Bernstein what is the most difficult instrument to play?”
He quickly responded, “Second fiddle! I can get plenty of first violinists, but to find one who plays second violin with as much enthusiasm or second French horn or second flute, now that’s a problem. And yet if no one plays second, we have no harmony.”
Just so, this chapter reminds us of how valuable those people are who serve behind the scenes. Or as Charles Swindoll says in his book on Nehemiah, this chapter reminds us that “our gifts make us valuable although not necessarily famous.” So if you are gifted in an area that will never be picked up by the spotlight don’t worry about it. You are as valuable as all the unnamed individuals in this chapter. And don’t doubt for one minute that they were indeed valuable, for it is they who brought a harmonious tone to Jerusalem.
Finally, do you believe that God knows the names of the 1,192 associates who served alongside the priest inside the Temple? Do you believe he knows the names of the 284 Levites who had charge of the outside work of the house of God? And, do you believe that he knows the names of the 172 men who served as gatekeepers? Sure! He knows their names as well as he knows our name.
All of this means that while these individuals are anonymous to us, they are not anonymous to God. He knows their names and their sacrificial service for the praise and glory of his name will never be forgotten.

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