Nehemiah 12:27-31, 43


27 At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps and lyres. 28 The musicians also were brought together from the region around Jerusalem—from the villages of the Netophathites, 29 from Beth Gilgal, and from the area of Geba and Azmaveth, for the musicians had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem. 30 When the priests and Levites had purified themselves ceremonially, they purified the people, the gates and the wall.
31 I had the leaders of Judah go up on top of the wall. I also assigned two large choirs to give thanks. One was to proceed on top of the wall to the right, toward the Dung Gate
43 And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away.


Today’s title is “Oh When The Saints Go Marching In"


Nehemiah and his people went through a lot. They were rejected, ridiculed, and constantly threatened. They have to fight against the enemy at the same time they rebuilt the wall. Half of the men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows, and armor. They worked with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. They suffered from internal division as well as outside attacks. But they overcame all of those obstacles under the leadership of Nehemiah. With the increasing challenges in our ages, it is no wonder that the book of Nehemiah is becoming more popular among Christians in our time. Nehemiah became a role model of many leaders. Several books have been published about Nehemiah’s leadership. Nehemiah certainly has many characteristics of a good leader. But we should not forget that it was fundamentally God, not Nehemiah who made the rebuilding of the wall completed. So we should pay as much attention to what God has done as what Nehemiah and the people of Israel have achieved. The final chapters of Nehemiah clearly show it. Nehemiah and the people of Israel finally reached the dedication ceremony of the wall of Jerusalem. This is the climax of celebrations of the wall of Jerusalem. They were dedicating the newly rebuilt wall to God. On the dedication ceremony, They fervently praised God for the power and protection that God has given to them with songs of thanksgiving. To make the walls of Jerusalem acceptable to God, the priests and Levites had purified themselves ceremonially, they purified the people, the gates, and the wall too. They offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away. Nehemiah also had the leaders of Judah go up on top of the wall. He also assigned two large choirs to give thanks. One was to proceed on top of the wall to the right, toward the Dung Gate. What a heavenly procession it must have been! I believe that this scene of procession over the wall of Jerusalem is a clear picture of the procession of the saints when they get to heaven. Forgetting all the pains and toils they went through in the world, the saints will be marching in procession into the heavenly Jerusalem. Oh, when the saints go marching in, oh when the saints go marching in the heavenly Jerusalem. Oh, how I want to be in that number. Oh, how you would want to be in that number. Amen!