(REFLECTIONS ON Nehemiah 7:4-73 )

4 Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt. 5 So my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the common people for registration by families. I found the genealogical record of those who had been the first to return.

The city restored. The temple rebuilt, the wall and defenses set up, and now life needed to happen. What once was a place full of people, full of worship, was now a large and spacious city with a few people in it, and houses left in ruins.

Yes, the Lord had blessed those returning from exile, first led by Zerubbabel and Joshua, then Ezra, and now Nehemiah. Each did the work that the Lord had placed on their hearts, each playing an important role in reestablishing the Promised Land.

Now it was on them, with the power of the Lord, to fill the city, and turn it from a rebuilt infrastructure, to the thriving city of God. In today’s Scripture, Nehemiah found the genealogical record of those who had been the first to return from exile. This is the list that first appeared in Ezra 2, and again appears in today’s Scripture.

6 These are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town, 7 in company with Zerubbabel, Joshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum and Baanah):

These are the people whose hearts were moved, and who committed to making this journey back to Jerusalem, to rebuild the temple, and reestablish worship in the place that God promised, chose, and where His glory was with His people. However, they were up to this point scattered throughout Judah.

These are the people and now it is time for them come and occupy the city, reestablish their life in Jerusalem, live and surround the temple, the glory of God, and worship Him. Now is the time for them to build up the city, to be fruitful and multiply, so that Jerusalem would once again thrive.

The city restored, the temple rebuilt, and now these are the people that needed to lead the revival of the people of God, the worshipers in His holy temple, to move from their homes in Judah into the city wall, and make Jerusalem a place of worship once again.

These are the people that we have, to build up His church, His EM ministry, and although the committed may be few, as long as our hearts are open to a life of faith, devotion, and a willingness to be used by God, then His strength will be made perfect even in our weakness.

Pastor Michael Lu
Enduring Word Bible Commentary: Nehemiah 7