Page 95 - Principles of Leadership - Nehemiah

Chapter 13: Resettling Jerusalem

Connect…

Have you ever read the genealogies of Jesus in Matthew and Luke? Matthew’s list demonstrated that Jesus
was rightfully King through Joseph, as he was the offspring of David. Luke’s gospel demonstrates that through
the bloodline of Mary, Jesus was also rightfully King of Israel as a direct relative of David. Reading through all
those names can be an arduous task. Some of them are significant, but others we don’t know.

In the closing chapters of Nehemiah, he decided to list out all the people who stayed in Jerusalem and whose
descendants they were. Nehemiah knew most of these people and had records of their descendants. When
they come to this chapter, most people skip these lists and go on to the next narrative. But today, we will stop
and consider the possible reasons why Nehemiah was careful to name all these people who lived and died in
Jerusalem. Get a cup of coffee to stay awake, and let’s dig in…

The Lesson ...

Nehemiah 11:1-12:26 Resettling Jerusalem

Remember the background that we saw in Nehemiah chapter 7. Nehemiah 7:1 When the wall had been
rebuilt, and I had the doors installed, the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites were appointed. However, in verse
four, we discovered that the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and no houses had
been built yet. In this chapter, we will begin to study the resettling and repopulation of the city of Jerusalem.

Nehemiah 11:1 Now the leaders of the people stayed in Jerusalem, and the rest of the people cast lots for one
out of ten to come and live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the other nine-tenths remained in their towns.
2 The people praised all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem. Nehemiah realized that the newly
fortified city would have to have sufficient people living within it to guarantee its future development and
protection. Therefore, Nehemiah began to cast lots for one out of ten to come and live in Jerusalem. This
practice of casting lots also took place in Joshua 12-18, 14:2, when the land was originally divided up. Originally,
12 tribes took part in the casting of lots. Now, there are only three: Judah, Benjamin, and Levi. Yes, restoration
was taking place, but remember that in Nehemiah 9:36, they were still slaves. Again, we are reminded of the
restoration envisioned in Zechariah 8:1-5, 22-23, and Isaiah 2:1-4. The idea is to establish the worship of God
and His people in the land in anticipation of the glory of God that is yet to come. (See also Haggai 2:9, 23)

As they began casting lots, a group of people volunteered to live in Jerusalem. Their actions caused the people
to praise all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem. Exactly why the family leaders chose on their own
to move into Jerusalem, we are not told. But remember that prior to the rebuilding of the walls, very few
people wanted to live in Jerusalem. Economically, it would make more sense for these people to stay right
where they were. But for the restoration of the worship of God and its economic stability, the city must be
repopulated.

Up to this point, Nehemiah had asked for a portion of the people's time and resources to rebuild the walls. But
Nehemiah, at this point, is asking people to uproot their lives and move to a new community completely. In his
book on leadership, Bill Hybels writes that "long ago I began to realize that asking would always be a significant
part of his leadership role. What I didn't know was that the longer I led, the bigger my ‘ask' would get. I had no
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