Other Company Who Gave Thanks - Nehemiah 12:38

In the book of Nehemiah, Nehemiah said, “at the fountain gate, which was over against them, they went up by the stairs of the city of David, at the going up of the wall, above the house of David, even unto the water gate eastward”, and in chapter twelve and verse thirty-eight of Nehemiah, Nehemiah shared about, “the other company of them that gave thanks” where we read,

And the other company of them that gave thanks went over against them, and I after them, and the half of the people upon the wall, from beyond the tower of the furnaces even unto the broad wall;

The verse reads, “And the other company of them that gave thanks went over against them, and I after them, ...”Nehemiah began with the words, “and the other company of them” which means “and the second choir pertaining to the men who were as follows” “that gave thanks” or “who bestowed and granted praise and thanksgiving” “went over against them” whose name means “proceeded, departed and moved in the opposition of the one, northward”, “and I after them” or “and I, Nehemiah, followed the second choir”. Nehemiah shared how the other choir group went in a northern direction that was opposite the first group, and he followed that group.

The verse continues, “... and the half of the people upon the wall, from beyond the tower of the furnaces even unto the broad wall;” Nehemiah added the words, “and the half of the people” or “and one-half of the human beings” “upon the wall” which means “were stationed on the barrier wall”, “from beyond the tower” or “separate and apart from the distance of the elevated stage or pulpit” “of the furnaces” which means “belonging to the ovens, fire-pots or stoves” “even unto the broad wall” or “until the wide barrier wall”. Nehemiah shared how the other one-half of the human beings statioined on the barrier wall were situated at a distance from the elevated stage or pulpit until they reached the wide barrier wall. 

When we consider the words in this verse, we discover through Nehemiah how the second choir who participated in giving thanksgiving at the dedication of the barrier wall went in the opposite direction of the first group, and one-half of the “people” on the “wall” went from the distance of the elevated stage or pulpit of the ovens until they reached the “wide” wall. In other words, these ministers were spread across the wall in great companies, and they were ready to perform their part in the celebration. God wants people from all over the world to be a part of His Kingdom, and when we yield to His Son Jesus who died on the cross for the sins of all mankind and rose from the dead three days afterward, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put within us a desire to be involved in His eternal Kingdom where we shall serve and give thanksgiving to Him forever. 

Next time Nehemiah shares about, “from above the gate of Ephraim”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".