Nehemiah 7:1-3

The people had built the walls of Jerusalem and they had put the doors in place. So the inhabitants of Jerusalem had security at last. But Nehemiah had not finished his work. For 52 days, the people had been anxious about the work on the walls. They had to protect themselves while they built the walls. But now the people needed leaders in the city to direct them. First, Nehemiah appointed singers and *Levites. They would lead the people when they *worshipped God.

Then Nehemiah appointed Hanani his brother and Hananiah to rule over the city. Nehemiah chose men whom people could trust. These men were responsible for local government. So they did not lead the people when they *worshipped God. But Nehemiah still chose men who respected God. He knew that this was important. Men like these would rule the people well and fairly. They would be good models for the people. Some of the other leaders had not been good models (Nehemiah 5:7; Nehemiah 6:17).

Nehemiah realised that it was still important to protect the city. He ordered the guards to shut the gates early and to lock the gates. The guards must not open the gates too early in the morning. They had to wait until the sun was hot. And they would remain on duty while the gates were open. They had to shut and to lock the gates again in the evening.

More people became guards. They protected important points along the wall of the city. Some of the people guarded the walls near their own houses. This was a good idea. They did not have far to travel and they could protect their families.

v4 Jerusalem was a large city. There was a lot of room for people to live in it. But only a few people lived there. The people had not repaired many of the houses.