Making a List and Checking It Twice

 

Then my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles and the officials and the people to be enrolled by genealogy. And I found the book of the genealogy of those who came up at the first, and I found written in it: These were the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of those exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried into exile. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his town. They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. (Nehemiah 7:5-7 ESV).

 

I know you are familiar with the phrase "Making a list and checking it twice." It refers to the classic Christmas song lyrics from "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town," where Santa keeps track of who's been "naughty or nice." However, it's also a common idiom for careful planning or double-checking tasks, reflecting a diligent, organized approach, often associated with Christmas preparation or general thoroughness. I must confess that I am such a list maker. I don’t make lists of people as much as I incessantly make lists of things to do. And I change my list only as absolutely necessary for convenience or accuracy.

 

But God is a God of accuracy. Nehemiah made a big deal about names and numbers. As the exiled people of God transformed from an unsettled people to a restored people, names and numbers were important. God cared about every family and each person’s life. There were lives and stories behind every name and number. No one is invisible in God’s family. The priests mattered because they helped with and conducted worship for the people. The singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants assisted the priests and Levites. In order to fill the city of God with right living and worship, Nehemiah needed to get the rules and numbers right. God cares deeply about every detail of his salvation plan.

 

Jesus cared about getting the details of salvation right. He healed a blind man and told him to go visit the local priest. He cleared the temple from being a place of commercial business that crowded out prayer. He submitted himself to death on a cross because it was the only way to redeem sinful humankind.

 

This ought to help us the next time we are tempted to cut corners in our walk with God. We ought to think about the details, because they matter to him.