Few global events can match the Olympics. Thousands of spectators fill newly built stadiums to watch the international athletic competitions and the fantastic opening ceremonies that serve as a dedication. The Rio de Janeiro Olympics cost $13.1 billion for the 2016 Summer Games. Most of it was spent on the construction of sports facilities. The price tag for the 2012 Summer Olympics cost roughly $780 million. The most memorable part of any opening ceremony is its artistic program. This is the host city’s opportunity to showcase its culture and history on the global stage.

Nehemiah 12 – Celebration Resounds

Nehemiah 12 includes the dedication of the walls. The people gathered and marched around the walls, playing instruments, singing, rejoicing, and crying out with great joy. The Hebrew word for gladness means “gaiety, mirth, pleasure, delight.” People everywhere were selected to lead in the celebration of joy. It was designed to be an unforgettable day, just like the Olympic opening ceremony.

Verse 43 closes with, “The joy of Jerusalem was heard from afar.” I grew up in Lincoln, not far from where the University of Nebraska football team has won five national championships. The football stadium becomes the third-largest city in Nebraska on game day with over 90,000 fans. When the Huskers score, you can hear all the screaming, cheering, and yelling throughout downtown. That helps me imagine what Nehemiah and Ezra might have felt when the wall was dedicated.  

The Kingdom Coach and Athlete choose to praise the Lord, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4).

Bible Memory Verse – “‘…Now at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, they sought out the Levites from all their places to bring them to Jerusalem so that they might celebrate the dedication with gladness, with hymns of thanksgiving and with songs to the accompaniment of cymbals, harps and lyres.” Nehemiah 12:27 (LSB)