Did you know pancakes and grits are in the Bible? “Grits” is not in every translation, but it is in the LSB, and both are mentioned in the context of voluntary grain offerings in Leviticus 2.

And if your offering is a grain offering made on the griddle, it shall be of fine flour, unleavened, mixed with oil…Also if you bring near a grain offering of early ripened things to Yahweh, you shall bring near fresh heads of grain roasted in the fire, grits of new growth, for the grain offering of your early ripened things. You shall then put oil on it and place frankincense on it; it is a grain offering. And the priest shall offer up in smoke its memorial portion, part of its grits and its oil with all its frankincense as an offering by fire to Yahweh. (Leviticus 2.5, 14 – 16, LSB, emphasis mine)

What do you call “a grain offering made on the griddle…of fine flour..with oil”? I call it pancakes! And “grits” is mentioned twice. Who knew our breakfast favorites were Biblical?!

The main point of Leviticus 2, I think, is the voluntary nature of these offerings:

Now when anyone brings near a grain offering as an offering to Yahweh, his offering shall be of fine flour, and he shall pour oil on it and put frankincense on it. (Leviticus 2.1, LSB)

God anticipated that people would want to make voluntary offerings as worship. The only requirement was that there be no leaven (verse 11) and that it contain salt (verse 13).

While there are descriptions in the Bible of the tithe as a requirement, and some translations of Deuteronomy 26.26 use the phrase “paying the tithe,” most talk of giving, even in the Old Testament, is voluntary.

Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice…He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor… (Psalm 112.5, 9, NIV 1984)

There is certainly an emphasis on voluntary giving in the New Testament:

But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9.6 – 7, KJV, emphasis mine)

I love those verses…and the promise that follows:

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work…Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. (2 Corinthians 9.8, 10 – 11, NIV)

It’s not every day that I can write a sports blog headlined “humble and selfless,” but when we’re talking about the Denver Nuggets and their clinching the NBA Championship last night, those are the right words…for the team and for their star Nikola Jokic (pronounced “YO-kich”).

Jokic is from Serbia and has been with the Nuggets since the 2015 season. Jokic is big, 7 feet tall, 300 pounds. Basketball is sometimes akin to football with bodies knocking around and big guys “muscling” their way in. But it can also be like ballet, and that’s the way the Nuggets prefer to play. Jokic VERY frequently achieves a “triple-double:” 10+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 10+ assists. It’s his assists that everyone marvels at. If you’re not familiar with his play, here is a 4-minute compilation of those assists, just in these NBA playoffs. Jokic is the big white guy, #15.

Jason Gay of the Wall Street Journal writes eloquently about Jokic’s game and how he handles himself, leading with Jokic’s response to the post-game interviewer’s obligatory question, “Well, how does it feel to win the championship?”

“It’s good, it’s good,” he said. “The job is done, and we can go home now.”

So it isn’t the climatic scene of “Gladiator.” So what? If you weren’t charmed by Jokic on the victory stage, holding his toddler and looking a little embarrassed by all the attention, sorry. 

His game is all the charisma he needs. Jokic is a team basketball marvel—a visionary big man with small-guy handling skills; a dominant post player who understands modern spacing and passes, Gretzky-like, as if he sees the action a second and a half before anyone else.

I love the comment from a reader of Jason Gay’s article:

The best part of Jokic is that he really, truly does not seek attention. He isn’t “going to Disneyland”, he’s going home. He isn’t seeking endorsement deals, he is buying a horse. He isn’t pleading for more recognition, he is recognizing others around him. He isn’t holding up a trophy, he’s holding his child. He is a breath of fresh air in the modern sports world. – William Davis

Nikola Jokic holds his 21-month-old daughter while the celebratory confetti falls.

He’s truly a family man. After games he finds his family in the stands and points to his ring finger, referring not to a championship ring but to his wedding ring. A recent article in People Magazine features his home-town, childhood sweetheart, wife, Natalija. Here’s a snippet:

For Nikola, having the support of his wife and daughter has been invaluable while he competes in the NBA.

“I think all of us who have a wife and kids should be happy with the persons we have beside us,” he told Serbia’s Arena TV in January. “When you have a normal life, it lifts you up and only helps you.”

…

Since their wedding day, Nikola always keeps a piece of his bride close by — even when he’s on the road for the NBA. The Nuggets center now ties his wedding ring to his sneakers before every game…

We have to honor excellence and good character wherever we can find them; the Nuggets with Nikola Jokic and his teammates certainly inspire me.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. (1 Corinthians 9.24 – 25, NIV)

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4.8, NIV)

We jump into Leviticus (or ease into it!), and it’s tough reading, opening with:

The LORD called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock. (Leviticus 1.1, 2, ESV)

“WHEN one of you brings an offering…” It is expected that people will want to bring an offering, and when they do it will be livestock from the herd or from the flock. There follow detailed instructions on how to slaughter and present the offering whether it’s “from the herd” (verses 3 – 9) or “from the flock” (10 – 13) or “birds” (14 – 17). Each of those sets of instructions ends with

“…a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord.”

But one key thought is buried in the first paragraph:

If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD. He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. (Leviticus 1.3 – 4, ESV, emphasis mine)

It’s a voluntary offering, and its blood will be shed “That he may be accepted before the LORD.”

From the beginning, access to God has always been by blood sacrifice. Even in the Garden, Adam and Eve covered themselves with fig leaves, but God covered them with animal skins:

And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. (Genesis 3.21, ESV)

As difficult as Leviticus is for modern readers, without a fundamental understanding of blood sacrifice, Jesus’ death on the cross makes no sense.

For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life. (Leviticus 17.11, ESV)

And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. (Hebrews 9.22, NKJV)

For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another–He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. (Hebrews 9.24 – 28, NKJV, emphasis mine)

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (Matthew 26.26 – 28, NKJV)

Circling back to “that he may be accepted,” we are reminded that it’s not my merit, but Jesus’ death on the cross that grants me access to God:

Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus,… (Hebrews 10.19, NKJV)

Sahil Bloom, about whom I know little, writes really useful material from time to time. On May 31, 2023, his article in his weekly Curiosity Chronicles, “How to get out of a rut,” contained this doable suggestion, about which I’ve written before:

The last step to getting out of a rut: Move.

If you wait to act until you feel motivated, you may never start. Motivation is a natural byproduct of movement. When in doubt, just start moving.

Movement —> Momentum —> Motivation

To start the cycle, all you have to do is manufacture a tiny bit of movement. If you do that, you can sit back and let it take you for a ride.

My favorite method for manufacturing movement: Minimum Viable Progress. Minimum Viable Progress says to just do a tiny bit, as anything above zero compounds.

• If you’re trying to get back into your workout habit, don’t worry about going to the gym for two hours, just go for a 15-minute walk outside.
• If you’re trying to get back into your workflow, don’t worry about executing four-hour blocks of deep work, just focus on one task for 15 minutes.

Avoid the tendency to think that the movement has to be perfect or robust. As Atomic Habits author James Clear says, “Just because it’s not optimal, doesn’t mean it’s not beneficial.” [Bob’s note: we’re reading Atomic Habits – it’s excellent!]

Narrow your focus and start small—even tiny. Build from there. – Sahil Bloom, May 31, 2023

Narrow your focus and start small. When trying to get folks into the habit of Daily Time with God, I suggest 10 – 15 minutes to start. I’ve had people tell me, “Oh no. 15 minutes isn’t enough. I should do an hour!” My response is always, “Trust me. God would much rather you do 15 minutes than NOT do an hour.” Never underestimate The Power of Little Things (a blog from 2020 containing the 1/4-inch domino demonstration. If you haven’t seen it, it’s worth a look).

Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little. (Isaiah 28.9 – 10, KJV)

Does anyone dare despise this day of small beginnings? (Zechariah 4.10, MSG)

“We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Bring them here to me,” [Jesus] said. (Matt. 14.17, 18)

Speaking of yesterday’s blog about the PA announcer for the Denver Nuggets, I found a workplace where there are very few believers – cargo ships. Each has a relatively small crew, around 20 men, and it would be a very difficult living and working environment. Into that breach step Seafarer Ministries, organizations that have been around since the early 1800s, ministering to crew members in ports around the world. Here’s the beginning of a report by Christianity Today:

Gary Roosma can attest to the challenges of organizing a worship service onboard a cargo ship. It’s a complicated process, reaching out to the rotating cast of captains aboard the ships in the Port of Vancouver, for a congregation of sailors who may or may not even want to gather. But experience has taught him it’s a worthwhile effort. He remembers one officer who accosted him with a question. “Where were you yesterday?” the man said. “We needed you yesterday.” When Roosma asked why, the sailor explained there was a horrible storm at sea and the captain had sent him to do something on the deck as the waves crashed around them. As he held onto a rail, a massive wave hit the ship and carried the man overboard, out to the open sea. “I knew I was dead,” the seafarer told Roosma. “All I could think of was ‘Lord, please watch over my family.’ And then I prayed, ‘It would be really nice if you would save me too.’” At the instant he prayed, the man recalled, a rope brushed across his chest, and he grasped it and held on with every ounce of his strength. He dislocated his arm, but his life was spared. “We need a service onboard this ship,” the man said, and Roosma, a chaplain at the Port of Vancouver with the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) Ministry to Seafarers agreed to lead them in prayer and worship that day.

What a strategic ministry! Bless the CRC’s Ministry to Seafarers and others like them.

But as I read the report, I was thinking, wouldn’t it be nice if there were disciple-makers among the crews of the ships? The Navigators’ ministry exploded during World War 2 when hundreds of Navigator-trained sailors were on warships for years with tens of thousands of others (who couldn’t get away!). Unfortunately, the challenge with cargo ships is that the crews are much smaller. But the principle is there:

And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9.35 – 38, ESV)

I’m 76. I don’t even like ships. But I can pray that there will be more disciple-makers among the crews of merchant marine ships.

I normally schedule these blogs to post around 5:30p, Mountain Time. Today, in one hour, the Denver Nuggets basketball team will enter game 4 of the NBA Finals ahead of the Miami Heat two games to one. It’s Denver’s first appearance in the Finals.

I just found out that the Nuggets’ PA announcer, Kyle Speller, is also the team chaplain.

Here’s a snippet of the story from Sports Spectrum:

He knows some of the Nuggets players well because he also serves as the team’s chaplain, a role he’s held for the past 16 years. It’s a volunteer role because Speller doesn’t want money to get in the way of what the Lord has called him to do.

As chaplain, Speller gives a message during a 15-minute chapel service held one hour before every game. In the NBA, players and coaches from both teams are welcome, meaning some Heat and Nuggets players joined together in a quiet room down the hall from their opposing locker rooms at Ball Arena on Thursday night, and listened to Speller share what God had put on his heart.

He told Sports Spectrum earlier this week that he thought his message to the players before Game 1 would be about doing God’s will and how we always want more of God’s presence in our lives, but we’re not always willing to pay the price to get it.

“A lot of times we want to do God’s will, but then adversity comes so we start to do things our way,” Speller said. “Obedience is better than sacrifice, [that] is what the Word says. If it’s not God’s way, then are we actually in His will?”

Workplace ministry at its best!

As it is, we see that God has carefully placed each part of the body right where he wanted it. (1 Corinthians 12.18, MSG)

I also just learned of an arena that needs some “body parts” – and might not have them. More tomorrow.

P.S. I shared the story of Kyle Speller and the Nuggets yesterday at a gathering of older Navigator staff. There was a young guy in the crowd, Eric from the Development office, who has ties to FCA – the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He knows Kyle and says he’s the real deal. Eric showed me texts that were flying around the local FCA community during game 1 of the finals, including texts from Kyle himself.

[I apologize if you received this blog already. The system says it was sent out on schedule, but I see no evidence that it was.]

I can’t leave Exodus without one more mention of Bezalel and Oholiab, the men who built the Tabernacle. We met them first back in Exodus 31:

The LORD said to Moses, “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft. And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you. (Exodus 31.1 – 6, ESV)

Bezalel is explicitly mentioned, by name, seven times in Exodus (not counting all the “he built…”), ending with one last shout-out in Exodus 38. After all the construction was finished, a summary of all the materials that had been used starts this way:

These are the records of the Tabernacle, the Tabernacle of the testimony, as they were recorded at the commandment of Moses…Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD commanded Moses; and with him was Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver and designer and embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. (Exodus 38.21 – 23, ESV)

I feel compelled to mention Bezalel and Oholiab one last time because Moses felt compelled to mention them one last time. Moses didn’t make the Tabernacle, Bezalel and Oholiab did. And God wants us to remember their names! They wouldn’t actually serve in the Tabernacle – they’re not Levites – but they faithfully did the work God equipped and called them to do.

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2.10, NIV)

I can’t leave Exodus without one more mention of Bezalel and Oholiab, the men who built the Tabernacle. We met them first back in Exodus 31:

The LORD said to Moses, “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft. And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you. (Exodus 31.1 – 6, ESV)

Bezalel is explicitly mentioned, by name, seven times in Exodus (not counting all the “he built…”), ending with one last shout-out in Exodus 38. After all the construction was finished, a summary of all the materials that had been used starts this way:

These are the records of the Tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony, as they were recorded at the commandment of Moses…Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD commanded Moses; and with him was Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver and designer and embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. (Exodus 38.21 – 23, ESV)

I feel compelled to mention Bezalel and Oholiab one last time because Moses felt compelled to mention them one last time. Moses didn’t make the Tabernacle, Bezalel and Oholiab did. And God wants us to remember their names! They wouldn’t actually serve in the Tabernacle – they’re not Levites – but they faithfully did the work God equipped and called them to do.

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2.10, NIV)

Our leisurely pace of one chapter/day going through the Pentateuch allows me to see things I haven’t seen before. Today, a simple metaphor inspired by the successful building of the Tabernacle.

I wrote a few weeks ago about my deck furniture building project. The steps were simple:

• Step 1: find a plan
• Step 2: acquire the materials
• Step 3: follow the plan
• Step 4: set up the furniture on the deck

The Tabernacle followed the same progression

• Step 1: receive the plan from God (Exodus 25 – 31)
• Step 2: get the materials from the volunteer donors (Exodus 36.3 – 7)
• Step 3: follow the plan (Exodus 36 – 39). For example:

Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood. Two cubits and a half was its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. And he overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside, and made a molding of gold around it. And he cast for it four rings of gold for its four feet, two rings on its one side and two rings on its other side… (Exodus 37.1 – 3, ESV) – “Bezalel made the ark…and then it describes exactly how he made the ark following the specifications given, in this case, in Exodus 25.10 – 22.

And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which was shown to you on the mountain. (Exodus 25.40, LSB)

• Step 4: set up the Tabernacle (Exodus 40)

Bob made the deck furniture. Bezalel and his team made the Tabernacle. Jesus told us to make disciples. How are we doing with that project?

• Step 1: receive the plan

Jesus was clear: “You make disciples” (Matthew 28.18 – 20), “I’ll build the church” (Matthew 16.18). We sometimes get the plan mixed up. We think that if we build a “church,” in some magical way, disciples will get made. On the contrary, disciples are made when people intentionally train other people (Mark 3.14, Matthew 4.19, 2 Timothy 2.2. That’s the plan.

• Step 2: get the materials

In this case, the materials are the people. We’re in America, and we have an abundance of “materials” – disciple-making tools. I’m a huge fan of tools, and I talk frequently in this space about The Navigators’ 2:7 Series, and Every Man a Warrior, for example. But Jesus didn’t say we have a shortage of materials. He said we have a shortage of people:

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9.36 – 38, ESV)

• Step 3: follow the plan

And what are we supposed to do with these people? We’re supposed to follow the plan and invest in them through disciple-making relationships. And that’s where we get off track. Instead of training members to do ministry as Paul commanded…

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,… (Ephesians 4.11, 12, ESV)

…the leaders often see themselves doing the ministry while the members watch. Or, as one pastor said in a sermon, “My job is to feed the sheep. Your job is to love the sheep, and one way to love the sheep is to volunteer to fill the jobs here on Sunday morning like teaching Sunday school and keeping the nursery.” I’m working through a book right now entitled The Discipleship Dilemma by Dennis Allen. The teaser for the book containing phrases the author uses early and often reads:

Disciples, living in discipling relationships are Christ’s model to make effective disciples. Yet the traditions illustrated in The Disciple Dilemma explain how people have been derailed from following Christ for centuries, and likewise, derailed the development of making more disciples. Unless leaders understand the dilemma and act, the dissipation of disciples grinds on, producing passivated spectators and disillusioned Nones and Dones. 

Strong language, so it’s not just me…

• Step 4: set up what you built

Just as I wrote in my blog about my deck furniture, the chairs had to be moved to the deck! I couldn’t just leave them in the garage. Neither can disciples be left inside the church. We turn them loose to continue the work.

Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven. (Matthew 5.13 – 16, MSG)

There is a lot of text in Exodus devoted to the Tabernacle – Exodus 25 – 40 – and there are a number of takeaways, not the least of which is that Bezalel, the guy in charge of actually making the Tabernacle is the first man in scripture to be “filled with the Spirit.”

I do not intend to get into all the details. When I was growing up, I went to a week-long series of meetings centered around a scale model of the Tabernacle including what each piece and each number meant. I’m not sure that level of detail is warranted. You can read the “big picture” in Hebrews 8.1 – 6 and Hebrews 9.1 – 10.25.

Today, I want to focus on one of the bright spots in Israel’s experience, and tomorrow share a metaphor I hadn’t seen before.

The story of the Tabernacle highlights a successful project, beginning with a call for volunteers:

Moses said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “This is the thing that the LORD has commanded. Take from among you a contribution to the LORD. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the LORD’s contribution: gold, silver, and bronze; blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen; goats’ hair, tanned rams’ skins, and goatskins; acacia wood, oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, and onyx stones and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece. Let every skillful craftsman among you come and make all that the LORD has commanded…” (Exodus 35.4 – 10, ESV)

A call for voluntary contributions of all kinds of things (recall that at the Exodus, the Israelites “plundered the Egyptians” (Exodus 12.33 – 36)). A call for voluntary labor.

And they got both:

And Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whose mind the LORD had put skill, everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to do the work. And they received from Moses all the contribution that the people of Israel had brought for doing the work on the sanctuary. They still kept bringing him freewill offerings every morning, so that all the craftsmen who were doing every sort of task on the sanctuary came, each from the task that he was doing, and said to Moses, “The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the LORD has commanded us to do.” So Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp, “Let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution for the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing, for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more. (Exodus 36.2 – 7, ESV)

Success! I’m going to have to add this to my list of successful projects in the Old Testament (there aren’t many), where there was a clear objective that required the cooperation of people, and they met the objective.

So Moses finished the work. (Exodus 40.33, ESV)

Thus the LORD gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. And they took possession of it, and they settled there. And the LORD gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the LORD had given all their enemies into their hands. Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass. (Joshua 21.43 – 45, ESV)

So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. (Nehemiah 6.15, ESV)