Nehemiah – Work, For I Am With You
Nehemiah 3:1-32
At some appointed time, those who had responded to Nehemiah’s call gathered before him, ready to go to work. According to his plan, assignments were issued – who would build/repair what section of the wall. One by one, the leaders of each team received their assignments, assembled their fellow-workers, and headed for their locations.
One can well assume that there was a sense of excitement in the air, albeit tempered by their serious determination and the realization of the difficult task before them. But, after so many years of sadness and despair, they now had an opportunity to do something about it. They were ready for work!
Please permit me one more personal thought. As those workers were dispersing in all directions, we might wonder what Nehemiah was thinking. He must surely have been very proud of those folks. Their willingness to accept the challenge, to adopt his plan, and to apply their energies must have filled Nehemiah’s heart (which once was so heavy) to overflowing. Do you suppose he had a big smile on his face as the work began?
Prior to recording the progress of the project, Nehemiah pauses to provide a very detailed recognition of those who worked to rebuild the wall and repair the gates of the city (Chapter 3). The reader may be tempted to lightly skim over this chapter or skip it altogether. Please do not make that mistake! Even though the names of the workers and the locations around the wall are unfamiliar, there are some noteworthy insights embedded herein for all of us.
The recording of these names and the placing them in the forefront of the writing gives a strong reminder of the value of honorable work and the virtue of those who so labor.
We may recall that God himself ordained man to work as He placed Adam in the garden of Eden, “to tend and keep it” (Genesis 2:15). Even when he was sent out of the garden, he was told, “In toil you shall eat of the ground all the days of your life” (Genesis 3:17). Adam’s son, Cain, was a farmer and his son, Abel, was a shepherd. Six generations later, Cain’s descendants were known for their work: Jabel – father of wandering herdsmen; Jubal – father of those who play the harp and flute; Tubal-Cain – instructor of every craftsman in bronze and iron (Genesis 4:20-22). Further on, God commanded Noah to build the ark himself (Genesis 6:14). Included in the Commandments from God on Mt. Sinai, “Six days shall you labor and do all your work” (Exodus 20:9). The psalmist, David, includes work among our reasons for blessing the Lord in our souls, “Man goes out to his work and to his labor until the evening” (Psalm 104:23). We hear yet another beautiful promise from God, “When you eat the fruit of the labor of your hands, you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you” (Psalm 128:2).
During His earthly ministry, Jesus clearly acknowledged the value of work. His first disciples were fishermen. Many of His parables spoke of farmers, fishermen, shepherds, vinedressers, merchants, etc.
St. Paul spoke strongly to the church in Thessalonica, “If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat” (II Thessalonians 3:10).
So, we may conclude that work is good and honorable in the sight of God and virtuous in the lives of His people. Nehemiah certainly understood this as he guided his pen through this third chapter, honoring his workers.
Looking, then, at the text, we note first the variety of occupations among those workers: high priest, priests, Levites, goldsmiths, perfumers, metal workers, civic leaders, merchants, etc., all working side by side with no regard for status in life.
Secondly, we may notice that many of them were not residents of Jerusalem. Rather, their homes were in the surrounding villages and communities throughout Judah. Very likely, many had been exiles who had returned from Babylon and Persia, either with Ezra or Nehemiah. However, when the summons went out to rebuild the wall in Jerusalem, they left their homes and answered the call. They all looked to Jerusalem as their Holy City and the temple as the house of their God.
The men of Jericho (vs. 2) would have remembered how their city was the scene of Joshua’s first victory as he led the people of Israel into the Promised Land (Joshua 6). They had faithfully followed the Lord’s directions, being persistent in marching around the city for seven days.
The Tekoites (from Tekoa) (vs. 5) dwelled in the hometown of the prophet Amos (750 B.C.) and would recall the prophet’s call for the people of Judah to repent in their day (Amos 2:4, 5) and his prophetic words of promise, “I will bring back the captives of My people Israel; they shall build the waste cities and inhabit them ….. and no longer shall they be pulled up from the land I have given them, says the Lord your God” (Amos 9:14, 15).
One additional thought; we should observe the references to families and neighbors working together (vss. 3, 12) as well as those who were given the opportunity to work on the wall adjacent to their homes (vss. 23, 29, 30). They would certainly have a special interest in building well for their own defense!
It appears that many of the workers were descendants of those who had been taken into exile by Nebuchadnezzar years earlier. Their labor now was a respectful tribute to their ancestors who built before them. Would that every generation would have such respect.
With these things in mind, perhaps we can glean some helpful application for “building the wall” in our lives.
As with Adam, we have been created in the image of God; we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). He has breathed into us the breath of life and made us – body, soul, and spirit – persons who can think, act, and feel. These God-given faculties, when functioning properly, are “joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causing the growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love” (Ephesians 4:16).
Likewise, as St. Paul wrote, we are called to “work out our own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12).
Jesus Christ, who may be likened to our Nehemiah, summons us to build the wall of our lives so that we may be protected from our enemies and be pleasing to God. Like those workers of old, we must accept the challenge, adopt the plan, and apply our energies to this work. We are called to “cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (II Corinthians 7:1). Now this will certainly require work and the task will not be easy!
Within ourselves, we have a variety of “occupations” or working parts. There are physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional components which must work together if we are to be whole and healthy. Likewise, all of these will be required as we build and repair the damaged “sections of the wall and the gates” within us. Further, each of these members have a specific part to play in regaining our health (I Corinthians 12:14-26). We will discuss this more in the segments to follow.
We may also discover that we will need help from others beyond ourselves – from those surrounding us as did the people in Jerusalem. That help will come from trusted friends, pastors, teachers, etc. who will pray for us, encourage us, comfort us, listen to us, correct us, and truly love us as we face the task before us (I Thessalonians 5:11).
Finally, there is no greater source of strength and inspiration for building our walls and repairing our gates than our own families. The love, the closeness, the trust of one’s spouse, children, siblings, and other relatives will be invaluable for us through the times of weariness, doubt, despair, and the temptations to give up. Thank God for our families who stand with us and are always there for us.
Yes, these are our earthly fellow-workers. But, as Nehemiah knew, we can, and must, always rely on our God who never leaves us nor forsakes us. It is He who spoke through the lips of the prophet Haggai reminding the workers of his day, “…. be strong, all you people of the land, says the Lord, and work; for I am with you, says the Lord of hosts” (Haggai 2:4).
Our thanks to Nehemiah for including this Chapter 3 in his writing.
May God bless you in this sacred work.
Fr. Andrew
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