Workmen on the WALLS
Nehemiah’s challenge to rebuild the walls and gates of Jerusalem did not go unheeded. All of Nehemiah chapter 3 is dedicated to the people who responded to Nehemiah’s challenge to rebuild. Priests are noted as building certain gates and workmen are recorded for restoring certain sections of the Wall.
Watch the progress of work. No exact time frame is given. It seems that much of this work was carried on simultaneously
There is key point we cannot afford to miss in this chapter of Scripture. Take a close look at the builders.
Verse 1: “Elizashib the high priest and his fellow priests went to work and rebuilt the Sheep Gate.”
Verse 5: ‘The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa, but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors.” The Tekoans did extra duty to pay up for what the nobles would not do.
Verse 27: “Next to them, the men of Tokoa repaired another section, from the great projecting tower to the wall of Ophel.” Tekoa was the home of Amos.
Versse 8: ” Uzziah son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired the next section; and Hananiah, one of the perfume makers, made repairs next to that.”
Verse 12: “Shallum son of Hallohesh , ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section with the help of his daughters.’
Verse 14: “The Dung Gate was repaired by Malkijah son of Recab, ruler of the district of Beth Hakkerem. He rebuilt it and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. 15. The Fountain Gate was repaired by Shallulm son of Col–Hozeh, ruler of the district of mizpah. He rebuilt it, roofing it over and putting its doors and bolts and bars in place. He also repaired the walls of the Pool of Siloam. 16 Beyond him, Hehemiah son of Azbuk, ruler of a half-district of Beth Zur, made repairs up to a point opposite the tombs of David, as far as the artificial pool and the house of the Heroes. 17 Next to him, the repairs were made by the Levites under Rehum son of Bani.Beside him, hashabiah, ruler of half the district of Kellah, carried out repairs for his district.
Verse 25; “Next to him, Pedaiah son of Parosh 26 and the temple servants living on the hill of Ophel made repairs up to a point opposite the Water Gate toward the east and the projecting tower.”
Verse 32: “and between the room above the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and merchants made repairs.”
What is the point of reading through this chapter identifying the workmen” Many of these names never appear again in Scripture. They are not famous people. But look at the diversity among them. Skilled and unskilled, union and non-union, clergy and laity, ruler and commoner and even women. It is an uncommon list, not because of who is there, but because who is not. There is not a skilled carpenter or an expert listed among them. Here is a group of people rebuilding the walls and gates of the city, the majority of them doing work that they have never done before.
What a message to the church today is contained here! We can look around us and see the rubble of lives and the ruin of society and say, “Let’s call in a specialist . someone who has expertise in this field or that field.” It is unfortunate that the amount of analysis that is done on a problem usually far outweighs the amount of construction.
If it were not so pathetically sorrowful, it would be funny to watch our society pass judgment on itself. Recently there was an attempted suicide in Canada, where a mother carried her baby and jumped in front of a train in Toronto The baby died and the mother was in critical condition.There have been many other suicides in our world. The investigators will investigate the causes; the social workers will try and help the families through their grief.
We have a serious problem in our world with alcohol and drug abuse. “We have to get serious about the problem.” Well, tell us something we didn’t know! So the government responds by granting yet another liquor license. Instead of tackling the problem by making the stuff difficult to obtain they rake in the tax dollars only to pay them out again in addiction programs and expensive counseling service.
We should be a little wiser than the world. We can diagnose most of the problems that are around us. Most of us can articulate what is wrong and we know whom to turn to for help. The specialists have had their say. They know the problem, but they are short on solutions. Hard situations require backbreaking toil. Building walls and hanging gates is hard work, but together it becomes the most rewarding task on earth. Pick up the bricks, personally, and like these ancient Jews call on God and begin building again.
A Story:
A Christian believer in Siberia had a dream in 1061. It was strange and it was haunting. In the dream he was instructed to go to Moscow and there he would find a Bible. He belonged to a congregation of 150, but there was not a single Bible among them. Armed only with the reality of his vision. And his desire to have this Bible he set out to travel 2,000 miles to Moscow.
About the same time a man named Brother Andrew and his associate, Hans, had managed to leave Holland, drive through Poland in their VW and cross the Russian border at Brest. They eluded border guards and made it to Moscow with a load of Russian Bibles. As soon as they were in Moscow they made plans to attend a Soviet Baptist Church to unload their ‘hot” cargo.
Unloading Bibles was nearly as difficult a task as getting them inside the Iron Curtain. No one knew who the informants were or if the pastor had been ordered to report everything. Andrew and Hans walked in on Thursday evening carrying the sample Russian Bible. Each had prayed separately with that God would direct them to one of the 1,200 worshipers who had gathered for the service.
Andrew spotted a thin, balding man in his 40s standing against the wall. He felt instant recognition and before Andrew could speak Hans leaned over and whispered. “I’ve seen our man.” Introductions were difficult until someone mentioned “Dutch”. Then they all began to converse. He shared his story of coming 2,000 miles for a Bible and Hans had the privilege of telling him, ‘You were told to come eastward for 2,000 miles carrying Bibles to churches in RUSSIA. And here we are tonight, recognizing each other the instant we meet.”
The Siberian brother was speechless as Hans handed him the Bible and whispered he could have a dozen more to take with him.
Folks, we have to arise and build. God sees our hearts and He responds to meet our needs.
PRAYER
Dear Lord, touch all who do this Bible study and help us to become better builders for you in this world in which we live. Equip us to do the task that You have called us to do and use us regardless if we have skills or not. Keep us humble and submissive to Your divine will Father. Lord Jesus save souls, touch the sick and heal them in You name, set the captive free, make the lame to walk, the blind to see, and let revival come to our world and start it in our lives here. Help us to work together for your cause in unity and one accord. In your name I pray Amen.
Review Questions for above study
1. What is the lesson to be learned from this study?
2. What is another key point to be learned in this chapter?
3. Who were those involved in the building?
4. What must we as Christians do today?
Answers to questions from Bible study # 3.
1. The lesson to be learned from this study is that Jesus will use even the unskilled workers to do His work if they are humble and submissive to Him.
2. Another key point to be learned from this lesson is that there were many different people doing the work.
3. The people involved in the building of the walls and gates were not famous people. There was diversity among them. Skilled and unskilled, union and non-union, clergy and laity, ruler and commoner and even women. It is an uncommon list, not because of who is there, but because who in not. There is a not skilled carpenter, or experts listed among them. Here is a group of people rebuilding the walls and gates of the city, the majority of them doing work that they have never done before.
4. We as Christians must arise and build. God sees our hearts and He responds to meet our needs. ;Hecan use the most unskilled person as well as the skilled and most educated if just remember to be humble and submissive to His Divine Will for us.
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