Nehemiah 3:1-32
Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests, and they builded the sheep gate; they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; even unto the tower of Meah they sanctified it, unto the tower of Hananeel. 2 And next unto him builded the men of Jericho. And next to them builded Zaccur the son of Imri. 3 But the fish gate did the sons of Hassenaah build, who also laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. 4 And next unto them repaired Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz. And next unto them repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabeel. And next unto them repaired Zadok the son of Baana. 5 And next unto them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their Lord. 6 Moreover the old gate repaired Jehoiada the son of Paseah, and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah; they laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, and the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. 7 And next unto them repaired Melatiah the Gibeonite, and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon, and of Mizpah, unto the throne of the governor on this side the river. 8 Next unto him repaired Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, of the goldsmiths. Next unto him also repaired Hananiah the son of one of the apothecaries, and they fortified Jerusalem unto the broad wall. 9 And next unto them repaired Rephaiah the son of Hur, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem. 10 And next unto them repaired Jedaiah the son of Harumaph, even over against his house. And next unto him repaired Hattush the son of Hashabniah. 11 Malchijah the son of Harim, and Hashub the son of Pahathmoab, repaired the other piece, and the tower of the furnaces. 12 And next unto him repaired Shallum the son of Halohesh, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem, he and his daughters. 13 The valley gate repaired Hanun, and the inhabitants of Zanoah; they built it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof, and a thousand cubits on the wall unto the dung gate. 14 But the dung gate repaired Malchiah the son of Rechab, the ruler of part of Bethhaccerem; he built it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. 15 But the gate of the fountain repaired Shallun the son of Colhozeh, the ruler of part of Mizpah; he built it, and covered it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof, and the wall of the pool of Siloah by the king’s garden, and unto the stairs that go down from the city of David. 16 After him repaired Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, the ruler of the half part of Bethzur, unto the place over against the sepulchres of David, and to the pool that was made, and unto the house of the mighty. 17 After him repaired the Levites, Rehum the son of Bani. Next unto him repaired Hashabiah, the ruler of the half part of Keilah, in his part. 18 After him repaired their brethren, Bavai the son of Henadad, the ruler of the half part of Keilah. 19 And next to him repaired Ezer the son of Jeshua, the ruler of Mizpah, another piece over against the going up to the armoury at the turning of the wall. 20 After him Baruch the son of Zabbai earnestly repaired the other piece, from the turning of the wall unto the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest. 21 After him repaired Meremoth the son of Urijah the son of Koz another piece, from the door of the house of Eliashib even to the end of the house of Eliashib. 22 And after him repaired the priests, the men of the plain. 23 After him repaired Benjamin and Hashub over against their house. After him repaired Azariah the son of Maaseiah the son of Ananiah by his house. 24 After him repaired Binnui the son of Henadad another piece, from the house of Azariah unto the turning of the wall, even unto the corner. 25 Palal the son of Uzai, over against the turning of the wall, and the tower which lieth out from the king’s high house, that was by the court of the prison. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh. 26 Moreover the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel, unto the place over against the water gate toward the east, and the tower that lieth out. 27 After them the Tekoites repaired another piece, over against the great tower that lieth out, even unto the wall of Ophel. 28 From above the horse gate repaired the priests, every one over against his house. 29 After them repaired Zadok the son of Immer over against his house. After him repaired also Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah, the keeper of the east gate. 30 After him repaired Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph, another piece. After him repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah over against his chamber. 31 After him repaired Malchiah the goldsmith’s son unto the place of the Nethinims, and of the merchants, over against the gate Miphkad, and to the going up of the corner. 32 And between the going up of the corner unto the sheep gate repaired the goldsmiths and the merchants.
After praying for four months, being granted support from the King, and surveying the ruins of Jerusalem’s wall, Nehemiah, with God’s blessing and favor, was able to rally a defeated people to the task of rebuilding the walls of their city. While chapter three contains a list of names and their work of rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem, nearly 2500 years ago, it has much to teach us as New Testament Christians about how we are to engage in God’s work and do it His way. In Nehemiah 3 we find three principles that must guide the true work of God in every age.
Last week, we first learned that God’s work is to be carried out according to His purpose. If we are truly to work for Him and His glory, our work must align with and fulfill His purpose in the world. In Nehemiah’s time, God had given Nehemiah and Israel the purpose of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem so that the people of God might be His holy people and worship and obey Him. In our time, God has called the Church to be His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:18-20) and witnesses (Acts 1:8) as we go about the task of making disciples of all people (Matthew 28:18-20). All truly Christian work is disciple-making in some form. There are many side trails and activities that the Church can be involved in, but there is one that God has called us to. The aim of all of our ministries and all that we do as followers of Christ is for the purpose of seeing others come to a saving knowledge of Him and grow in that grace and knowledge (2 Peter 3:18).
Next, we learned that God’s work is always carried out with His people. One thing that cannot be missed in the list of names in Nehemiah 3 is, first, that Nehemiah could not do the work alone and, second, that Nehemiah did not do the work alone, nor did any other Israelite. It required the hands of a great many faithful people, some of which are not listed by name in Nehemiah 3. Families repaired the wall in front of their homes. Some people took on double roles and Baruch worked “earnestly” on the wall (Nehemiah 3:20). There were others, like the nobles of the Tekoites who wouldn’t engage in the work at all (Nehemiah 3:5). The principle that God always accomplishes His purposes and work in the world through the people He has called by His name cannot be missed here. In the Church, the body of Christ, God has uniquely gifted each of us for a purpose of building up the rest of the body in some way (1 Corinthians 12:1-13). Just as every person had a section of the wall to work on in Jerusalem in Nehemiah’s time, so every Christian has a task they are uniquely called to as a part of a local church to fulfill the Great Commission. There is no such thing as “lone wolf” Christianity. The entire New Testament is full of commands about the Christian life that can only be fulfilled as a part of a local church. Any ministry, or Christian, who refuses to work with the people of God, but goes off apart from the authority of a local church to do something on their own has departed the pattern that God has established in His Word. Even Paul, and the other apostles, were submitted to local churches and other believers (Acts 13:1-4). God’s work is always accomplished with His people.
Lastly, we will learn that God’s work is always carried out according to His pattern. What is the pattern? In Nehemiah 3 we find that the work is described and laid out in relationship to the various gates and sections of wall between the gates of the city. Each of these gates received a name that illustrated or reminded the people of an important truth from God’s Word and His dealings with His people. The chapter begins and ends at the Sheep Gate (v. 1, 32). The Sheep Gate was the gate where most of the animal sacrifices were brought into the city. It served as a reminder of three things. First, it taught the people that the basis of right relationship with God was the need for atonement for sin. Second, it reminded the people of their continual need for cleansing and forgiveness. Thirdly, it pointed to the provision of God for sin, not in the offerings of animals, but in sending His Son as the true sacrifice for sin. The Fish Gate (v. 3) was where the fishermen would bring their catches in and it pointed to the calling on God’s people to be fruitful in representing Him. The Old Gate (v. 6) pointed the people forward to the need for the new covenant that God had promised. It reminded them of their continual past failures so that they might look forward to God’s ultimate provision for them. The Valley Gate and Dung Gate (v. 13-14) opened up to the Valley of Hinnom, a place Jesus referred to as “hell” (Gehenna). It was the place where waste was disposed of among other things. These gates served as a reminder of the need for the people to be humble before God and be continually cleansed. The Fountain and Water Gates (v. 15, 26) opened up to the Gihon Spring that fed the Pool of Siloam through an aqueduct manufactured during the reign of Hezekiah under Assyrian siege. These gates reminded the people of the refreshment and cleansing that God provides through His Word and ultimately through His Spirit in the New Covenant (Ezekiel 36:24-27; Zechariah 13:1). The Ophel and Horse Gate (v. 26-28) were where the priests and temple servants lived and where horses were kept. Military strength was often measured in number of horses and horsemen. These gates served as a reminder that Israel’s strength was not in chariots and horses but in their relationship with God (Psalm 20:7). The East Gate and Gate Hammaphkad (Miphkad) (v. 29-30) would serve as reminders of the departed glory of God in the captivities and Israel’s expectation of a coming Messiah who would bring the glory of God to Jerusalem, deliver them from all their enemies, and rule in righteousness over the whole earth (Ezekiel 10:16-22; 11:22-25; 43:1-5). These gates collectively set the standards for the people of God. They are reminders of His Word, commands, and promises. The gates served as barriers through which one would be given access to the city and the people of God. Today, God’s Word is just that. It is the determiner of who is a part of God’s people and who is not. It tells us how we might be a part of God’s people through faith in Christ. It warns of the things in our lives that do not belong. Psalm 24 speaks of the gates of heaven only being opened to the One who had “clean hands” and “a pure heart.” There is only one “King of glory” who meets that perfect standard. Christ is “the Door” (or Gate) into God’s fold (John 10:7, 9). He and His standards are given to us in His Word. The Church does not need new methods or catchy sayings. We don’t need to be more relevant or more attractive to the world. When Moses built the tabernacle, he was commanded, “And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount” (Exodus 25:40). Like Moses, we must do everything according to God’s pattern given in His Word. We don’t need to be more creative; we just need to be more obedient and faithful to His Word. We must seek to do everything according to God’s pattern.
Are you currently living your life for God’s purpose in the world? Are you working with His people to accomplish that purpose? Are you building your life upon His Word and following His pattern given to us there? Christ has given us a great work to be His ambassadors and to make disciples of all people. He has entrusted, empowered, and equipped us to do His work. When He comes, will we be found like Baruch, working “earnestly” or will we be like the nobles of the Tekoites who refused to participate? Let’s be found faithful to build our section of the wall, giving our lives in His service for His glory.