Nehemiah 3
Notes
Transcript
Rebuilding the Wall
Rebuilding the Wall
Today we get to the part of the book of Nehemiah most people think about when the think about Nehemiah.
The building of the wall.
While some people may breeze through this text, with all the names we’re unfamiliar with, there are a few things we can learn from it.
Deaconate
Deaconate
Many years ago, I was asked to chair our churches diaconate.
I had just chaired the board that rewrote the churches constitution, which instituted many changes both in the makeup of the diaconate and its responsibilities.
I had a group of deacons, with new and greater responsibilities,
And it was my role to shepherd them into their new role.
What was I to do?
Providence had me reading the book of Nehemiah as I was preparing for this new role.
And especially Chapter 3.
Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests and built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and hung its doors. They built as far as the Tower of the Hundred, and consecrated it, then as far as the Tower of Hananel. Next to Eliashib the men of Jericho built. And next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built.
What struck me here was the division of labor.
We see Eliashib, the high priest, and the other priests, rebuild the sheep gate.
Then they build the wall as far as the tower of the hundred on one side, and the tower of Hananel on the other.
This was most of the north wall, near the temple.
Next to Eliashib and the priests, the men of Jericho built.
And next to them, Zaccur the son of Imri.
Do you see what I saw?
People didn’t focus on all of the problems,
They dealt with what was in front of them.
They didn’t try to fix everything,
They fixed what they could.
This led me to the first policy I established within the new diaconate.
I called it, ready? Section of the wall.
We divided up the duties of the diaconate into logical and manageable sizes.
Everyone didn’t have to worry about the budget, building maintenance, greeters, etc.
Each deacon only had to deal with their section of the wall.
What does this have to do with our lives today?
We don’t have to fix all of problems.
We don’t have to deal with the Roman Catholics, Episcopalians, or Orthodox.
We should focus on the issues right in front of us.
It’s not that we don’t care about world hunger,
But we should focus on hunger in our community.
It’s not that we don’t do what we can about pursecution around the world,
But we should deal with it in our back yards.
Just as with the deacons back in New York, by focusing on what we can do, we don’t end up paralyzed by focusing on what we can’t do.
There is one other thing to notice here.
Nehemiah didn’t tell people where they should work.
The priests rose up and began fixing the Sheep gate.
The men of Jericho and Zaccur started building.
They didn’t wait for someone else to tell them what to do.
In the diaconate that meant that once a deacon assumed responsibility for a set of duties, they were free to get it done how they saw fit, with some general oversight.
In other words, we didn’t spend meetings second guessing each and every decision a deacon made.
Believe it or not, this was the hardest thing for the deacons to come to terms with.
With this duty came the responsibility to see that it got done.
And most of the deacons simply took care of it themselves.
It took quite a bit of coaching to get them to allow and encourage other members of the congregation to help them.
But it not only made the deacons work easier,
It began to train the next generation of potential deacons as well.
As for us today, we shouldn’t be waiting for someone else to tell us how to take care of others in our neighborhood.
If we see a need, we should see if there’s a way we can get it taken care of.
We should also, personally, take responsibility for our neighborhood.
Don’t simply bring an issue to the church and expect them to deal with it.
Be part of the solution.
Take responsibility.
And watch the change it makes,
Not just in your neighborhood, but in you.
Also the sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors with its bolts and bars. And next to them Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz, made repairs. Next to them Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabel, made repairs. Next to them Zadok the son of Baana made repairs. Next to them the Tekoites made repairs; but their nobles did not put their shoulders to the work of their Lord.
We see here, teams of people working on the wall.
Nehemiah counts them, moving counter-clockwise from the northern wall.
Moreover Jehoiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the Old Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors, with its bolts and bars. And next to them Melatiah the Gibeonite, Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon and Mizpah, repaired the residence of the governor of the region beyond the River.
A group even repaired the residence of the governor.
Next to him Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs. Also next to him Hananiah, one of the perfumers, made repairs; and they fortified Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall. And next to them Rephaiah the son of Hur, leader of half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs. Next to them Jedaiah the son of Harumaph made repairs in front of his house. And next to him Hattush the son of Hashabniah made repairs.
It wasn’t just builders doing the work.
We see goldsmiths and perfumers working on the wall.
We see city leaders working on the wall.
Malchijah the son of Harim and Hashub the son of Pahath-Moab repaired another section, as well as the Tower of the Ovens. And next to him was Shallum the son of Hallohesh, leader of half the district of Jerusalem; he and his daughters made repairs.
We’re about half way along the western wall and what do we see.
We see women making repairs as well.
Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the Valley Gate. They built it, hung its doors with its bolts and bars, and repaired a thousand cubits of the wall as far as the Refuse Gate.
One group, the inhabitants of Zanoah, repair about one-third of the western wall.
It seems those in Zanoah are quite the over achievers.
Malchijah the son of Rechab, leader of the district of Beth Haccerem, repaired the Refuse Gate; he built it and hung its doors with its bolts and bars.
Shallun the son of Col-Hozeh, leader of the district of Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate; he built it, covered it, hung its doors with its bolts and bars, and repaired the wall of the Pool of Shelah by the King’s Garden, as far as the stairs that go down from the City of David. After him Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, leader of half the district of Beth Zur, made repairs as far as the place in front of the tombs of David, to the man-made pool, and as far as the House of the Mighty.
More people, more work, more of the wall and the gates being rebuilt and repaired.
The Fountain Gate is at the souther end of the eastern wall.
After him the Levites, under Rehum the son of Bani, made repairs. Next to him Hashabiah, leader of half the district of Keilah, made repairs for his district. After him their brethren, under Bavai the son of Henadad, leader of the other half of the district of Keilah, made repairs. And next to him Ezer the son of Jeshua, the leader of Mizpah, repaired another section in front of the Ascent to the Armory at the buttress. After him Baruch the son of Zabbai carefully repaired the other section, from the buttress to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest. After him Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz, repaired another section, from the door of the house of Eliashib to the end of the house of Eliashib.
And after him the priests, the men of the plain, made repairs.
We find the Levites and the priests repairing sections of the eastern wall.
After him Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs opposite their house. After them Azariah the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, made repairs by his house. After him Binnui the son of Henadad repaired another section, from the house of Azariah to the buttress, even as far as the corner. Palal the son of Uzai made repairs opposite the buttress, and on the tower which projects from the king’s upper house that was by the court of the prison. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh made repairs.
We start to see people making repairs to the wall outside their own homes.
Moreover the Nethinim who dwelt in Ophel made repairs as far as the place in front of the Water Gate toward the east, and on the projecting tower. After them the Tekoites repaired another section, next to the great projecting tower, and as far as the wall of Ophel.
Beyond the Horse Gate the priests made repairs, each in front of his own house. After them Zadok the son of Immer made repairs in front of his own house. After him Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah, the keeper of the East Gate, made repairs. After him Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section. After him Meshullam the son of Berechiah made repairs in front of his dwelling. After him Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs as far as the house of the Nethinim and of the merchants, in front of the Miphkad Gate, and as far as the upper room at the corner.
More groups, more repairs.
Nethinim & Tekoites.
Priests and goldsmiths.
Leaders and commoners.
All working on their section of the wall.
In order to complete a great work.
After him Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs opposite their house. After them Azariah the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, made repairs by his house.
Finally, the goldsmiths and the merchants complete the wall, returning to the Sheep Gate.
Conclusion
Conclusion