Rise Up and Work

Nehemiah 3 is one of those chapters in the Bible that are easy to fly over.

It’s repetitive (the word repaired is used 38 times). It’s full of hard to pronounce names (more than 50 people listed). There aren’t any strikingly poetic or inspirational lines.

What do we do with a chapter like that?

We remember that all Scripture is God breathed and useful. We ask God to open our eyes to see wonderful things in his Word. We slow down and dig deep to uncover hidden gold.

Anyone who takes the time to get to know the people involved in Nehemiah’s restoration project will quickly learn that they are full of lessons for us.

Here’s the big picture of the chapter: The city of God regained its strength when the people of God rose up & bent their shoulders to work with humility, solidarity and zeal.

Humility (verses 1-5)

Eliashib the priest teaches us that true leaders are the first servants, because they know that the value of labor isn’t determined by its type but its aim. No task is too small if it is done for the Lord. Every task is sacred if it’s done for the Lord. (Colossians 3:23-24)

Solidarity (6-19)

The nobles of Tekoah didn’t know that, but their people did. The regular folk from Tekoah traveled to Jerusalem to help restore a city that wasn’t theirs. When they finished their part of the wall they found another one to work on. The people of Tekoah, Jericho, Mizpah, Gibeon and Zanoah left their homes to serve Jerusalem because their identity was larger than their individual self-interest. (Philippians 2:3-4)

That solidarity was shared by men like Uzziel the goldsmith and Hananiah the perfumer who took up unfamiliar tools to work as novices in construction. Their commitment was not to their own trades or talents but to the city and people of God.

Zeal (20)

One of my favorite names in the list is Baruch. The footnote in the ESV references a word that is added in every other major English translation: zealously. There was a special sauce in the work done by Baruch. A little extra effort, a little extra care.

Nehemiah noticed it and so did God. (Hebrews 6:10)

The co-authors of Scripture saw the daughters of Shallum who represented every woman in history that was not given authority or responsibility yet rose up and rolled up her sleeves. Not because she was told to but because she was compelled to by the fire blazing in her own heart.

They noticed the men of Hanun and the residents of Zanoah who built up an impressive 1,000 cubits (1/4 mile) of wall – 8 feet thick and 39 feet high.

All of these saints knew that work done for the Lord is worth doing with a whole heart.

Redemption (11)

There’s one more name we should remember today: Malchijah the son of Harim.

This isn’t the first list his name is found in. In Ezra 10:31 that name is found in a roster of a different kind. Ezra called out all of the men who had violated the commands of God and mixed with the pagan women of neighboring cultures. Malchijah was one of them.

Many of us assume that our failures are the end of our place in God’s story. Malchijah’s place in the honorable list of Nehemiah’s builders is a vital reminder to us:

In God’s city failure is not final.

Too often we are like the nobles of Tekoah – unwilling to stoop and serve. We are like the old Malchijah – willing to compromise God’s standards and mix with the world. But God is a gracious redeemer. He sent his son into the world to save and redeem.

Jesus came as a servant. He stooped to serve sinners like us. And no matter how often we fall short, he will not stop serving his people.

When we understand that we will rise up and bend our shoulders to the work with humility, solidarity and zeal.

Nehemiah restored walls and structures.
Today, in Christ our redeemer we restore lives and relationships.

Rise up friend.