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Nehemiah 3 and 4 – Rebuilding Begins

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Nehemiah 3 and 4 – Rebuilding Begins Nehemiah 3 and 4 – Rebuilding Begins The chapter is easily analysed because Nehemiah has constructed it around seven gates of the city, moving in an anti‐clockwise Some of you may have heard of a man called Soren Kierkegaard, he direction. He begins at the Sheep Gate on the north side (verse 1) was a Danish philosopher theologian who lived in the 1800’s. He and travels around the walls back to the Sheep Gate again (verse was concerned with how you lived your life each day as opposed to 32). He devotes a paragraph or a group of paragraphs to each abstract thinking, highlighting the importance of human choice and section of the wall. Nehemiah had divided the wall into 40 easily commitment. He did some work on Christian ethics and faith in manageable sections to be rebuilt and chapter 3 tells us the people Christ Jesus. He once famously said this: (families) assigned to rebuild that part of the wall. We could omit Order the parson to be silent on Sundays. What is there this point but actually it is a key point in the Nehemiah’s plan. To left? The essential thing remains: their lives, the daily life give the task of rebuilding to one work team would have with which they parsons preach. Would you, the, get the overwhelmed them and they would have easily lost heart. In fact impression by watching them, that it was Christianity they the task would have seemed impossible to them. However, by were preaching? breaking the wall down into manageable sections and assigning people to rebuild the part of the wall around their own homes and workplace – made it manageable and also they would personally invest in protecting themselves, their family, their homes and Now that might seem a strange quote to begin a sermon on workplaces. Nehemiah was a shrewd administrator and leader. Nehemiah 3 and 4. You might actually agree with the first sentence of the quote? However, turn with me to Nehemiah 3 for a Verse 1 tells us that the high priest and his brother priests set the moment. We read only five verses from this chapter. We could example for the rest of the community by rebuilding the walls have read the whole chapter, but the first five verses give us a around the Temple. The priests played an important role – they did sense and flavour of the whole. In this chapter Nehemiah lists the not excuse themselves by saying it wasn’t their vocation to do workers who help rebuild the walls and gates of Jerusalem. The building work and when we read that at the end of their section total distance was somewhere between 1.5 and 2.5miles of wall. they consecrated it to God we realise that they understood this You may think this list tedious and difficult to read but actually it is work as being unto God and for Him. It is no accident that essential reading to understand the what was going on and what Nehemiah begins his list here. The Sheep Gate provided access to happened during the rebuilding of the walls. the Temple and therefore Nehemiah is saying to the people ‘Put the case, Nehemiah had them and every church has them as well. God first.’ The language used of their refusal speaks of their pride as being the reason for not getting involved. Some people always think some We then read of the men of Jericho – now they had to travel some tasks are beneath them – even the disciples would not wash each distance to come and rebuild a section of the wall. They could have other’s feet and then were embarrassed when Christ did what they stayed away and said this has nothing to do with us. A little later would not. on the residents of other cities are mentioned also: Tekoa, Gibeon, Mizpah, Zanoah, Beth Hakkerem, Beth Zur, and Keilah. Chapter 4 – one day a Quaker was out ploughing his field with a very stubborn mule. He turned to the mule and said – you know I Then we read of Guild Members – these were skilled craftsmen, am a Quaker and therefore I cannot curse you. You know I cannot again they could have said that the construction industry was not beat you. What you don’t know is that I can sell you to my their field and that their delicate hands might be damaged. But, neighbour who is not a Quaker and he will whip the living daylights again we read of them taking their fair share of the rebuilding work. out of you. We all have faced situations in which we feel like that City officials come next. The rulers and officials worked alongside Quaker. We are aware of ways we cannot or should not respond to the citizens of Jerusalem. opposition. What we want is a permissible way to whip it. Nehemiah now has to deal with opposition to the rebuilding of the Women – were not expected to do construction work, but in verse walls. 12 we read that some of them did. Success breeds Opposition – chapter 4. We have heard the first Bachelors, Temple Servants, City Guards and Merchants are all rumblings of this opposition in chapter 2. It now comes more to mentioned as having joined the work parties to rebuild the walls the fore. Once again we meet Sanballat, Tobiah, we hear of the and hang the gates on Jerusalem. Chapter 3 is a remarkable insight Arabs and a fourth group the men of Ashdod. into the task and how quickly the people were organised and mobilised to the task of rebuilding. When Sanballat hears about the work going ahead, with some success, he becomes angry and greatly incensed. He would have However, there were some men who refused to help – the nobles paid no attention if Nehemiah had been failing but he wasn’t – the of Tekoa – we read of them in verse 5. One pastor said of these evidence was starting to rise before their very eyes. Look at verse 6 men ‘There are always a few turkeys in the bunch.’ That is always of chapter 4. We read that they had rebuilt the walls to half their original height and the reason was because the people had put What are those feeble Jews doing? – that is exactly the point the their whole heart into the task. There was no half‐hearted effort Jews were feeble. Jerusalem was in ruins and most of their leaders here. All put their heart and soul into the task and it was were in exile as slaves in Babylon. They were feeble and they knew succeeding. Sanballat and Tobiah attack because they are jealous it. of this success and because it is not their agenda. It goes against Will they restore their wall? Indeed! It had been built by people their plans and finally because they have been excluded from it. more numerous and militarily stronger than they were at this time. Friends, the same three reasons often arise in our lives – we How could they ever hope to move, no mind reassemble those encounter opposition because people are jealous of our success, large stones? because it is not their agenda and because they have been excluded. The Christian church encounters the same. Will they offer sacrifice? You can look at this in two ways. Will they complete the task and be able to offer sacrifices of thanks that the Opposition came against Nehemiah and the people rebuilding the walls have been restored. Or, it could be a derogatory comment walls. Look at how the opposition begins – ridicule. The text is along the lines of “Are they going to pray the walls up?” quite vivid at this point, showing how Sanballat got Tobiah, his Sometimes that is how people speak to us as Christians. I often find associates and the army of Samaria together and made fun of the there are leaders in society who think because you are a Christian Jews. pastor you are naive, or not wise about things of this world and Verse 2 – What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it they dismiss you by asking you to pray for something. Very foolish themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish up in a day? Will people! The taunt of Sanballat at this point was a taunt about the they revive the stone out the heaps of rubbish and burned ones at faith of the Jews, which was not that strong anyway. that? Will they finish that in a day? In other words have they realised Tobiah joins him in verse 3 – “Yes, what they are building, if a fox how large a task this is? Do they realise what they have taken on? goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!” Again it is an effective taunt because the Jews knew exactly what they had taken on board and the magnitude of the rebuilding work. Ridicule is easy. Ridicule is demoralising and it is often effective. It is effective because it feeds on the fears and insecurities of those Can you bring those stones back to life from that heap of rubble – being attacked. Let us look at each of the taunts: burned as they are? This was no exaggeration. The gates had been burned and we have read already how the rubble meant that going to do. The result – verse 6 – they rebuilt the walls with all Nehemiah could only walk on some parts because there was no their heart.
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