It’s a Team Effort – Meditations on Nehemiah 3

"And between the upper chamber of the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and the merchants repaired." (Nehemiah 3:32, ESV)

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    Teamwork is a concept that we all know well. We have heard about the importance of teamwork all our lives. Children in the classroom hear about teamwork. Eighth-grade band students hear about team work. The high school varsity football team eats and breathes teamwork. Your boss sends you to conferences about teamwork. It should come as no surprise, then, that teamwork is important in the life of the church as well. And Nehemiah gives us a great example of what that teamwork should look like.

    One important aspect of biblical teamwork is diversity. It may be difficult to spot it here because we aren't familiar with the names and places, but let me point some of it out for you.

    First, there is geographical diversity. This may be the most difficult to spot. Nehemiah lists several men, or groups of men, who travelled from other cities to assist in the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls. The men of Jericho travelled about 17 miles (Neh. 3:2); the Tekoites travelled 12 miles (Neh. 3:5); the men of Gibeon and of Mizpah travelled about 6 miles (Neh. 3:7); the inhabitants of Zanoah travelled 10 miles (Neh. 3:13); the ruler of Beth-haccherem travelled 3 miles (Neh. 3:14); the rulers of Beth-zur and Keila each travelled 15 miles (Neh. 3:16-17). These may not seem like such great distances to us in our age of automobiles and airplanes. In 400 BC, however, travel was not quite so easy. These people would have walked, or perhaps travelled by donkey. In either case, what would be to us a 20 minute drive was for them a 4-6 hour trip. An appropriate comparison would be if people who lived in Kansas City, Oklahoma City, and Tulsa travelled to help rebuild Wichita - not unlike what happened for New Orleans after hurricane Katrina.

    Second, there is social and economic diversity. Several of the individuals or groups listed have a trade or occupation attached to their names. Eliashib was the high priest, the prominent religious leader of the day (Neh. 3:1). Ussiel and Malchijah were goldsmiths (Neh. 3:8, 31), as were others who worked on the wall (Neh. 3:32). Hananiah was a perfumer (Neh. 3:8). There are eight men listed who were rulers, or politicians: Rephaiah, Shallum, Malchijah, the other Shallum, Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, Hashabiah, Bavvai, and Ezer. There were men who worked as servants in the temple (Neh. 3:26), people who were common city merchants (Neh. 3:32), and a man, Shemaiah, who was a guard at one of the city gates (Neh. 3:29). So in this list we have religious leaders, political leaders, white collar workers, blue collar workers, and military enlistees. And all of them are holding a hammer and a trowel.

    Third, there is gender diversity. This one is easier to spot. Shallum the son of Hallohesh, who was a ruler in Jerusalem, brought his daughters along to help repair the wall (Neh. 3:12). This also points to a diversity of age. Although I am sure that this is not the only case of both parents and children involved in the work, this verse does provide the clearest example of a multi-generational endeavor.

    When we consider the work that the church is called to do, we will do well to keep this example in mind. No one person is equipped to do the work by himself. The work is too big and the demands too strenuous. What is more, there is no one who is unable to contribute. We are too quick to make excuses about why we can't do this or that, why we can't share Christ with our friends or invite our neighbors to church, why we can't help out with an outreach event.

    But think about these men (and daughters). Were the priests trained in construction? Probably not. What about the politicians, temple servants, and young ladies? No, no, and no. The goldsmiths and merchants may have known a thing or two about construction, but the perfumer? I doubt it. My point is that there are no qualifications, except that you have an interest in the covenant and promises of God.

    These people knew what Jerusalem meant to them. It was the symbol of God's promise and faithfulness. To see Jerusalem restored to her former glory would be to see God's hand at work, his promises fulfilled, and his blessings poured out. Each and every one of these people wanted to see that reality, and so they worked.

    What about you? Do you have an interest in God's promises? Do you claim them for your own? Then drop the excuses and pick up a chisel. God has promised to make his glory known through the church (Eph. 2:7; 3:10, 20-21). And of the ways that he displays his glory is through the diversity (Gal. 3:28; Eph. 2:14-16; Rev. 7:9). If it is your passion to see God's glory on display, then be a part of the diversity that is the church.