8/30/13- Lift Up Your Heads You Mighty Gates

28 Above the Horse Gate, the priests made repairs, each in front of his own house. 29 Next to them, Zadok son of Immer made repairs opposite his house. Next to him, Shemaiah son of Shekaniah, the guard at the East Gate, made repairs. 30 Next to him, Hananiah son of Shelemiah, and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section. Next to them, Meshullam son of Berekiah made repairs opposite his living quarters.31 Next to him, Malkijah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs as far as the house of the temple servants and the merchants, opposite the Inspection Gate, and as far as the room above the corner; 32 and between the room above the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and merchants made repairs. (Nehemiah 3:28-32)

Thoughts: The repairs continued going all the way back to the Sheep Gate up north.  The gate of the east (vs. 29) was the golden gate that the Messiah was supposed to go through (Ezekiel 43:4) and was the gate Jesus entered into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday from the Mount of Olives and straight into the Temple courts (Lk. 19; Mk. 11).  Ezekiel prophesied that this gate would remain shut after God entered through it (44:1,2).  Today the Muslims have walled up the golden gate that Jesus entered through. It appears that people made repairs in front of their own house for the most part and others filled in when there was no house owner to repair the wall.  Chapter three completes a circle of the new city Nehemiah was walling in.  It was not nearly as big as the old, and not nearly as big as Jerusalem in the time of Jesus or the current city of Jerusalem (see picture below.  But the beginning of the wall enabled the existence of the city.  If there was no wall around that small section of Jerusalem then, Jesus may not have entered into Jerusalem 400 years later.  The work we do today has consequences far beyond what we will see.  

Prayer: Enter into my heart, Lord Jesus.  May my heart be an open gate for you.  

(Above the Golden (Eastern) Gate to Jerusalem- walled off now). 

Click here to hear "Lift Up Your Heads O Ye Gates" by George F. Handel

8/29/13 Fulfilling the Dream

22 The repairs next to him were made by the priests from the surrounding region. 23 Beyond them, Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs in front of their house; and next to them, Azariah son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, made repairs beside his house. 24 Next to him, Binnui son of Henadad repaired another section, from Azariah’s house to the angle and the corner,25 and Palal son of Uzai worked opposite the angle and the tower projecting from the upper palace near the court of the guard. Next to him, Pedaiah son of Parosh 26 and the temple servants living on the hill of Ophel made repairs up to a point opposite the Water Gate toward the east and the projecting tower. 27 Next to them, the men of Tekoa repaired another section, from the great projecting tower to the wall of Ophel. (Nehemiah 3:22-27) 

Thoughts: It is too easy to skip over this section because the names are hard to pronounce.  But this is not like the genealogies of 1 Chronicles.  There are lessons here about how to work, how to succeed, and how to honor God, even how to fulfill a dream.
    Yesterday marked the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King's march.  There has been a huge change- evident in the south- from 50 years ago.  As Lewis said, people can "go where they want to go and be what they want to be, and eat where they want to eat."  There are no black and white bathrooms.  There was a dream fulfilled, and it is still being fulfilled.  The people in Jerusalem had a dream of escaping the ruins and disgrace of their city.  Nehemiah is about their fulfilling that dream.
    Jerusalem and her security was so important that others who did not live in the city helped build the wall.  So the priests from the surrounding region helped with the build.  True, if there was another major invasion, they would probably seek shelter behind these walls that they were helping to build.  But for day to day protection, they were not there.  On the other hand, there were many who built the section of the wall next to their house.  It is clear that the writer (maybe Ezra?) did not want to divide the people up into those who lived in the city and those who did not.  Rather he took it one section of the wall at a time all the way around. 
     One other interesting point here is found in verse 27.  The men of Tekoa were the ones whose nobles refused to work (3:5).  But they didn't let their leader's bad example keep them from the work.  They even repaired another section of the wall.  It is an exceptional thing to not be discouraged by poor leadership- but it is even more exceptional to turn that around into doing more work than expected. 

Prayer: Help me, Lord, to not let the failures of some keep me from doing what you want me to do.  Let me follow your example, O Lord.  

8/28/13- Repairers of the Wall

17 Next to him, the repairs were made by the Levites under Rehum son of Bani. Beside him, Hashabiah, ruler of half the district of Keilah, carried out repairs for his district. 18 Next to him, the repairs were made by their fellow Levites under Binnuison of Henadad, ruler of the other half-district of Keilah.19 Next to him, Ezer son of Jeshua, ruler of Mizpah, repaired another section, from a point facing the ascent to the armory as far as the angle of the wall. 20 Next to him, Baruch son of Zabbai zealously repaired another section, from the angle to the entrance of the house of Eliashib the high priest. 21 Next to him, Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired another section, from the entrance of Eliashib’s house to the end of it. (Nehemiah 3:17-21)

Thoughts: In contrast to the nobles of the small town of Tekoa (who refused to work) were rulers of districts and half-districts who worked hard and oversaw the work themselves.  The word "repaired" (hehezik in Hebrew) implies that the walls were not completely torn down, and that they were able to take stone already quarried and put them back up.  Another phrase that bears examination is "next to him."  Often soldiers say that in the heat of battle they were not fighting as much for a cause or for their country as for the person next to them.  Having someone working at the same time, in coordination, begins a sense of comradery and  teamwork- a synergism takes place.  As Ecclesiastes 4 points out- two are better than one.  The Levites were working, the politicians were working, the skilled and unskilled were working.  Doubtless the economy of Jerusalem came to a standstill.  They did not have time to gather crops, sell goods, wash clothes, do chores. But everyone dropping everything to do this important work, added to the energy and strength.  
    One note- Baruch "zealously repaired" the wall leading into the high priest's house (Eliashib).  Perhaps he wanted to do this for the Lord and his high servant.  We need some really zealous people to inspire us to answer God's call to us well.
     We do not have a contractor's account.  There are no figures about how much stone was brought in, or how much mortar was used.  The concentration here is on the willingness of the people to respond to God's call.  In the end- it does not matter how tough the work was, but that we did the work for the Lord. 

Prayer: Help me to be a repairer of broken walls.  Help me to be one who builds up and does not tear down.  Use me, Lord, for your glory. 

8/27/13- Named Helpers and Givers

6 The Jeshanah Gate was repaired by Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah. They laid its beams and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place. 7 Next to them, repairs were made by men from Gibeon and Mizpah—Melatiah of Gibeon and Jadon of Meronoth—places under the authority of the governor of Trans-Euphrates. 8 Uzziel son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired the next section; and Hananiah, one of the perfume-makers, made repairs next to that. They restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall. 9 Rephaiah son of Hur, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section. 10 Adjoining this, Jedaiah son of Harumaph made repairs opposite his house, and Hattush son of Hashabneiah made repairs next to him. 11 Malkijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-Moab repaired another section and the Tower of the Ovens. 12 Shallum son of Hallohesh, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section with the help of his daughters.

13 The Valley Gate was repaired by Hanun and the residents of Zanoah. They rebuilt it and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place. They also repaired a thousand cubits of the wall as far as the Dung Gate.

14 The Dung Gate was repaired by Malkijah son of Rekab, ruler of the district of Beth Hakkerem. He rebuilt it and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place.

15 The Fountain Gate was repaired by Shallun son of Kol-Hozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah. He rebuilt it, roofing it over and putting its doors and bolts and bars in place. He also repaired the wall of the Pool of Siloam, by the King’s Garden, as far as the steps going down from the City of David. 16 Beyond him, Nehemiah son of Azbuk, ruler of a half-district of Beth Zur, made repairs up to a point opposite the tombs of David, as far as the artificial pool and the House of the Heroes.

Thoughts: There are ten gates mentioned here.  This stands out not as just a mention of the topography of Jerusalem, or even as a list of givers and who's who, but as a record that the work was important and so many took part.  This is Nehemiah's naming opportunity fulfilled.  The Bible doesn't have a real problem saying who God used to do something. The plaque was not on the wall, but their names were in the Bible. It list names not giving glory to that person but in giving glory that God used them.
    Some things stand out about this list.  These were not skilled carpenters or stone masons.  Goldsmiths (jewelers) and perfume makers were building the wall (3:8). They believed God would help them do it- not that they already knew how to do it. It is a common held tenet of believers that if God calls us to do something He will equip us and help us get it done.  We need to believe that today.  

     

     The women (3:12) took part in the work- which was an unusual admission in the Old Testament. But God calls all to help glorify Him.
      Many people worked on the part of the wall that was right outside of their house (3:10, 28).  They knew the wall would help them.  

     Some of the people didn't even live there. Some lived in a different region- Trans-Euphrates (3:7).  So there were some who took part in the work who would not directly profit from the work.  Today, part of the selfishness of our time, we are taught to ask, "What's in it for me?"  For believers, the question is redesigned: "What is in it for the glory of God?"  Even secularists see that it is good to plant a tree even if you may not live to sit under its shade.  The Church succeeds when her people do the great work of God sacrificially.  The Church fails when we are nominal, and we do not live our faith out.  

Prayer: Help me, Lord, to be used by you to do your work.  Open doors for me.  Give me the grace to go through them relying on your power and ability.  

8/25/13- Starting the Work

 Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests went to work and rebuilt the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and set its doors in place, building as far as the Tower of the Hundred, which they dedicated, and as far as the Tower of Hananel. 2 The men of Jericho built the adjoining section, and Zakkur son of Imri built next to them.

3 The Fish Gate was rebuilt by the sons of Hassenaah. They laid its beams and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. 4 Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired the next section. Next to him Meshullam son of Berekiah, the son of Meshezabel, made repairs, and next to him Zadok son of Baana also made repairs.
(Nehemiah 3:1-4)

Thoughts: The first work recorded was done by the religious leaders- with the High Priest leading the way.  Religious leaders are not simply to inspire with words, but also with their example and hard work, showing their own motivation.   It would take the work of everyone.  All needed to work together on this project.  The priests, the nobles, the governor, the soldiers.  No one got a pass.  The best projects of the church are poured into by all the people.
     It is also important that we note that they fixed the most vulnerable sections first.  The gates were the most attacked parts when a city was invaded.  The northern section of Jerusalem was the most vulnerable with little geographic barriers.  There is no command to do the hardest- most important- work first, but it certainly makes sense, and could be an example to follow.  So take on the hardest part first and it is down hill form there.  

Prayer: When you call me to take part in something for you, Lord, help me to do my part and to face the toughest challenges head on.