Scriptures for Today
Nehemiah 3:1-32
Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests, and they builded the sheep gate; they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; even unto the tower of Meah they sanctified it, unto the tower of Hananeel. 2 And next unto him builded the men of Jericho. And next to them builded Zaccur the son of Imri. 3 But the fish gate did the sons of Hassenaah build, who also laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. 4 And next unto them repaired Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz. And next unto them repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabeel. And next unto them repaired Zadok the son of Baana. 5 And next unto them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their Lord. 6 Moreover the old gate repaired Jehoiada the son of Paseah, and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah; they laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, and the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. 7 And next unto them repaired Melatiah the Gibeonite, and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon, and of Mizpah, unto the throne of the governor on this side the river. 8 Next unto him repaired Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, of the goldsmiths. Next unto him also repaired Hananiah the son of one of the apothecaries, and they fortified Jerusalem unto the broad wall. 9 And next unto them repaired Rephaiah the son of Hur, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem. 10 And next unto them repaired Jedaiah the son of Harumaph, even over against his house. And next unto him repaired Hattush the son of Hashabniah. 11 Malchijah the son of Harim, and Hashub the son of Pahath-moab, repaired the other piece, and the tower of the furnaces. 12 And next unto him repaired Shallum the son of Halohesh, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem, he and his daughters. 13 The valley gate repaired Hanun, and the inhabitants of Zanoah; they built it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof, and a thousand cubits on the wall unto the dung gate. 14 But the dung gate repaired Malchiah the son of Rechab, the ruler of part of Beth-haccerem; he built it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. 15 But the gate of the fountain repaired Shallun the son of Col-hozeh, the ruler of part of Mizpah; he built it, and covered it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof, and the wall of the pool of Siloah by the king’s garden, and unto the stairs that go down from the city of David. 16 After him repaired Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, the ruler of the half part of Beth-zur, unto the place over against the sepulchres of David, and to the pool that was made, and unto the house of the mighty. 17 After him repaired the Levites, Rehum the son of Bani. Next unto him repaired Hashabiah, the ruler of the half part of Keilah, in his part. 18 After him repaired their brethren, Bavai the son of Henadad, the ruler of the half part of Keilah. 19 And next to him repaired Ezer the son of Jeshua, the ruler of Mizpah, another piece over against the going up to the armoury at the turning of the wall. 20 After him Baruch the son of Zabbai earnestly repaired the other piece, from the turning of the wall unto the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest. 21 After him repaired Meremoth the son of Urijah the son of Koz another piece, from the door of the house of Eliashib even to the end of the house of Eliashib. 22 And after him repaired the priests, the men of the plain. 23 After him repaired Benjamin and Hashub over against their house. After him repaired Azariah the son of Maaseiah the son of Ananiah by his house. 24 After him repaired Binnui the son of Henadad another piece, from the house of Azariah unto the turning of the wall, even unto the corner. 25 Palal the son of Uzai, over against the turning of the wall, and the tower which lieth out from the king’s high house, that was by the court of the prison. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh. 26 Moreover the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel, unto the place over against the water gate toward the east, and the tower that lieth out. 27 After them the Tekoites repaired another piece, over against the great tower that lieth out, even unto the wall of Ophel. 28 From above the horse gate repaired the priests, every one over against his house. 29 After them repaired Zadok the son of Immer over against his house. After him repaired also Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah, the keeper of the east gate. 30 After him repaired Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph, another piece. After him repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah over against his chamber. 31 After him repaired Malchiah the goldsmith’s son unto the place of the Nethinims, and of the merchants, over against the gate Miphkad, and to the going up of the corner. 32 And between the going up of the corner unto the sheep gate repaired the goldsmiths and the merchants.
INTRODUCTION
Let me ask you a question. Have you ever started a huge project and thought, “Where do I even begin?” Maybe it was building something, moving, cleaning out a house, remodeling a room, or trying to get your life back in order. At first, it looks impossible. Now imagine rebuilding an entire city.
Imagine arriving in Jerusalem. The Temple is standing again because God has already brought His people back to worship. But the city is still exposed. The walls are broken down. The gates are burned with fire. Huge piles of stone still lie where the Babylonians left them. The people can worship God, but they have no protection around the city.
The walls are broken down. The gates have been burned with fire. Enemies are nearby. The city is weak. The work is massive. And God doesn’t send one superhero to do everything. He uses ordinary people, families, priests, rulers, goldsmiths, merchants, and servants. That is the lesson of Nehemiah 3. Everybody couldn’t do everything, but everybody could do something.
I. THE WORK STARTED WITH THE SHEEP GATE
Nehemiah 3:1-2
Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests, and they builded the sheep gate; they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; even unto the tower of Meah they sanctified it, unto the tower of Hananeel. 2 And next unto him builded the men of Jericho. And next to them builded Zaccur the son of Imri.
Notice who begins the work: the high priest and the priests. The spiritual leaders are not standing back giving speeches while everyone else works. They are involved in the work. And notice what gate they rebuild first: the Sheep Gate.
That is important. The Sheep Gate was connected to sacrifice. Sheep would come through that gate for the offerings. Before God records the Fish Gate, the Old Gate, the Valley Gate, or the Dung Gate, He starts with the Sheep Gate. What comes first reveals what matters most. The work begins with worship. The first gate mentioned reminds us that God must be first.
And notice verse 2: “And next unto him.” That phrase is going to keep showing up. This chapter is not about one man doing everything. It is about people working next to one another. Everybody couldn’t do everything, but everybody could do something.
II. THE WORK CONTINUED GATE BY GATE
Nehemiah 3:3-5
But the fish gate did the sons of Hassenaah build, who also laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. 4 And next unto them repaired Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz. And next unto them repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabeel. And next unto them repaired Zadok the son of Baana. 5 And next unto them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their Lord.
Here we see more names. More workers. More sections. The Fish Gate is rebuilt. Beams, doors, locks, and bars are set in place. This is real work. This is not symbolic work. This is labor. But then verse 5 gives us one of the saddest statements in the chapter. “The Tekoites repaired; but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their Lord.”
The people worked, but the nobles would not. That is a warning. Some people will let others carry the burden. Some people will watch while others work. Some people will enjoy the benefits of the wall but refuse to help build it. Which one are you? Are you a builder or a spectator?
Everybody couldn’t do everything, but everybody could do something. But these nobles refused to do their part. They wouldn’t do any of the Lord’s work. We have work to do here.
III. SOME REPAIRED WHAT WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM
Nehemiah 3:6-12
Moreover the old gate repaired Jehoiada the son of Paseah, and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah; they laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, and the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. 7 And next unto them repaired Melatiah the Gibeonite, and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon, and of Mizpah, unto the throne of the governor on this side the river. 8 Next unto him repaired Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, of the goldsmiths. Next unto him also repaired Hananiah the son of one of the apothecaries, and they fortified Jerusalem unto the broad wall. 9 And next unto them repaired Rephaiah the son of Hur, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem. 10 And next unto them repaired Jedaiah the son of Harumaph, even over against his house. And next unto him repaired Hattush the son of Hashabniah. 11 Malchijah the son of Harim, and Hashub the son of Pahath-moab, repaired the other piece, and the tower of the furnaces. 12 And next unto him repaired Shallum the son of Halohesh, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem, he and his daughters.
Notice the variety of people. Goldsmiths are working. Apothecaries or makers of ointments, perfumes, and medicines are working. Rulers are working. Families are working. Even Shallum, the ruler of the half part of Jeruslaem and his daughters are working. He didn’t sit back and watch! His daughters worked too! This is not just one class of people. This is not just the construction workers. This is not just the leaders. This is everybody finding a place.
And don’t miss verse 10: “even over against his house.” Jedaiah repaired the part near his own house. That makes sense. Sometimes the place to begin serving is right in front of you. Start with your house. Start with your family. Start with your section. Start with what God has placed in front of you.
A church does not get built by everyone waiting for someone else to do the work. It gets built when each person says, “This is my section. I can help here.” Some can preach. Some can sing. Some can clean. Some can cook. Some can greet visitors. Some can teach children. Some can run sound and the computer. Some can go soul winning. Some can pray. Some can invite.
Everybody couldn’t do everything, but everybody could do something.
IV. SOME WORK WAS DIRTY, BUT IT STILL MATTERED
Nehemiah 3:13-14
The valley gate repaired Hanun, and the inhabitants of Zanoah; they built it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof, and a thousand cubits on the wall unto the dung gate. 14 But the dung gate repaired Malchiah the son of Rechab, the ruler of part of Beth-haccerem; he built it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.
Now we come to the Dung Gate. Nobody probably wanted the Dung Gate assignment. Everybody wants the important-looking job. Everybody wants the visible job. Everybody wants the job people clap for. But somebody had to repair the Dung Gate. And God recorded his name. Think about that. God noticed the man who repaired the Dung Gate.
That teaches us something important. Some jobs are not glamorous, but they are necessary. Cleaning bathrooms is not glamorous. Taking out trash is not glamorous. Setting up chairs is not glamorous. Scrubbing floors is not glamorous. But the work matters. People may not notice it, but God does. Everybody couldn’t do everything, but everybody could do something.
V. THE WORK KEPT MOVING
Nehemiah 3:15-19
But the gate of the fountain repaired Shallun the son of Col-hozeh, the ruler of part of Mizpah; he built it, and covered it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof, and the wall of the pool of Siloah by the king’s garden, and unto the stairs that go down from the city of David. 16 After him repaired Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, the ruler of the half part of Beth-zur, unto the place over against the sepulchres of David, and to the pool that was made, and unto the house of the mighty. 17 After him repaired the Levites, Rehum the son of Bani. Next unto him repaired Hashabiah, the ruler of the half part of Keilah, in his part. 18 After him repaired their brethren, Bavai the son of Henadad, the ruler of the half part of Keilah. 19 And next to him repaired Ezer the son of Jeshua, the ruler of Mizpah, another piece over against the going up to the armoury at the turning of the wall.
Do you hear the repetition? After him. Next unto him. After him. Next to him. God is showing us the wall going up section by section. Imagine standing there on the first day. The wall is broken. The gates are burned. The project looks impossible. But then one family starts. Then another. Then another. One gate is repaired. One section is strengthened. One piece is finished. That’s how great works get done.
Not usually all at once. Not usually with one giant miracle. But one faithful person, one faithful family, one faithful section, one faithful day at a time. One hour at a time. One minute at a time. Over and over again until it’s all finished. Everybody couldn’t do everything, but everybody could do something.
VI. GOD NOTICED EXTRA EFFORT
Nehemiah 3:20-23
After him Baruch the son of Zabbai earnestly repaired the other piece, from the turning of the wall unto the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest. 21 After him repaired Meremoth the son of Urijah the son of Koz another piece, from the door of the house of Eliashib even to the end of the house of Eliashib. 22 And after him repaired the priests, the men of the plain. 23 After him repaired Benjamin and Hashub over against their house. After him repaired Azariah the son of Maaseiah the son of Ananiah by his house.
Verse 20 says Baruch “earnestly repaired.” God noticed his attitude. He didn’t just repair. He repaired earnestly or with great enthusiasm, zeal, diligence, intensity, and wholehearted effort. Some of you might be here putting forth great effort with enthusiasm and zeal. Some of you might not be. It’s time to change that.
Some people do the minimum. Some people do only what they have to do. But some people put their heart into the work. Some people go above and beyond.
Have you ever worked with someone who always asks, “What else can I do?” They don’t have to be begged. They don’t have to be chased. They don’t have to be reminded every five minutes. They see the work, and they do it earnestly. It’s hard to find people like that in today’s world.
God notices that. And again in verse 23, we see people repairing near their own houses. God keeps showing us that the work was personal. This wasn’t just “Nehemiah’s wall.” This was their city. Their families were affected. Their future was affected. Their children were affected.
The same is true in church. This isn’t just “the pastor’s church.” This is our church family. Our work. Our mission. Our city. Our responsibility. Everybody couldn’t do everything, but everybody could do something.
VII. SOME PEOPLE DID ANOTHER PIECE
Nehemiah 3:24-27
After him repaired Binnui the son of Henadad another piece, from the house of Azariah unto the turning of the wall, even unto the corner. 25 Palal the son of Uzai, over against the turning of the wall, and the tower which lieth out from the king’s high house, that was by the court of the prison. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh. 26 Moreover the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel, unto the place over against the water gate toward the east, and the tower that lieth out. 27 After them the Tekoites repaired another piece, over against the great tower that lieth out, even unto the wall of Ophel.
Here we see something encouraging. The Tekoites show up again. Back in verse 5, their nobles refused to work. But the Tekoites themselves didn’t quit. They didn’t say, “If our leaders won’t work, then we won’t work either.” No, they kept working even without their leaders.
And according to verse 27, they repaired another piece. That’s powerful. Some people use other people’s laziness as an excuse to quit. They say, “Nobody else is doing anything, so why should I?” But the Tekoites didn’t do that. Their nobles refused to work, but they repaired anyway. And then they repaired another piece.
That is faithfulness. You can’t control whether everyone else serves God. You can’t control whether everyone else is faithful. But you can decide what you will do. Everybody couldn’t do everything, but everybody could do something.
VIII. GOD REMEMBERED THE WORKERS
Nehemiah 3:28-32
From above the horse gate repaired the priests, every one over against his house. 29 After them repaired Zadok the son of Immer over against his house. After him repaired also Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah, the keeper of the east gate. 30 After him repaired Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph, another piece. After him repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah over against his chamber. 31 After him repaired Malchiah the goldsmith’s son unto the place of the Nethinims, and of the merchants, over against the gate Miphkad, and to the going up of the corner. 32 And between the going up of the corner unto the sheep gate repaired the goldsmiths and the merchants.
The chapter ends right back near the Sheep Gate. It comes full circle. And all through this chapter, God gives us name after name after name. Most of these people are not famous. Most of them are not mentioned much elsewhere. Most people don’t know their stories. But God recorded their names. Why?
Because God remembers faithful workers. Imagine walking around Jerusalem years later. People admire the wall. People admire the gates. People feel safe inside the city because of this wall. But nobody asks, “Who repaired this section?” God knew. God remembered the workers.
People may forget your work, but God never does. People may forget who cleaned. People may forget who cooked. People may forget who prayed. People may forget who invited them. People may forget who picked them up. People may forget who stayed late. People may forget who locked the gate and was the last person out. People may forget who turned the last lights off for the day. But God doesn’t forget.
CONCLUSION
Imagine standing on top of the finished wall of Jerusalem. The gates are restored. The city is protected. The people are safer. The work is done. Now ask: who built it? Not one person. Not just Nehemiah.
The priests built. The goldsmiths built. The merchants built. The rulers built. The daughters helped. The families repaired near their homes. The Tekoites repaired even though their nobles refused. Baruch repaired earnestly. Everybody had a job. And that’s the lesson.
Everybody couldn’t do everything, but everybody could do something. So let me ask you one final question. If God were writing a chapter about the work at this church, would your name be in it?
Would it say, “Next unto him repaired…”? Would it say, “After him repaired…”? Would it say, “He repaired earnestly…”? Or would it say what it said about the nobles of Tekoa? “They put not their necks to the work of their Lord.” God’s work is too important for spectators. Everybody couldn’t do everything, but everybody could do something.
And when everybody does something, God builds something far greater than any one person could build alone.
Let’s pray.
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