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^“6 So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart. ⁷ But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. ⁸ They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. ⁹ But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.” NIV

A common enemy and a common cause brought four different groups together in an attempt to stop the work on the walls. Jerusalem was now surrounded by enemy forces.

I remember hearing Dr. Howard Hendricks say, ‘If the devil isn’t working you over, maybe you aren’t all that significant!’ I think that was roughly and gruffly expressed and it could lead to unnecessary guilt.Nevertheless there is an important point enshrined in his words. When the work of God is progressing, the enemy will be greatly angered (1, 7) and we can expect persecution in some form. Here the opposition goes up a gear from verbal abuse to the threat of physical assault. Words can hurt and damage you, but they can’t kill you. Weapons, however can.

In the face of spiritual attack the church must pray ( 4, 9). Of course we must pray. But if there are other things we obviously should do, let us also do them. Prayer is not a substitute for taking wise courses of action.

‘’But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.’’

On a new year’s eve many years ago, an old gentleman from my church in Wigan, spoke to me about important exams I would be taking the next Spring. His sage advice came in the form of repeating what a general had famously said to his soldiers, ‘Pray to the Lord, and keep your powder dry!.’

PRAYER: Lord, may I never make prayer an excuse for failing to do my duty. Help me to see clearly what activities I need to link to my prayers.

“When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, ² and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, ‘What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble – burned as they are?’³ Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, ‘What they are building – even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!’ ⁴ Hear us, our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. ⁵ Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of^[b] the builders.⁶ So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.” NIV

Ridicule and mockery will come the church’s way; Christians who are open about their faith will have it to face. How do you deal with it? Nehemiah and the Jewish people show the way – stay prayerful and keep going. Don’t be deflected or distracted, but carry on.

This is the third time we find Nehemiah praying, and it certainly will not be the last (see 1:4-11 and 2:4). He commits his persecutors to the Lord in prayer.

Warren Wiersbe helpfully explains what is going on in a prayer which might sound spiteful to some ears:

‘Nehemiah’s prayer resembles the ‘’imprecatory psalms,’’ such as Psalms 69; 79; and 139:19-22. We must remember that Nehemiah was praying as a servant of God concerned for the glory of God. He was not requesting personal vengeance but official vindication for God’s people. The enemy had blasphemously provoked God before the builders, and this was a terrible sin. The opposition of Sanballat and Tobiah against the Jews was in reality opposition against God.’ Old Testament Commentary, p.763.

F.B. Meyer also offers this insight:

‘Whenever God’s work revives, there is sure to be evil-speaking and reproach. It is a mistake to reply. Let us hand over our cause to God, and go on with his work. It matters very little what men say, as long as he is pleased.’

He goes on to suggest:

‘Had Nehemiah had the message of Christ, he would not have prayed as in v.5. Our Lord taught us to intercede for our enemies, Matt.5:44. But let us emulate Nehemiah’s zeal for the name of God, and let us remember that increased light means increased responsibility, Matt.11:11.’ ‘Devotional Commentary’, p. 206.

PRAYER: If my ‘friends’ (or enemies) ‘despise, forsake’ me, help me to ‘take it to the Lord in prayer.’ Indeed, enable me please to take them ‘to the Lord in prayer’.

 “When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, ² and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, ‘What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble – burned as they are?’³ Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, ‘What they are building – even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!’ ” NIV

‘God had one Son without sin, but He never had a son without trial.’ C.H. Spurgeon.

As previously noted, the book of Nehemiah provides vivid insights into the spiritual battle all believers face. As the work of God progresses it is not unusual for God’s workforce to come under spiritual attack. This will regularly come through people, and it may take a number of forms. One of the major weapons the enemy uses against us is that of ridicule, scorn, contempt, derision. This is not the first time we have watched this weapon being wielded (see 2:19). No-one on the receiving end of it is likely to argue that it doesn’t hurt. It can be potent. Shakespeare called ridicule ‘paper bullets of the brain’, but these bullets have, all the same, brought some people down.

By the way, as we overhear the barbed comments, we do get an insight into how big a task the Jews had on their hands. They certainly were not up to it in their own strength. This was true.

Looking at verse 2, you wonder if Sanballat had the army assembled to frighten the Jews and intensify the power of his ridicule.

Tomorrow we will see how Nehemiah again lifted up ‘the shield of faith.’ But for now I think it’s important to say that coming under such verbal abuse may be part of the price you have to pay for being a disciple of Jesus. It’s not easy; but neither are we defenceless. It doesn’t have to stop us. We have armour to wear (Ephesians 6:10-20). We must use it.

^“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 towards 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.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.” NIV

We have seen that this description of the work on the walls moves anti-clockwise around them. So, with these final verses, we come full circle. Having already pointed out key ideas, thoughts and phrases, I leave you to read the remaining paragraphs, bearing these in mind.

Perhaps the key point to underline is this: in the church we believe in every member ministry. Each one has a role to play, and each must do their bit, or there will be ‘gaps’ in the wall. There are no ‘good for nothings’ among us. God has gifted everyone to do at least one thing well. So team-work is required, and true team-work slays egotism because we all need each other. No-one is self-sufficient.

Nevertheless, although hard work is called for, Oswald Chambers sounds a wise and loving cautionary note in these words:

“Beware of any work for God that causes or allows you to avoid concentrating on Him. A great number of Christian workers worship their work. The only concern of Christian workers should be their concentration on God. This will mean that all the other boundaries of life, whether they are mental, moral, or spiritual limits, are completely free with the freedom God gives His child; that is, a worshiping child, not a wayward one. A worker who lacks this serious controlling emphasis of concentration on God is apt to become overly burdened by his work. He is a slave to his own limits, having no freedom of his body, mind, or spirit. Consequently, he becomes burned out and defeated. There is no freedom and no delight in life at all. His nerves, mind, and heart are so overwhelmed that God’s blessing cannot rest on him.”

‘’Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain’’ (1 Corinthians 15:58).

^“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.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 Binnui  son 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, Meremothson of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired another section, from the entrance of Eliashib’s house to the end of it.” NIV

It strikes me that this whole chapter is a kind of ‘House of heroes.’ It’s a documentation of the efforts and contributions of many, who worked so hard to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, whilst facing a barrage of opposition and difficulty.

But among all those who worked willingly and well, it is only said of ‘’Baruch son of Zabbai’’ that he ‘’zealously repaired another section’’ (20). Warren Wiersbe points out that the Hebrew word means ‘to burn or glow’ and he says it suggests that ‘Baruch burned a lot of energy!’ I think of Jesus’ words about John the Baptist: ‘’John was a lamp that burned and gave light…’’ (John 5:35). I believe there is the idea there of burning up. John gave his all in his testimony to Jesus.

‘’Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might…’’ (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

‘’One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys’’ (Proverbs 18:9).

Remember, the Lord finds lukewarmness distasteful.

PRAYER: ‘Lord, help me to not live on a ‘low light’. May I give my very best to and for you.

^“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.” NIV

You will notice a number of references in this chapter to ‘’doors and bolts and bars’’ (verses 3, 13, 14 and 15). This was about security. The bars were fitted into sockets, thus making it difficult for anyone outside to open the gates. It was an important part, therefore, of the comprehensive repair job. Two particular gates are mentioned in today’s reading:

The ‘’Valley Gate’’ is where Nehemiah began his night time inspection of the walls (2:13). It’s suggested that this long section of wall mentioned in verse 13, (over 1,700 feet), may not have been as badly damaged as other parts.

The ‘’Dung Gate’’ was located at the southernmost point of the city, close to the pool of Siloam. It was the main exit to the Valley of Hinnom, Jerusalem’s rubbish dump. Jesus used it as a picture of Hell.

You have to serve God wherever he sets you down. Some of us would say, with the psalmist, that the boundary lines have fallen for us in ‘’pleasant places.’’ We recognise that we don’t deserve such a location for life and ministry, but it is where God, in the mystery of His will, has placed us.

However there are those called to build by ‘’the dung Gate.’’

 C.T. Studd was an England cricketer who gave up his career to become a missionary in both India and Africa. He said: ‘Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell, I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell.’

The larger truth actually is that whether we serve in a quiet leafy village or a teeming urban centre, we all build at ‘’the Dung Gate.’’ There is no escaping the sight and stench of sinful ‘rubbish’ in every setting, however lovely it may be. The effects of the fall are found everywhere. We live in a broken and messy world.

“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.” NIV

‘A great many people have got a false idea about the church. They have got an idea that the church is a place to rest in…to get into a nicely cushioned pew, and contribute to the charities, listen to the minister, and do their share to keep the church out of bankruptcy is all they want. The idea of work for them – actual work in the church – never enters their minds.’ D.L.Moody.

As we read through this next section of chapter 3, we get a growing sense of the variety of people, and trades, who contributed to the rebuilding of the wall. In a time of national emergency, men and women had to do things they wouldn’t normally do; things which, perhaps, they didn’t particularly feel fitted for. I doubt whether being a goldsmith or a perfume-maker naturally qualified you for work on a building site.

In one of my Bibles, I wrote a note next to verse 12: ‘What a privilege to serve together in the church with your family.’ This reference to Shallum and his daughters reminds me of Philip, in the New Testament, who ‘’had four unmarried daughters who prophesied’’ (Acts 21:9).

Again, in this section, we run into a phrase that in some form or other we are going to encounter again in this chapter: ‘’…made repairs opposite his house’’ (10; see also verses 23, 28, 29, 30). Warren Wiersbe calculates that at least six different workers, plus an unknown number of priests, repaired portions of the wall that were nearest to their own houses. He writes: ‘If all of us would follow this example, our neighbourhoods and cities would be in much better shape.’ OT Commentary, p.760. A Chinese proverb says, ‘Better to be kind at home than to burn incense in a far place.’

In the ‘Sent Scattered’ series we’ve been going through on Sunday mornings these past few weeks, we’ve been recognising that God has placed each of us in a particular area, and we are to be the church there. Church is about so much more than Sunday services. Oswald Chambers wrote: ‘God puts His saints where they will glorify Him, and we are no judges at all of where that is.’

‘Try and make your own neighbourhood a little more like God would have it. It may be that you have gone too far afield in search of work; you are applying to the Foreign Missionary Society, or are waiting for a sphere of service; yet all the time there is that wretched neighbourhood, like a piece of ruined wall before you. Arise and repair it!’ F.B. Meyer: ‘Great Verses Through The Bible’, p.168.

PRAYER: Lord, you have assigned me a part of ‘the wall’ for the task of rebuilding. Help me to fully play my part, and be content with my assignment, not wishing for someone else’s position or location.

“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. ⁵ The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa, but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors.”NIV

Starting with the ‘’Sheep Gate’’ (1) the list of ‘work stations’ takes us round the walls anti-clockwise. The ‘’Fish Gate’’ was used by merchants bringing in their fish from the Med. There may have been a fish market close by. It was a key entrance to the city.

We now run into the word ‘’next.’’ We will become familiar with its use as we work through chapter 3. Also, we will repeatedly bump into the phrase ‘’next to Him’’ (or ‘’next to them’’, or ‘’the next section’’). It is a reminder that the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls was a huge collaborative effort. People pulled together to get the job done, showing a willingness to work. (Thankfully, ‘’the nobles’’ (5), with their lazy attitudes, were not in the majority.)

During this pandemic, when the church can’t meet in large numbers, make sure you get ‘’next’’ to someone. This starts at home. If you are married, or live as part of a family unit, you can do many things to help and encourage one another spiritually. You can provide all kinds of practical support.

But thinking beyond your own home, who can you get ‘’next’’ to? It might be by calling or texting or emailing, Skyping or zooming, writing or sending a card. At the moment, you might be able to meet someone, at a safe distance – especially in a garden. Obviously, please maintain safe guidelines. But make sure the church is a place ‘where no-one stands alone.’

Then, beyond the church family, who in your wider circle might need you to come alongside them, and how might it be best to do this?

We need each other. We all need to be ‘’next’’ to others, and to have others who are ‘’next’’ to us. In God’s Kingdom, great works are done in team. What we could not do alone becomes possible when the skills, talents and gifts of many are brought to the building site.

‘Thirty-eight individual workers are named in this chapter, and fourty-two different groups are identified. There were also many workers whom Nehemiah did not name whose labours were important, and each worker – named and anonymous – was assigned a place and a task.’ Warren W. Wiersbe: OT Commentary, p.759.

PRAYER: Lord, please show me who I need to reach out to today, and just how I should encourage and help them.

“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.” NIV

The ‘Sheep Gate’ was probably the part of the city where the animals for sacrifice were brought in. It would obviously be a natural sphere of interest for the priests. They needed to ensure that the worship of God, in the prescribed way, would stay at the centre of the city’s life. Its overall health and well-being was dependent on it. We are truly grateful to live in days in which we know that the many, and repeated, animal sacrifices of the Old Testament era have been perfectly fulfilled in Jesus, and all our worship of God is centred in Him.

We see in the early part of Acts 6 that, as a general principle, the local church should be so ordered that spiritual leaders can give themselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word. But there do come special times – moments of crisis and emergency – where everyone needs to role up their sleeves and pitch in. Church leaders should not be reluctant about getting their hands ‘dirty’. We must never imagine that any kind of practical work is beneath us. Reading through chapter 3, it is striking to see the number and variety of people who got involved in rebuilding the walls. ‘There’s a work for Jesus none but you can do.’ You have a part to play, and there will be a gap if you don’t fill it.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, you are the builder of the church. But I thank you that you have taken me on as a labourer in your workforce. Under your leadership, may I know and play my part.