Nehemiah 3:1-14, Working Together

What an amazing chapter.  There is no other one like it.  What an illustration for Christians who have been called into fellowship with each other in the Body of Christ.  Here are few observations, but I encourage you to slow-read the chapter and see what the LORD impresses on you.

·       Working together requires cooperation.

Note that nearly everyone worked.  It was a major project and was long overdue.  It was essential that there be broad participation.  Here are some illustrations that show this cooperation.  The priests are at the beginning of the list (v1); leaders should lead.  The Tekoites helped even though their “noblemen” didn’t (v5).  Who these were isn’t clear (the rich? political leaders?) but what the word means is “great ones, majestic ones.”  In other words, they thought a lot of themselves.  Like Jesus said, the best leaders are the best servants.  Take, for example, the leader who built the dung gate (v14).  That was the gate where the trash was taken out to the Hinnom Valley; it was also the gate through which you had access to the temple area.  The Nethinim helped (v26).  They were the Gibeonites who had required responsibilities (dating back to the time of Joshua, in Josh. 8).  They didn’t have to do this.  So many different kinds of people, but willing to cooperate.

·                   Working together requires coordination.

In other words, there was a plan; all these people worked “harmoniously.”  It went around the city, beginning and ending at the Sheep Gate.  There were 12 gates in the city (10 are mentioned in this chapter; 12:39 mentions the Ephraim and Prison gates).  Those who lived in the city began at their home (v10,23,28-30; most workers lived outside the city).  One exception was Eliashib the priest (v1,20). 

·       Working together requires concentration.

What we mean is that people needed to apply attention to their responsibility, and not to be judges of what others were doing.  And it seems that is what was happening. 

What can we say about this fellowship of wall-builders?  They finished the project in 52 days (Neh. 6:15).  Think about that.  It was between 2 and 2 1/2 miles circumference.  Truly God was at work, answering the prayers of Nehemiah.

And what can we say of ourselves?  In Christ, we can cooperate in ministry because we are being equipped for that (Eph. 4:11-16).  There is coordination because Christ joins the body together (Eph. 4:16).  The different gifts, ministries and effects are overseen by the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:4-6).  God places the parts where He desires (1 Cor. 12:18).  And we can concentrate on our part because not all are the same (1 Cor. 12:14-17; Rom. 12:6-8).  May we be able to say the same in our fellowship: GOD IS AT WORK THROUGH US!