Nehemiah wrote this book in the first person and there is purpose to this. Throughout this book, we see that God has a purpose for His people and displays His power through them.
Nehemiah lists names in this chapter. Now, he is not a royal scribe that is seeking to chronicle everything in great detail. He is not trying to give us as much information just because. He does so intentionally, and we will examine why this is so.
(A) Consecrated repair (Neh 3:1)
In Nehemiah 2:17-20, he had called the people to build and the people responded. At the same time, there were also opposition to their efforts. The action seems to continue in Nehemiah 4:1 — thus this flows from the end of Nehemiah 2. Nehemiah 3 could have been summarised in 1 verse, but he does not do that. Instead of just pulling our eyes to notice the conflict at the end of chapter 2 and at the start of 4, Nehemiah intentionally slows down and records names for us.
We begin and end with the Sheep Gate (Neh 3:1,32). In Nehemiah 3:1, we read of the priests working to build the Sheep Gate and they also consecrated it. To consecrate something is to set it apart, dedicate it to God and to make it sacred or holy unto God. It is a language of exclusivity — no sharing, no mingling, wholly set apart for God and God’s purposes.
But what does it mean for a gate, specifically the Sheep Gate, to be consecrated? Exodus helps us to understand God’s people’s relationship to sheep. Exodus 12:1-6, 12-13 records for us the Passover. God redeemed His people, and they needed to sacrifice a lamb in their stead. It was to teach them that unless something died in their place, they had to bear God’s judgement. This substitutionary sacrifice was later instituted in Leviticus and reminded them that something had to die in their place for God’s judgement to pass over them.
In Exodus 19:1-10, God tells them that they had to consecrate themselves before they approached Him. He desired to make them a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. This idea of a consecrated people is at the centre of their history. This is their identity.
In Nehemiah 3, the repair began at this Sheep Gate, where each sheep for sacrifice needed to pass through. Thus, this rebuilding project is not about just peace and security. This work of repair is so that God’s people will know themselves as a consecrated people. In Nehemiah 1, he had confessed that they were in rebellion and had broken their end of the covenant. They were lost sinners, but here, work of repair begins again because in God’s covenantal mercy, He has built in a way for sinners to be consecrated for Him and made holy again.
It is essential for them to know that God saves sinners — and this is what the sacrificial system taught them. As Leviticus details for us, it meant bringing an unblemished lamb to the temple, and the individual is to place their hand on it, symbolising how it takes the place of the individual to pay the price for sins. This lamb is then sacrificed, with its blood spilled on the altar.
How do we think about God? Do we think about our sins and the forgiveness that we need from Him? Do we think God enhances our lives? Brings about prosperity? Some sense of guidance and ministry? Prosperity?
But friends, at the heart of God’s work is the clear idea that God saves sinners. This is true of the people in Nehemiah’s day, but also true for us. This sacrificial system then was to prepare the people for a true and better sacrifice. We have seen in a clear, unmistakable and public manner how God really saves sinners. As the lyrics to the hymn goes:
Behold the man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders;
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers.
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished;
His dying breath has brought me life –
I know that it is finished.
Is your understanding of church and church life grounded on this fact that God saves sinners? What would you think defines the church/the gathering of God’s people? Would you want them to know how welcoming you are? Or your Bible knowledge? How you have grown in wisdom, love and mercy? Is it clear to you in your heart and life that the defining thing about you is this: that God has saved sinners to be a people for His possession.
Do not grow tired of this gospel. Do not define identity apart from this: that God saves sinners. We are first and foremost, and forever after, known by this great truth: that He has set us apart for Himself and this is how we are known as a people.
(B) Collective repair (Neh 3:1-32)
In this chapter, Nehemiah describes for us the work that takes place and the rebuilding takes place in an anti-clockwise fashion. We also see the different groups at work:
The priests (Neh 3:1,17a,28)
The Gibeonites , who are foreigners and they too, contributed to this work (Neh 3:7, c.f. Jos 9:1-3):
The goldsmiths, perfumers, merchants (Neh 3:8,31-32)
The rulers, and some even had their daughters participate, but the nobles of the Tekoites did not and this exception is meant to accentuate the norm (Neh 3:9,12,14-16,17b-19,5b)
Normal people (Neh 3:2-5a,6,10-11,13,20-21,23-27,29-30
From this, we see that a wide range of people across the classes of different occupations worked together to rebuild the wall. How is it possible that such a diverse group comes together to work on this wall? We see also how Nehemiah describes them in the same way — working on the wall next to each other.
We are meant to see God’s good hand upon the people to make this work possible!
In our day, such unity amidst diversity is so precious. Unity can seem like a plastic, fickle things in our world. But God works to bring diverse people together, and has a work for each one.
How do you see yourself in relation to God’s world, kingdom and work? If you think you are too different from others — in terms of personality, life stage etc — and therefore do not belong in the local church, dispel that thought. And you can only think and trust and believe that this is true if you approach the gathering of Gods people with the singleminded focus on God’s purposes. On the contrary, if you approach this body to find your needs met and longings fulfilled and share a comfortable life with you, then you will be disappointed. God’s greatness has always been in how He folds you into His purposes and not about conforming and suiting our purposes.
It should also make us think about those who are on the outside. We belong to the category of the minority folded in. God has always desired the nations to be blessed through His people. Here, even though Israel had failed, we see some Gentiles folded in. Today, we do not live under the old covenant but the new — and Jesus had made a way for us.
In the New Testamen, Paul writes about how this mystery — the inclusion of Gentiles — has been revealed (c.f. Eph 4:11-12). This is the picture we see in Revelation, where multitudes from every tribe, tongue and nation come before Him to worship Him. Such is the power of God on display, that such a diversity will be gathered to show God’s work and power.
(C) Cooperative repair (Neh 3:1-32)
The people also worked on different parts — gates, walls, towers (Neh 3:10,21,27). There were those that also worked on the Dung Gate! Some repaired specific parts of the wall while others repaired just in front of their house.
God has placed people in different places with different functions. And the work of each person is important.
As Francis Schaeffer wrote in his book, “No Little People, No Little Places”: “But if a Christian is consecrated, does this mean he will be in a big place instead of a little place? The answer, the next step, is very important: As there are no little people in God’s sight, so there are no little places. To be wholly committed to God in the place where God wants him—this is the creature glorified. … This means being what he wants me to be, where he wants me to be.”
Where has God placed you? Wherever God has placed you, God has a work for you and your faith can show the world that what it counts as wise is but foolishness. Live in ordinary faithfulness where God has placed you!
What sorts of persons do you associate with? To what degree do we recognise that Christians will never despise the day of small things. On a small hill outside Jerusalem, a small man hung on the cross on a regular day. And in doing so, He conquered the world, sin and death.
What does it mean to live a life consecrated to God? It could be something ordinary like showing up to church on Sunday, worshipping and also seeking to bless and encourage those around you.
It is not common to find lists of names in the Bible. It is timely for us to look at Hebrews 11, which records for us various individuals who sought to live by faith.
What does this mean for us? When we read these list of names, and all of the Bible and think of them who lived by faith, we are meant to see it all in light of Hebrews 12:1-2. Moments like these cause us to slow down and take stock of the great cloud of witnesses. There are many also in our midst, in our church — the young mother who is trying to love the church well amidst sleepless nights, the faithful pastor who shows up to love and pastor despite shortcomings, the elderly saint who runs the race with endurance and seeks to finish well. God has placed such witnesses around us, and they all point to the Author and Founder of our faith. May we find our lives founded and rested in Him.