Nehemiah 3:1–32 ‘Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests went to work and rebuilt the Sheep Gate.’ (v1)
This is a beautiful moment in the story of Nehemiah. We started in chapter 1 with Nehemiah feeling alone in the pain for the state of his homeland (1:4).
From that point we see his concerns being shared with the king (2:5), then with the few (2:12), then with the leaders (2:17) and now everyone is playing their part.
Not just the builders and the carpenters, but the whole community working together. What a joy it must have been for Nehemiah to see his prayerful anguish turn into positive action.
You have the generations represented with grandparents working with their grandchildren, different families working side by side, you have the goldsmiths working next to the perfume makers, neither of whom had probably lifted anything heavy before.
You have people rebuilding the wall in front of their home and others travelling from neighbouring cities to help.
You have dads and daughters working together, Levites working next to district governors, temple servants joining in, gatekeepers working with merchants and, yes, even the priests played their part in the rebuilding of the wall.
Every age group, every demographic represented. Nehemiah could never have rebuilt the wall on his own. He needed the help of others.
How often do we try and face our challenges in our own strength rather than call on our neighbours and friends to help us in whatever way they can? We need one another.
A Prayer To Make:
‘Lord, thank You for how the story of Nehemiah reveals how people of every age and background can work together. Thank You that we are not designed to work alone. Amen.’
An Action To Take:
Is there a need that you have but are uncomfortable to ask for help to meet it? Making a request of someone is a positive action and shows trust. Who can you ask for help?
Scripture To Consider:
Prov. 27:17; Eccl. 4:9–12; Col. 3:22–24; Heb. 10:19–25
