Commentary - Nehemiah 3:1-2

Bird's-eye view

Nehemiah chapter 3 can, at first glance, appear to be little more than a dusty old work roster. It is a long list of names and places, a detailed accounting of who built which section of Jerusalem's ruined wall. But to read it this way is to miss the point entirely. This chapter is a profound theological statement about the nature of God's people and God's work. It is a portrait of the church in motion. What we see here is organized, cooperative, consecrated labor. It is a picture of unity in diversity, with priests, goldsmiths, perfumers, rulers, and common laborers all working side-by-side, each taking responsibility for their assigned section. The constant refrain, "next to them," reveals a deep, practical unity. This chapter teaches us that God's work of restoration is not a solo act; it is a corporate project. It is not glamorous, but it is glorious, and God takes careful note of every individual who puts their hand to the plow.

Furthermore, the work begins with the priests at the Sheep Gate, the place where sacrificial lambs were brought into the city. This is no accident. All true restoration, all true rebuilding of a Christian life or a Christian culture, must begin at the place of sacrifice, at the cross of Jesus Christ. The work is then solemnly consecrated to God, reminding us that there is no sacred/secular divide in the kingdom. All our labor, whether preaching a sermon or laying bricks, is to be holy unto the Lord. This chapter is the practical outworking of the repentance and resolve we see in the previous chapters. It is faith with its work boots on.

Outline

Context In Nehemiah

Having received the devastating news of Jerusalem's state in chapter 1, and having secured the king's permission and provision in chapter 2, Nehemiah arrives at the city. After a secret inspection of the ruins, he casts the vision to the leaders of Judah: "You see the distress that we are in... come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach" (Neh 2:17). Their response is immediate and resolute: "Let us rise up and build" (Neh 2:18). Chapter 3 is the direct fulfillment of that resolution. It is the muster roll of God's people answering the call. This detailed list is not an appendix; it is the heart of the action. It demonstrates the unity and commitment of the people before the opposition, which will arise in full force in chapter 4, has a chance to get organized. This chapter shows us what a community looks like when it moves from talking about the problem to actually picking up the tools to fix it.

Key Issues

Faith with its Work Boots On

Some parts of the Bible are for soaring, and other parts are for showing how the soaring gets its traction on the ground. This chapter is all about traction. It is a theology of the work crew, a doctrine of brick and mortar. We are a people who believe in justification by faith alone, but the kind of faith that justifies is never alone. It always picks up a trowel. This chapter is what that faith looks like on a Tuesday morning. It is a long list of ordinary people doing their part. And in this, we find a number of foundational principles for how Christians are to go about the business of rebuilding the ruins in our own day. God is not interested in our pious talk if it is not accompanied by calloused hands. He is not looking for visionaries who never get off the couch. He is looking for a people who will say, "Let us rise up and build," and then actually do it.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1 Then Eliashib the high priest arose with his brothers the priests and built the Sheep Gate; they set it apart as holy and made its doors stand. And they set apart as holy the wall to the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel.

The work begins, as it should, with the leadership. Eliashib the high priest did not delegate this task from a comfortable office. He arose with his brothers, the priests, and got his hands dirty. This is the biblical pattern of leadership. A leader is not one who says "Go," but rather one who says "Let's go." The spiritual leaders of the people took the lead in the physical, back-breaking work. They did not see it as beneath them. They built the Sheep Gate, which is highly significant. This was the gate through which the sacrificial animals were brought to the temple. The very first thing to be rebuilt is the entryway for the sacrifices. For us, this means that any work of reformation or restoration must begin at the cross of Christ. Our work must be grounded in the substitutionary atonement of the Lamb of God. Without that, all our efforts are just rearranging rubble.

And notice what they do. They set it apart as holy. This is consecration. This is not just a municipal construction project; it is a sacred duty. By this act, they were declaring that the work, the materials, the gate, and the city itself all belonged to Yahweh. We are to do the same. Our work, whether in the pulpit or in the machine shop, is to be consecrated to God. They also made its doors stand, which means they completed the task. A gate is not a gate until it has doors that can be shut. They didn't just start the job; they finished it. And their consecration extended from the gate to the adjoining wall, showing that the holiness of the work was to spread and encompass the entire project.

2 Next to him the men of Jericho built, and next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built.

Here we find the rhythm of the entire chapter in microcosm. "Next to him." The work of the priests connected seamlessly to the work of the men of Jericho. This is a beautiful picture of the corporate nature of the church. We are not a collection of individuals pursuing our own private spiritual projects. We are a body, fitly joined together, each member doing his part. The priests had their section, and the men of Jericho had theirs, and the two sections met. There were no gaps. The men of Jericho were from a city that had once been under God's curse, and now here they are, participating in the holy work of rebuilding God's city. This is the gospel in action, bringing those who were far off into the covenant community.

And then, "next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built." The account moves from a group ("the men of Jericho") to a named individual. God's accounting is precise. He sees the corporate effort, and He also sees the personal contribution of Zaccur, son of Imri. In God's economy, no faithful worker is lost in the crowd. He knows your name, He knows your father's name, and He knows the exact section of the wall you are responsible for. This is a tremendous encouragement. Your labor in the Lord, no matter how small or unnoticed it may seem to men, is recorded in heaven.

Application

The principles laid out in these first two verses are foundational for any Christian work. First, leadership must lead from the front. Elders and pastors should be the first to have dirt under their fingernails, setting an example of joyful, sacrificial labor. Second, all our efforts at rebuilding must begin at the Sheep Gate, at the foot of the cross. Any project that is not centered on the gospel of Jesus Christ is a house built on sand. Third, we must consecrate our work. We must consciously set apart our daily labor, our vocations, our projects, as holy to the Lord. There is no room for a divide between the sacred and the secular in the Christian life. Your Monday is just as holy as your Sunday.

Finally, we must learn to work "next to" one another. The church is a team, a crew. Find your place on the wall. Don't worry about the whole project; God is the master architect. You are responsible for the section right in front of you. Build it well, and trust that your brother is doing the same on the section next to you. And take heart that God sees you. He knows your name. The work may be hard, the opposition may be fierce, but the God who calls you to build is the same God who records the faithful labor of Zaccur, the son of Imri, for all eternity.