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July 22, 2018 - “Rebuilding the Broken Wall” Nehemiah 3:1-4:23

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Introduction

“Righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a disgrace to any people” (Prov. 14:34). Every human being will give account to God based on this wise saying. Every earthly ruler and all the peoples of the land will tremble before the Lord in light of this heavenly counsel. Under the sovereign rule of the God of heaven, the destiny of any nation rests upon this solid foundation. The fear of the LORD and respect to truth, righteousness and justice give stability and greatness to a nation. Rebellion against God and defiance to his decrees lead to the disgrace and downfall of the people. Any nation who destroys her moral foundation and demolishes her principled walls is bound to national disaster.

Israel defied God and spurned his covenant. Moses warned his people that they would fall as a nation should they turn away from God and disobey his commandments. King Solomon gave a prophetic prayer that God would restore his fallen nation and gather his own people from where he would scatter them—if only they would humbly pray to God toward the Temple in Jerusalem. Despite all the warnings of the ancient prophets of God, Israel became stubborn and rebelled against the LORD. Israel did not escape the wrath and judgment of God. The great city of Jerusalem was destroyed. The holy Temple was razed into fire. The formidable wall around Jerusalem was broken down. And the remnant Hebrew people were deported to Babylon. Jeremiah who suffered with the devastation of his countrymen prophesied that the sovereign LORD will bring back his own people to Jerusalem after their seventy years of captivity. The prophecy was taken by the Jews as a wishful dream.

The glory of Israel was gone. And the Jewish exiles who were uncertain of their future could only offer a song of grief and despair away from their homeland.

“By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. There on the poplars we hung our harps, for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, ‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion.’ How can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a foreign land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill. May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy.” (Ps. 137: 1-6)

Babylon was conquered by Persia. In fulfillment of the word of Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus the Great and made an astounding and unbelievable decree.

“This is what the king of Persia says: ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Anyone of his people among you—may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem. And the people of any place where survivors may now be living are to provide him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offering for the temple of the God in Jerusalem.’” (Ezra 1:2-4)

Zerubbabel began the rebuilding of the Temple which was culminated by Ezra. Nehemiah, the contemporary of Ezra, was then the cupbearer of King Artaxerxes of Persia. When Nehemiah heard that the wall of Jerusalem remained in ruins, he pleaded to God and dared to ask permission from the king if he could rebuild the wall of Jerusalem for the sake of his own people. The king granted his request. Nehemiah was back in Jerusalem. And the rebuilding of the Jerusalem wall began. The Jewish people had their own share (3:1-32). The project was opposed by their enemies (4:1-9). Nehemiah encouraged his own people (4:10-23).

A. The Builders of the Wall (3:1-32)

Through the centuries, the ancient wall of Jerusalem was built in different stages. It was King David who conquered the city from the Jebusites which was then about 12 acres defined on three sides by high ridges and deep valleys. The Jebusites had built a massive wall on the vulnerable north side of the city. King Solomon enlarged the city northward to include the Temple mount area covering about 32 acres. King Hezekiah later expanded Jerusalem westward to accommodate its growing population and the entire city then consisted of about 135 acres. He repaired the original Jebusite wall when the city was threatened by Assyria in 710 B.C. Hezekiah’s wall was formidable. It was five meters (16.4 ft.) wide, 12 meters (39.37 ft.) high, and 4,018 meters (2.5 mi.) long. This was the ancient wall that Nehemiah rebuilt. The Jewish builders were given their own sections set by boundaries of the gates of the wall. Nehemiah mentioned twelve gates but he only identified ten as boundaries of the assigned sections for the construction of the wall. The two gates not mentioned in the construction were the Gate of Ephraim (8:16; cf. 2 Chron. 25:23) and the Gate of the Guard (12:39; cf. 2 Kings 11:6, 19). Nehemiah began with the Sheep Gate on the northern part and went counterclockwise until the Inspection Gate on the eastern side of the wall. These were the ten gates which served as boundary sections for the builders of the wall.

1. The Sheep Gate

The Sheep Gate section was rebuilt led by the High Priest Eliashib.

“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. The men of Jericho built the adjoining section, and Zaccur son of Imri built next to them.” (3:1-2)

The Sheep Gate was the entry point where the lambs were brought for screening before they were sacrificed in the Temple. This section included the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel.

2. The Fish Gate

The Fish Gate section was rebuilt led by the sons of Hassenaah.

“The Fish Gate was rebuilt by the sons of Hassenaah. They laid its beams and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. 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. The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa, but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors.” (3:3-5)

Unfortunately, there were noblemen amongst the Jews who did not give themselves to be part in building this section. The Fish Gate was used by the fishermen from Galilee to bring their fish to the market.

3. The Jeshanah Gate

The Jeshanah Gate section was rebuilt led by Joiada and Meshullam (3:6-12).

“The Jeshanah Gate was repaired by Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah. They laid its beams and put its doors and bolts and bars in place.” (3:6)

The Jeshanan Gate means the “ancient entrance” or the Old Gate known today as the Damascus Gate which leads out to Nabius Road toward Damascus, Syria. This section included the Broad Wall which was 7 meters or 23 feet thick and the Tower of the Ovens for this area was considered the baking district of Jerusalem. Women were part in the construction of the wall. It is interesting that a governor in the region, possibly a Jewish sympathizer, was part in rebuilding this section.

4. The Valley Gate

The Valley Gate section was rebuilt led by Hanun.

“The Valley Gate was repaired by Hanun and the residents of Zanoah. They rebuilt it and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. They also repaired five hundred yards of the wall as far as the Dung Gate.” (3:13)

It was this gate that Nehemiah went through in his night inspection of the wall of Jerusalem. This gate led out to the Hinnom Valley on the southwest of Jerusalem. The span from the Valley Gate to the Dung Gate was 500 yards or 457 meters.

5. The Dung Gate

The Dung Gate section was rebuilt led by Malkijah.

“The Dung Gate was repaired by Malkijah son of Recab, ruler of the district of Beth Hakkerem. He rebuilt it and put its doors and bolts and bars in place.” (3:14)

The Dung Gate was also known as the Gate of Garbage. Its name was taken from the refuse and ash that was removed from the Temple and taken out into the city to be burned.

6. The Fountain Gate

The Fountain Gate section was rebuilt led by Shallun (3:15-25a).

“The Fountain Gate was repaired by Shallun son of Col-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.” (3:15)

This gate was near the pool of Siloam which was used by the people for cleansing immersion before proceeding to the Temple.

7. The Water Gate

The Water Gate section was rebuilt led by Pedaiah.

“Next to him, Pedaiah son of Parosh and the temple servants living on the hill of Ophel made repairs up to a point opposite the Water Gate toward the east and the projecting tower. Next to them, the men of Tekoa repaired another section, from the great projecting tower to the wall of Ophel.” (3:25b-27)

The Water Gate led down to the Gihon Spring which was located near the Kidron Valley on the eastern part of Jerusalem. This section covered the wall of Ophel, which means “a high place to climb to” was part of the eastern hill situated between the city of David and the Temple Mount.

8. The Horse Gate

The Horse Gate section was rebuilt led by the Jewish priests.

“Above the Horse Gate, the priests made repairs, each in front of his own house. Next to them, Zadok son of Immer made repairs opposite his house.” (3:28-29a)

The Horse Gate was close to the stables of the king. The men of Jerusalem would ride their horses out of this gate to war.

9. The East Gate

The East Gate section was rebuilt led by Shemaiah.

“Next to him, Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, the guard at the East Gate, made repairs. 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.” (3:29b-30b)

The East Gate was part of the Eastern Wall with an entrance directly to the Temple area and courtyards. This gate faces the Mount of Olives.

10. The Inspection Gate

The Inspection Gate section was rebuilt led by Malkijah.

“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; and between the room above the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and merchants made repairs.” (3:31-32)

The Inspection Gate was also called the Muster Gate. It was at this gate where the kings of Judah would inspect their troops before they march into battle and when they went home from the warfare.

11. The Ephraim Gate

The Ephraim Gate was not mentioned in Nehemiah 3 as needing repairs, but it was cited in Nehemiah 8 when the Jews built their booths at this gate and in Nehemiah 12 as part of the processional walk of choirs during the dedication of the wall at the Feast of the Tabernacles.

12. The Gate of the Guard

The Gate of the Guard was mentioned in Nehemiah 12:39. This was the place where the second choir of Jerusalem stopped during the joyous celebration of the dedication of the Jerusalem wall.

It can be observed that the restoration of the gates and the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem was a corporate project of the Jewish people built on the quality standards of construction. All gates were attended to and no gap was left in rebuilding the wall. This great project was born out of their great trouble and disgrace in ensuring their security and protection.

B. The Project Under Siege (4:1-9)

Without the use of modern machineries but barely with human hands, the wall of Jerusalem rose steadily as the Jewish people like an army of tireless ants worked together in great zeal. The enemies of Israel were greatly alarmed and were determined to stop the project. Nehemiah and his people raised their pleadings to God. And the formidable wall kept on leveling up.

1. The Mockery of the Jews

The primary adversaries of the Israelites in the Palestine region wasted no time in sowing discouragement to the Jewish builders. They were determined with all their might to stop the rebuilding of the wall in Jerusalem.

a. Sanballat Ridiculed the Jews

Sanballat was outraged and made a mockery of the Jews.

“When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, 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?’” (4:1-2)

He was furious about the construction of the wall at the same time he was unsettled about the progress of the project. As he closely monitored the development of the wall he was convinced that no one should underestimate what the Jews could do as a people. Yet, in his deep-seated hostility against the Israelites, he seemed powerless to stop the Jews from their un-relentless work. He made a mockery of the Jews to stir the anger of the Samaritans against the Israelites.

b. Tobiah Despised the Wall

Tobiah looked at the wall with disdain.

“Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, ‘What they are building—if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!’” (4:3)

He saw the wall as a worthless and useless thing. He derided that just as the former wall was broken down so this new wall would also come into ruins and in the end all the labors of the Jewish people would be in vain.

2. The Prayer of Nehemiah

Nehemiah reestablished his foothold upon the LORD.

“Hear us, O our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders.” (4:4-5)

The mockery and taunting of Sanballat and Tobiah were explosive landmines aimed to implode the resolve of the Jewish builders. For the Jews to be despised was a direct assault against God. Nehemiah wrestled with God in prayer to hold the enemies of Israel accountable.

3. The Progress of the Project

Israel held onto God and stood on their ground.

“So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.” (4:6)

Despite all the mockeries, the wholehearted commitment of the Jewish builders made a steady advance in rebuilding the Jerusalem wall. The great wall was half-way done and enclosed the city of Jerusalem.

4. The Plot on Israel

The rising wall of Jerusalem infuriated the Gentiles and they schemed to invade Jerusalem and destroy the Hebrew people.

“But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the men of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem's walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it.” (4:7-8)

The enemies of the Jews who came from different nationalities that settled in Palestine joined their forces together to conquer the Hebrew people and to take foothold over Jerusalem under their control. The Jews who returned in Judah were in great danger. The remnant Jewish people were overwhelmingly outnumbered by the multitude of foreigners who settled in the region. Israel could be easily onslaught by their multitude and mighty enemies who surrounded them.

5. The Prayer of the Jews

The Jewish people entreated God as they established their defense.

“But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.” (4:9)

Nehemiah posted a watchman to warn the people from the attack of the enemies that surrounded them. The blowing of the shofar or the trumpet would keep the people on guard to protect themselves from invasion.

Likewise, as we make our moral stand to rebuild the broken principled walls in our homeland, we braced ourselves from every form of assault to destroy our name and to unsettle our resolve in our battle for truth, righteousness and justice. As Israel faced the imminent danger as they restore the wall and rebuild their nation, our lives too are at stake as we wrestle to fight for our democracy and freedom in the name of the Lord.

C. The Reinforcement of the Project (4:10-23)

To restore the broken wall of Jerusalem and to rebuild the fallen nation of Israel had placed the Jewish workers beyond their limits and their resolved seemed to crumble within. The Jewish builders somehow reached their saturation point and were tempted to abandon their dream. We, likewise, face the same insidious danger.

1. The Discouragement of the Jews

The Jewish people were disheartened and the sources of their discouragement came from within and without.

a. The Overwhelming Task

From within they were overwhelmed with the demand of the project.

“Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, ‘The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.’” (4:10)

They were physically exhausted and there were heavy works yet left undone. This was slowly and steadily depleting their inner resolve to go on with the project.

b. The Impending Danger

From the outside they feared for their lives from nearby invasion.

“Also our enemies said, ‘Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.’ Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, ‘Wherever you turn, they will attack us.’” (4:11-12)

The danger at the door step brought a destabilizing fear to the Jews.

2. The Morale of the Jews

Nehemiah firmly stood on his ground to protect his people and encouraged them to continue in their work.

a. The Protection of the Builders

Nehemiah positioned defenders to protect the workers in the most vulnerable areas of the wall.

“Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows.” (4:13)

Families equipped with their weapons ready for warfare were posted on the primary line of defense.

b. The Encouragement of the Jews

Nehemiah persuaded his countrymen not to lose heart.

“After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, ‘Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.’” (4:14)

God himself would defend them as they fought for their homes and loved ones. They should not lose heart for the battle is the Lord’s.

c. The Builders Continued the Work

Nehemiah testified of the sovereign work of God on behalf of his people. “When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to his own work” (4:15). The Jews regained their zest in building the wall. The Jews were back to work more determined to finish the wall of Jerusalem.

3. The Vigilance of the Jews

The Jews safeguarded themselves as they build the wall. Nehemiah gave specific measures to protect the workers.

a. The Armed Workers

First, the workers were armed as they continued in their task.

“From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.” (4:16-18)

The carriers held a weapon on one hand as the other hand carried brick or stone. The builders worked with their hands with a sword strapped on their sides. Every committed worker was trained to be a skilled warrior.

b. The Trumpet Call

Second, the trumpet call for reinforcement was set.

“Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, ‘The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!’ So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out.” (4:19-21)

c. The Guards at Night

Third, guards were posted at night. “At that time I also said to the people, ‘Have every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night, so they can serve us as guards by night and workmen by day’” (4:22). There was a shift of guards and workers twenty-four hours every day.

4. The Example of Nehemiah

And Nehemiah himself led by example.

“Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me took off our clothes; each had his weapon, even when he went for water.” (4:23)

He stayed on the forefront and showed diligence and vigilance. Nehemiah delivered toward his goal. He came to restore the broken wall in rebuilding his fallen nation. And the Jews embraced his dream.

Any concerned citizen dedicated to restore the broken principled walls of the land for the rebuilding of the nation could be overwhelmed of the great task and be discouraged in the process. Our great burden is not the costly task itself but the cold indifference among our countrymen. What we desperately need are national leaders, like Nehemiah, who are willing to offer their lives in advancing the welfare of the people. We bow our heads as we yield our homeland to our sovereign Lord.

Conclusion

Nehemiah was back to his countrymen in Jerusalem. And the Jewish people found a great leader who was deeply concerned for their welfare. Nehemiah and his people began to restore the gates and the wall. Their enemies made a mockery of the Hebrew people and their great project—and they made a plot to attack them and destroy their work. The Jews were pushed on the edge of despair for fear of their lives and the burden of their overwhelming task. Nehemiah cried out to God and empowered his countrymen. The Jews were back to work while they kept themselves on guard. The great wall of Jerusalem was a monument of the solidarity of the Jewish people. They joined their hearts, minds and hands together.

We commit ourselves in observing simple rules on how to be good Filipino citizens. Mr. Alexander L. Lacson was born on January 5, 1965 in Kabankalan, Negros Occidental. As a working student, he earned a degree in political science in UP Diliman in 1991. He is a lawyer, businessman, patriot and philanthropist. Since 2001 he was supporting scholars in his hometown. At the height of the financial crisis in Asia in 1999, Lacson and his wife Pia considered moving to the United States or Canada. In 2000, however, they decided to stay in the Philippines. It is their advocacy that conditions in the Philippines could be improved if individual Filipinos stayed in their homeland and took action. In 2005 he published his bestselling book, 12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do To Help Our Country. Here are the twelve small acts of patriotism.

1. Follow traffic rules. A culture of discipline is crucial to our destiny as a nation. Whenever we follow traffic rules we show our love for our neighbor.

2. Whenever you buy or pay for anything, always ask for an official receipt. Higher tax revenues could strengthen our economy toward progress.

3. Do not buy smuggled goods. Buying our own products supports our Filipino people.

4. When you talk to others, especially foreigners, speak positively about us and our country. Every Filipino is an ambassador of our motherland. Share the hard facts and great challenges in our society yet rekindle our hope for our nation.

5. Respect your traffic officer, policemen and soldier. Respect gives dignity to our neighbors and inspires our public servants to do their job well.

6. Do not litter. Dispose of your garbage properly. Segregate. Recycle. Conserve. We need to keep our motherland clean and beautiful.

7. Support your church. Do this in reverence to God and love for our neighbor.

8. During elections, do your solemn duty. Guard the sanctity of your vote. Electing good leaders charts the destiny of our nation.

9. Pay your employees well. Sharing of blessing to others builds families and our country.

10. Pay your taxes. Taxes are lifeblood of our government to deliver social services to our countrymen.

11. Adopt a scholar or a poor child. Investing on our youth is an investment to our future generation.

12. Be a good parent. Teach your kids to follow the law and love our country. Plant seeds of patriotism in our youth today and they would become giant Filipino patriots someday.

In the sovereign hands of God these small ideas are great building blocks. Let us do our part to build our nation. God bless our motherland!

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