Nehemiah 3:1-32
1 Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests, and they builded the sheep gate; they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; even unto the tower of Meah they sanctified it, unto the tower of Hananeel.
2 And next unto him builded the men of Jericho. And next to them builded Zaccur the son of Imri.
3 But the fish gate did the sons of Hassenaah build, who also laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.
4 And next unto them repaired Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz. And next unto them repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabeel. And next unto them repaired Zadok the son of Baana.
5 And next unto them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their Lord.
6 Moreover the old gate repaired Jehoiada the son of Paseah, and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah; they laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, and the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.
7 And next unto them repaired Melatiah the Gibeonite, and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon, and of Mizpah, unto the throne of the governor on this side the river.
8 Next unto him repaired Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, of the goldsmiths. Next unto him also repaired Hananiah the son of one of the apothecaries, and they fortifieda Jerusalem unto the broad wall.
9 And next unto them repaired Rephaiah the son of Hur, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem.
10 And next unto them repaired Jedaiah the son of Harumaph, even over against his house. And next unto him repaired Hattush the son of Hashabniah.
11 Malchijah the son of Harim, and Hashub the son of Pahathmoab, repaired the otherb piece, and the tower of the furnaces.
12 And next unto him repaired Shallum the son of Halohesh, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem, he and his daughters.
13 The valley gate repaired Hanun, and the inhabitants of Zanoah; they built it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof, and a thousand cubits on the wall unto the dung gate.
14 But the dung gate repaired Malchiah the son of Rechab, the ruler of part of Bethhaccerem; he built it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.
15 But the gate of the fountain repaired Shallun the son of Colhozeh, the ruler of part of Mizpah; he built it, and covered it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof, and the wall of the pool of Siloah by the king's garden, and unto the stairs that go down from the city of David.
16 After him repaired Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, the ruler of the half part of Bethzur, unto the place over against the sepulchres of David, and to the pool that was made, and unto the house of the mighty.
17 After him repaired the Levites, Rehum the son of Bani. Next unto him repaired Hashabiah, the ruler of the half part of Keilah, in his part.
18 After him repaired their brethren, Bavai the son of Henadad, the ruler of the half part of Keilah.
19 And next to him repaired Ezer the son of Jeshua, the ruler of Mizpah, another piece over against the going up to the armoury at the turning of the wall.
20 After him Baruch the son of Zabbaic earnestly repaired the other piece, from the turning of the wall unto the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest.
21 After him repaired Meremoth the son of Urijah the son of Koz another piece, from the door of the house of Eliashib even to the end of the house of Eliashib.
22 And after him repaired the priests, the men of the plain.
23 After him repaired Benjamin and Hashub over against their house. After him repaired Azariah the son of Maaseiah the son of Ananiah by his house.
24 After him repaired Binnui the son of Henadad another piece, from the house of Azariah unto the turning of the wall, even unto the corner.
25 Palal the son of Uzai, over against the turning of the wall, and the tower which lieth out from the king's high house, that was by the court of the prison. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh.
26 Moreover the Nethinims dweltd in Ophel, unto the place over against the water gate toward the east, and the tower that lieth out.
27 After them the Tekoites repaired another piece, over against the great tower that lieth out, even unto the wall of Ophel.
28 From above the horse gate repaired the priests, every one over against his house.
29 After them repaired Zadok the son of Immer over against his house. After him repaired also Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah, the keeper of the east gate.
30 After him repaired Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph, another piece. After him repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah over against his chamber.
31 After him repaired Malchiah the goldsmith's son unto the place of the Nethinims, and of the merchants, over against the gate Miphkad, and to the going up of the corner.
32 And between the going up of the corner unto the sheep gate repaired the goldsmiths and the merchants.
Starting Point"A false friend is like your shadow. As long as there is sunshine, he sticks close by. But the minute you step into the shade, he disappears." Green
I. INTRODUCTION
A. Last week = talked about 3 essential ingredients to any rebuilding!
1. Investigation.
a) As Nehemiah arose in the night to survey the damage to the walls,
(1) We too need to take an honest look at the walls in our personal lives and service to the Lord!
2. Cooperation.
a) Christianity is a communal faith! We need other people! Ask for prayer support! Be accountable! Give others an opportunity to help you re-build!
3. Determination.
a) If we do anything for the cause of Christ. There will be a war!!!!
b) Spend enough time in prayer to know what you're doing is from God then stick to it!
c) God seldom discourages His work! That kind of counsel usually comes from the enemy!
B. Nehemiah put the men to work on the wall closest to where they lived!
1. Service for the Lord is always born out of personal devotion to the Lord'
2. Building or re-building always starts at home.
a) The vision and "burden" to serve our families or our church, has to come from our private devotion "to Him'
II. THE STARTING POINT Nehemiah 3:10; Nehemiah 3:23; Nehemiah 3:29; Nehemiah 3:30
A. Nehemiah Chapter 3 gives us a list of all the men who help re-build the wall.
1. There is a saying that goes, "You become what you eat."
2. It is also true that we have a tendency to become like those we "hang out with."
a) 1 Corinthians 15:33 Puts it this way, "Do not be deceived: Evil company corrupts good habits."
3. We can learn a great deal by looking at some of the men helping Nehemiah re-build.
B. What kind of men were building the wall?
1. In the Hebrew culture a man's name described his character!
a) Nehemiah 3:10 Jediah = "invoker of God"
(1) Jediah was a man of prayer. He knew the importance and necessity of calling upon God'
(2) Is prayer a part of our homes? Or has it broken down?
b) Nehemiah 3:23 Hashub = "associate"
(1) We become who we hang out with! 2 Corinthians 6:14 (NKJV) Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?
(2) Whom do we have in our homes? In who's home do we hang out?
(3) Look at who Hashub "hung out" with'
c) Nehemiah 3:23 Benjamin = "the son of my right hand"
(1) At the right hand signifies authority, power, honor and protection! (Moses) Deuteronomy 33:12 (NKJV) Of Benjamin he said: "The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him, [Who] shelters him all the day long; And he shall dwell between His shoulders."
(2) Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father, and promises us all that is necessary in life if we seek Him first!
d) Nehemiah 3:29 Zadok = "justice"
(1) Justice has to do with honesty and integrity!
(2) Is there honesty, integrity, and trust in our homes?
(a) First with the Lord, and as a result with each other!
e) Zadok was the son of IMMER = "talkative"
(1) Proverbs 10:19 (NKJV) In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips [is] wise.
(2) James 3:6 (NKJV) And the tongue [is] a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.
(3) In a God-honoring home, family members are not destroyed by the tongue!
(4) In a God-honoring home, fellow Christians are not destroyed with the tongue!
(5) In a God-honoring home, the church, the leadership, nor the work of the Lord is destroyed with the tongue!
f) Nehemiah 3:30 Meshullam = "devoted"
(1) His father was Berechaih = "the Lord has blessed him"
(a) The Lord had blessed him with a "devoted" son'!
(b) Meshullam had learned, evidently from his father that the blessing in a home doesn't depend upon the size of the house!
(2) He lived in ("his chamber") = in a humble little apartment! But he was completely "devoted" to God!
(a) His apartment was just a "tool" for the Lord. It was a place to eat, sleep, and pray.
REDPATH:
Perhaps your home, instead of being an instrument of blessing, has become an idol. You live for its amenities, its gifts, and its equipment. You live for its furniture, for its carpets; these things fill your mind. And the wall of prayer, the wall of protection, the wall of purity, the wall of passionate devotion to Jesus is broken. Is that true?
God looks down upon His family and He sees homes where the wall of prayer is in ruins, or the wall of protection gone and the home disintegrating; or the wall of purity broken; or the wall of passionate devotion to Himself neglected."I'm too small," you say. "It doesn't matter about me; I don't count." Oh yes, you do! The wall is continuous, and if there is a gap in it anywhere, the enemy will break through. If there are gaps in the ranks the whole testimony of the church is affected. You cannot expect the blessing of God upon your home if you criticize your neighbor and gossip concerning the preacher and pull to pieces the church and the people who worship in it. Oh the wall of integrity that needs to be rebuilt between church and home and family in so many places!
III. CONCLUSION
A. Any building (spiritual or physical) not built on Christ is shaky at best!
1. 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 (NKJV) For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation [with] gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
13 each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is.
14 If anyone's work which he has built on [it] endures, he will receive a reward.
15 If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
2. Only our work in and though Jesus is eternal!
B. The starting place for us all is at home!
1. That doesn't mean we stay at home in a constant state of immaturity.
2. It means we "shore up" the weak areas of our private devotion, and get on with serving the Lord'
a) Prayer, Christian fellowship, honesty and integrity, cessation of gossip the re-building process.
b) 1 Timothy 6:5-12 (NKJV) useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a [means] [of] gain. From such withdraw yourself.
6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain.
7 For we brought nothing into [this] world, [and] [it] [is] certain we can carry nothing out.
8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.
9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and [into] many foolish and
harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.
10 For the love of money is a root of all [kinds] [of] evil, for which some have strayed from the
faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.
12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
c) Mark 4:19 (NKJV) "and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
d) Be content with what you have, but not necessarily where you are in the Lord! Don't let your lust for things keep you from serving the Lord!
During his presidency, Abraham Lincoln regularly attended worship services at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church. The pastor was Dr. Phineas Gurley. One particular evening, while walking home from church, an aide asked President Lincoln about Dr. Gurley's sermon. The President replied in fragmented phrases: "The content was excellent... he delivered it with eloquence... he had put work into the message..." "Then you thought it was a great sermon?" asked the aide. "No," replied the President. "Dr. Gurley forgot the most important ingredient. He forgot to ask us to do something great!" --HOMILETICS, AMJ 92, p. 46.