Observations

As a whole, this chapter records the names of those who repaired the different sections of the city wall. Some sections were perhaps more ‘prominent’ than others (contrast the “wall by the King’s Garden” in v15 with the “Refuse Gate” in v13). But regardless of which part of the city wall the people rebuilt, their names are all recorded, to be remembered by the many generations which come after them.   

Amidst all the repetition in this chapter, there are a few details that do stand out.  

Next to them the Tekoites made repairs; but their nobles did not put their shoulders to the work of their Lord.

Nehemiah 3:5

The nobles of the Tekoites were unwilling to take part in this work. Perhaps they were lazy, or perhaps they thought too highly of themselves and felt that such work was below them. Like the many others in this chapter, they were recorded down too – but it was their lack of involvement that was to be remembered.

After him Baruch the son of Zabbai carefully repaired the other section, from the buttress to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest.

Nehemiah 3:20

On the other hand, Baruch carefully did his work. Out of all the people listed in this chapter, only Baruch was described as doing his work carefully. This does not necessarily mean that others did their work carelessly, but rather the point is that Baruch went above and beyond, and put extra effort into his work. His extra diligence and care were noticed, recorded, and remembered by our Lord.

And next to him was Shallum the son of Hallohesh, leader of half the district of Jerusalem; he and his daughters made repairs.

Nehemiah 3:12

Moreover, in a chapter describing many sons, the daughters of Shallum are mentioned as well! It could well be that they were the only daughters who directly took part in the rebuilding of the city walls. Likewise, their contributions were recorded and remembered by our Lord.

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Reflections

From this chapter, we see how God remembers all the work that we do for Him. He pays attention to the little details too, right down to the “hanging of doors with its bolts and bars”. 

Our God sees and remembers the extra effort, care, and diligence that we put in.

Our God sees the times we go to church early and quietly clean the church on our own. He recognises our sacrifice when we prioritise doing His work over pursuing our own hobbies. He takes note of the times we reached out to a brother/sister who has been slowly drifting away. After all, God remembers even when we give a little one a mere cup of cold water (Mt 10:42). These little acts of love that we do to the least of our brethren are all done unto our Lord (Mt 25:40). 

Yet when we quietly serve in the background, when it sometimes seems like our efforts are all in vain, we perhaps feel discouraged. Indeed, it does take a lot of faith to endeavor to serve God zealously to the end. In such times, it’s always helpful to remind ourselves why we are serving, and who we are serving. 

We are serving a God who sees, a God who remembers.

Knowing that God remembers all that we are doing for Him can be a really great source of comfort and strength. Even when no one else knows, our God knows! 

Remember me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.

Nehemiah 5:19

It is interesting to note that even Nehemiah often asked God to remember (Neh 1:8; 5:19; 6:14; 13:14, 22, 29, 31).

Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.”

Revelations 14:13

We will all one day leave this world, but for those who die in the Lord, whose names are recorded in the Book of Life, their works will follow them. This is our comfort, that we may one day rest from our labours, and all our works will be remembered by Him. We will receive our due reward for joining in the work of building up His church. 

There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.

1 Corinthians 12:4-6

No matter what work we take part in, it is the same Spirit that gives us various gifts, and the same God who works in all of us.

After all, for the city walls to be complete and without any gaps, everyone has to play their part. We should never consider any work to be beneath us (like the nobles in verse 5), and there is no need for us to compare. We are serving the Lord and not man (Col 3:23-24).

And we know that our God sees and remembers our work. No extra effort, ounce of diligence, sweat, or tears are too small for our God to notice.

The question is, have we given our all? Do our shoulders refuse to bear the load, like the nobles of the Tekoites? How willing are we to put in that extra little care, effort, and diligence (just like Baruch and the daughters of Shallum)?

If you cannot give your thousands, You can give the widow’s mite; What you truly give for Jesus will be precious in His sight.

Hymns of Praise 269 – Hark, the Voice of Jesus Calling

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