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n our text today, we find that Nehemiah wanted to rebuild
the walls of the city of Jerusalem. But, he certainly couldn't do it alone. So, by God's grace
and for His glory, he was joined
in this task by a great number
of diligent and faithful
men. By my count, almost 50 groups worked on different sections in this
wall-building endeavor. Nobody had to do it all by themselves. They each had their own assignment.
Inevitably when a sizable
feat is undertaken by one man in many steps or by many men taking one step each, there are spectators who are
doing nothing to assist. Such was the case in Nehemiah's day. Nehemiah 3:5 says that although the common people
of Tekoa labored
faithfully, "their
nobles put not their necks to the work of their
lord." Typical, isn't it? And, frustrating too! Many folk were
contributing productively, but these men did nothing.
Incidentally, the "regular guys" from Tekoa
not only did their part, they finished it and then worked on another section
too (Nehemiah 3:27). Hallelujah! Instead of complaining about a lack of
participation; or, instead of quitting... they
just worked harder. One fellow even had his daughters out there doing
construction work (Nehemiah 3:12). But the nobles thought that they were too
good for manual labor? They needed a modern idiom, "A little work never
hurt anyone." Or, maybe, "In
all labor there is profit" (Proverbs 14:23).
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