By – The List of the Builders of the Wall Nehemiah 3: 1-32

The List of the Builders of the Wall
Nehemiah 3: 1-32

445 BC During the ministry of Nehemiah (to see list click Bt – The Third Return).
Compiled by: The Chronicler from the Ezra and Nehemiah memoirs
(see Ac – Ezra-Nehemiah from a Jewish Perspective: The Nehemiah Memoirs).

This chapter shows Nehemiah was an outstanding organizer. Some forty-five sections of construction are mentioned, including ten gates (Nehemiah 3:1, 3, 6, 13-15, 26, 28-29, 31). Planning all this building activity, organizing the groups, plus arranging the infrastructure to supply the materials was no small accomplishment. Nehemiah had started the process of building the community of believers (2:17-18) before he could start building the wall. Then, in this chapter, Nehemiah skillfully divided the work force into some forty manageable work crews and organized by common interests and geography. The way Nehemiah confronted opposition from within and without the Jewish community and the way he organized the Israelites were significant ingredients in the realization of his vision.

Despite its mundane appearance, this chapter is more than a construction record. Although the walls and gates would serve a military purpose (Nehemiah Chapter 4), the book’s concern for separation from pagan influence suggests it also had symbolic significance (Nehemiah 13:19-22). Rather than simply providing security, the walls encouraged a sense of identity and distinctiveness with the Righteous of the TaNaKh. Their restoration also represented a reversal of the humiliation of defeat and destruction suffered because of Isra’el’s sin (Nehemiah 2:3 and 17). Like the restored Temple, it was as if the rebuilt walls were like a badge, or a further token, that they were indeed His people. For believers today, however, the cross is the continuing demonstration of God’s powerful and loving presence (Romans 5:5b-11).²²⁵