Builders of the Wall (Nehemiah): Nehemiah chapter 3 is basically just a list of names (most of which we can barely pronounce) and the part of the wall project they worked on. Why is this in the Bible?? Have you ever wondered? The answers are rich and complex, and full of hope. Recorded on Sep 27, 2026, on Nehemiah 3 by Pastor David Parks.
Podcast: Download (Duration: 29:59 — 38.9MB) | Embed
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Email | RSS
This sermon is part of our series, Nehemiah: From Ruins to Revival. When Nehemiah heard about the desperate needs of the people living in Jerusalem during the Exile, he was deeply moved. Someone had to do something! Nehemiah’s story is what happens when wise and courageous leadership has a God-given burden to help. Nehemiah faced significant opposition and leadership challenges while mobilizing thousands of people to complete a major building project. But through it all, one thing was clear: It’s amazing what can happen when God’s people get to work!
Sermon Transcript
Well, today, we’re continuing a sermon series from the book of Nehemiah called From Ruins to Revival. And we’ve said that the book of Nehemiah tells the story of the Jewish remnant in Jerusalem at the end of the Exile, around 445 BC. It’s a story of God’s people getting to work, under the wise leadership of Nehemiah, as they rebuilt the wall around the city. This building project not only rebuilt the city’s defenses and dignity, but it rebuilt the people themselves—from ruin all the way to revival. Nehemiah had been the cupbearer to the most powerful king of his day, King Artaxerxes of the Persian Empire. But when he heard of the dreadful condition of the city of Jerusalem and the people who lived there, he got permission to go to Jerusalem, to lead a project to rebuild the capital of his ancestral home. Last week, Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem, and again demonstrated great wisdom and tact in how he shared his God-given vision for the city. And everyone was on board. Today will be a little different. Because chapter 3 is pretty much just a list of who did what on the project. Now, I confess, as I prepared to preach today, I was tempted to skip this chapter. It’s much easier to see how last week’s passage or next week’s might apply to our lives today. But as is often the case, as I wrestled with this passage, the wisdom and power of God’s word became clear, and eventually, I couldn’t wait to preach it. So if you have your Bible/app, please open it to Neh 3:1. We’ll read through the whole chapter, and I’ll provide just a few comments as we go. But then, I’ll give you five reasons why Neh 3 is in the Bible.
Nehemiah 3:1–32 (NIV), “1 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.” I’m proud of these ancient priests! They rolled up the sleeves of their robes and got some serious work done. “2 The men of Jericho built the adjoining section, and Zakkur son of Imri built next to them.” Jericho was a town to the northeast of Jerusalem. Remember last week, I said that basically the whole territory of Judah needed to be involved to complete this project. “3 The Fish Gate was rebuilt by the sons of Hassenaah. They laid its beams and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. 4 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. 5 The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa, but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors.” Now here we find a little drama. Tekoa was a town about 10 miles south of Jerusalem, on the border of the desert. Again, the whole region was needed. But Nehemiah says that the nobles of Tekoa refused to do the work. Being near the desert, it’s possible that these nobles were connected to one of the opponents we met last week, that is, to Geshem from the Arabian Desert that bordered Tekoa to the south. Whatever the reason, they have the ignominious honor of being listed in the Bible for being unhelpful. “6 The Jeshanah Gate was repaired by Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah. They laid its beams and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place. 7 Next to them, repairs were made by men from Gibeon and Mizpah—Melatiah of Gibeon and Jadon of Meronoth—places under the authority of the governor of Trans-Euphrates.” Gibeon and Mizpah were towns to the northwest of Jerusalem. So we have people mentioned already from the northeast, south, and northwest. Because of the strong leadership we saw last week, Nehemiah built a broad coalition for this project. “8 Uzziel son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired the next section; and Hananiah, one of the perfume-makers, made repairs next to that. They restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall. 9 Rephaiah son of Hur, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section. 10 Adjoining this, Jedaiah son of Harumaph made repairs opposite his house, and Hattush son of Hashabneiah made repairs next to him.” We’ve already seen priests and people from around the region working on the wall. In these verses, men from the trade guilds, a governing official, and a resident of Jerusalem are all at work. “11 Malkijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-Moab repaired another section and the Tower of the Ovens. 12 Shallum son of Hallohesh, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section with the help of his daughters.” And I’d love to meet these hardworking ladies one day. The men weren’t the only ones involved in this project. But this was the same when we remodeled this building to get ready to move in seven years ago. It was mostly men who did the work, but there were many ladies involved, too. We have many hardworking daughters in our church. “13 The Valley Gate was repaired by Hanun and the residents of Zanoah. They rebuilt it and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place. They also repaired a thousand cubits of the wall as far as the Dung Gate. 14 The Dung Gate was repaired by Malkijah son of Rekab, ruler of the district of Beth Hakkerem. He rebuilt it and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place. 15 The Fountain Gate was repaired by Shallun son of Kol-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.” Here, residents of towns to the west and southwest of Jerusalem are at work. Scholars can’t decide whether Hanun and the others repaired a thousand cubits of the wall because it was in relatively good shape, or whether they were especially productive. I’m sure I know what Hanun would’ve said. Ok! Let’s move a little faster through the end of the chapter. “16 Beyond him, Nehemiah son of Azbuk, ruler of a half-district of Beth Zur, [a different Nehemiah] made repairs up to a point opposite the tombs of David, as far as the artificial pool and the House of the Heroes. 17 Next to him, the repairs were made by the Levites [think ancient worship leaders] under Rehum son of Bani. Beside him, Hashabiah, ruler of half the district of Keilah, carried out repairs for his district. 18 Next to him, the repairs were made by their fellow Levites under Binnui son of Henadad, ruler of the other half-district of Keilah. 19 Next to him, Ezer son of Jeshua, ruler of Mizpah, repaired another section, from a point facing the ascent to the armory as far as the angle of the wall. 20 Next to him, Baruch son of Zabbai zealously repaired another section, from the angle to the entrance of the house of Eliashib the high priest. [Good job, Baruch!] 21 Next to him, Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired another section, from the entrance of Eliashib’s house to the end of it. 22 The repairs next to him were made by the priests from the surrounding region. 23 Beyond them, Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs in front of their house; and next to them, Azariah son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, made repairs beside his house. 24 Next to him, Binnui son of Henadad repaired another section, from Azariah’s house to the angle and the corner, 25 and Palal son of Uzai worked opposite the angle and the tower projecting from the upper palace near the court of the guard. Next to him, Pedaiah son of Parosh 26 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. 27 Next to them, the men of Tekoa repaired another section, from the great projecting tower to the wall of Ophel. [Still no nobles, apparently?] 28 Above the Horse Gate, the priests made repairs, each in front of his own house. 29 Next to them, Zadok son of Immer made repairs opposite his house. Next to him, Shemaiah son of Shekaniah, the guard at the East Gate, made repairs. 30 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. 31 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; 32 and between the room above the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and merchants made repairs.” This is God’s word. So…serious question: Why is this in the Bible? Why is Nehemiah chapter 3 in the Bible? It’s pretty much just a list of people who worked on the wall and what part they worked on. Unless you’re an expert on ancient Hebrew, most of us struggle to pronounce their names (myself included). And we know almost nothing else about them than what is listed here. Here’s an artist’s rendering of Jerusalem from the ESV Study Bible, which is really nice, but the truth is, scholars aren’t sure where all the places and gates mentioned here were located. So again, why is this in the Bible? I could see why it would be helpful for maybe 50-100 years after the project was done. Because there still would’ve been people alive at the time who might’ve known some of the people who were involved. But “the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever” (1 Pe 1:24–25). Nehemiah 3 is part of the word of God. What do we believe about God’s word? 2 Timothy 3:16 (NIV) says, “16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,” and “all Scripture” here must also refer to passages in the Bible like this one. But how is this useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training? Well, for the rest of our time today, I’ll give you five reasons why, according to the grace and wisdom of the Spirit of God, the people of God need Nehemiah 3, along with many other passages like it. Why is this in the Bible? 1. God knew who these people were. This is the most important fact about anyone, by the way. It doesn’t really matter if we know them. God knew them; he knew their names. These people, and their lives/families/work/faith/contributions to the wall, all mattered to God. These were real people, just like the people in the other lists in the Bible, such as the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1 or the list of the tribal allotments of the Promised Land, which takes up several chapters in Joshua. They record names and places that might seem strange to us. But God knew these people. If you have ever wondered if you matter, if you’ve ever wondered if your life matters, never forget Nehemiah 3 or any of the other passages like it. Yes. God knows you. He knows your name. And that is the most important fact about you, too. Why is this in the Bible? 2. The work itself was important. I’m sure rebuilding the wall and the city wasn’t as important to God as the people involved. God saves people, not buildings. But the project mattered too. We know that God provided everything they needed to make it happen. Before that, God put Nehemiah in a position of influence, close to the king of Persia. That was no accident. Even if scholars aren’t sure where every gate or landmark was 2,400 years ago, they’re listed here because the work itself mattered. Have you ever wondered if your work matters? I bet you have. It doesn’t matter how much you get paid, or whether you work in or outside the home. Sometimes our work is obviously important. But often, it’s hard to connect the dots between what you have to do on some random Tuesday and anything that will matter 5 days from now, much less 2,400 years from now! But our work matters to God. So much of God’s provision comes through the hard work of people. Think of the Exodus story. God miraculously provided manna from heaven for forty years in the wilderness. But forever before that and forever after that, God provided for his people primarily through their hard work. Why is this in the Bible? 3. Jerusalem mattered to God. During the reign of King David, about five hundred years earlier, God chose Jerusalem to be the place he would dwell with his people in the Promised Land. But back in chapter 1, Nehemiah prayed, “Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’” (Ne 1:8–9). This broken-down city mattered to God. As weak and unimpressive as it was in Nehemiah’s day, this was the city, out of all the cities of the world, where God had promised to dwell. If you didn’t know the story, or the covenant promises, you’d probably never guess that it mattered so much to God. But it did. About five hundred years later, it would be just outside the gates of this city where the Son of God would die on a Roman executioner’s cross for the sins of the world. And from the city of Jerusalem, the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the man who rose from the dead, would radiate outward, even to the ends of the earth. And one day, when Christ returns, we too will dwell with God in the Heavenly Jerusalem. Did this project matter, to rebuild Jerusalem and to rebuild the people of Judah? Absolutely. It was time for the exiles to come home. Why is this in the Bible? 4. Everyone was called to do the work. Now, this isn’t unusual for a large project, especially when there are serious security threats. During a large national project (for example, last week, I mentioned the Apollo 11 mission) or during a large-scale war (like WWII), no one can really sit on the sidelines. Of course, not everyone has the same gifts, abilities, or capacities, but almost everyone can do something. But why does this matter here? Because chapter 3 reports how faithful the people were in heeding the call to do the work. Almost everyone, except those shameful nobles of Tekoa, threw themselves into the project. They knew the work mattered, and they worked hard to finish it. That deserves honor and recognition. And like any good leader, Nehemiah gave them the credit they deserved. They had priests, Levites, merchants, most of the nobles, Jerusalem residents, and people from the surrounding countryside, all working together. Chapter 3 recognizes and honors that hard work. Finally, why is this in the Bible? 5. Leadership was vital. Through Nehemiah’s wisdom, prayer, planning, and strategic partnership with King Artaxerxes, he was able to travel all the way to Jerusalem, share his vision with the people, and use his organizational skills to mobilize them to rebuild in record time. The wall around Jerusalem hadn’t just been broken down. It had been like that for 141 years. Without good and godly leadership, this project never would’ve happened. There are countless examples in the Scriptures and in history. God usually accomplishes his work in the world through his people, organized and led by those qualified and called by God to lead. Under the old covenant, it was through the work of prophets, priests, and kings. In the new covenant, Christ is the head of his church; he is the chief shepherd, but there are undershepherds—the elders, overseers, and pastors. In the book of Acts, as the church grew, deacons were added to the leadership structure to help manage the church. This structure remains in our church today. We have pastors and elders, but we have dozens of deacons serving as community group leaders, ministry team leaders, and more. Why is Nehemiah chapter 3 in the Bible? Because God knew who these people were. The work itself was important. Jerusalem mattered to God. Everyone was called to do the work. And leadership was vital to make it happen. But you know what? All these reasons speak to who we are and what we are trying to do in following Jesus today. God has called us to join the biggest project in all the world: to share the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ so that people will be transformed in every way. We don’t just have a broken wall or a broken-down city. We have a broken world that desperately needs the life/love/joy/peace that are only found in Jesus’ name. And if we are going to accomplish any part of this great project, then no one can sit on the sidelines. All are needed. Let’s get to work. Let us pray.
