It is fascinating to read, in Nehemiah, chapter three, of all the people who helped in the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah had received a vision from God that the wall should be rebuilt, and that he should head up that project. In Nehemiah, chapter 2, verses 17 and 18, we read this:
“Then I said to them, ‘You see the bad situation we are in, that Jerusalem is desolate and its gates burned by fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that we will no longer be a reproach.’ I told them how the hand of my God had been favorable to me and also about the king’s words which he had spoken to me. Then they said, ‘Let us arise and build.’ So they put their hands to the good work.’” (NASB)
Here’s what is so fascinating about this: “they said, “Let us arise and build.” So they put their hands to the good work.” They didn’t just say to Nehemiah, “Okay, we support you in this. We can see that God has spoken to you,” and just leave it at that. No, instead they said let “us” get up and do this work. “Let us arise and build.” And so, they put their hands to the work.
They didn’t have the attitude, “Well, this is your vision, so you do what you need to do. Oh, we’ll support you when people ask us what you are doing, but this is your work, not mine.” No, they got in there, got their hands dirty, and did the work; alongside Nehemiah. This should be the prayer of everyone who attends a church; that each person will work alongside their pastor. Not just in support. Not just by standing behind him or her. But by working alongside.
The other fascinating thing about this story is how these people worked. First they determined that they were going to join WITH Nehemiah in rebuilding walls, and then they worked alongside each other. Throughout chapter 3 we read the phrase, “next to him,” or “next to them.” Each time one of these phrases is used it is referring to a person or family that worked alongside another person or family in rebuilding the wall.
Can you imagine that?! They actually worked together to get the job done. They not only supported Nehemiah’s vision with both their heart’s and their hand’s, but they worked together, side-by-side to accomplish the task.
In Nehemiah, chapter 4, verses 1-3, we read about those who opposed rebuilding the wall. Here we read:
“Now it came about that when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and very angry and mocked the Jews. He spoke in the presence of his brothers and the wealthy men of Samaria and said, ‘What are these feeble Jews doing? Are they going to restore it for themselves? Can they offer sacrifices? Can they finish in a day? Can they revive the stones from the dusty rubble even the burned ones?’ Now Tobiah the Ammonite was near him and he said, ‘Even what they are building–if a fox should jump on it, he would break their stone wall down.'” (NASB)
Unfortunately it is typical of those who oppose something, but have no real solutions of their own, to resort to mocking and ridicule. Rather than get in there and help; rather than work alongside their leader, and their peers, they try to do everything they can to ensure that the work will fail. They will come up with every reason possible to show that the job, the vision, is not worth the effort. They will highlight all the possible barriers to success, and then they will continually say, “I told you so,” at each apparent setback.
I pray that in our churches everywhere we become people both willing to support the vision, and willing to work alongside each other, and our pastors, rather than a group of people who continually look for reasons that could lead us to fail. When the task seems impossible; when the vision seems out of reach, and therefore unreasonable, that is when God will receive the glory as the vision is realized.