Nehemiah 3:6-12: a reflection

6Joiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the old gate. They laid its beams and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars. 7Next to them, Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon and of Mizpah, repaired the residence of the governor beyond the River. 8Next to him, Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, goldsmiths, made repairs. Next to him, Hananiah, one of the perfumers, made repairs, and they fortified Jerusalem even to the wide wall. 9Next to them, Rephaiah the son of Hur, the ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs. 10Next to them, Jedaiah the son of Harumaph made repairs across from his house. Next to him, Hattush the son of Hashabneiah made repairs. 11Malchijah the son of Harim and Hasshub the son of Pahathmoab repaired another portion and the tower of the furnaces. 12Next to him, Shallum the son of Hallohesh, the ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, he and his daughters made repairs.

This passage records the rebuilding of Jerusalem's wall, and what stands out is how the great work was accomplished: by many people, each repairing the section near them. Over and over the phrase recurs: next to them, next to him. Goldsmiths, perfumers, rulers, ordinary people, even a man and his daughters, each took up a portion of the wall, the part near their own house or district, and repaired it. The whole great wall was rebuilt by many hands, each doing their own part.

Notice how the work was done: not by a few doing everything, but by many, each doing the part near them. No one person rebuilt the whole wall; each took responsibility for a section, often the part nearest their own home, and did that. And the sections, joined together, made the whole. The great work was accomplished not by a few heroes, but by many ordinary people each faithfully doing their own portion, side by side.

That is a picture of how much of God's work gets done: by many people each faithfully doing their own part. We can feel that we cannot do much, that the great work is beyond us, and be tempted to leave it to others or do nothing. But the wall was rebuilt by many, each doing the part near them; and the sum of many faithful portions was the whole. Do not despise your own small part in God's work, or leave it undone because you cannot do everything. Take up the part near you, the portion that is yours to do, and do it faithfully, as each person repaired the section near them. The great work of God is accomplished by many each doing their part; do yours faithfully, the portion near you, trusting that it joins with the portions of others to accomplish the whole, as the sections of the wall joined to make it whole.

Lord, this passage records the rebuilding of Jerusalem's wall, accomplished by many people, each repairing the section near them: goldsmiths, perfumers, rulers, a man and his daughters, each doing their own part, and the whole rebuilt by many hands. Show me how the work was done: not by a few doing everything, but by many, each doing the part near them, the sections joining to make the whole. That is a picture of how much of your work gets done: by many people each faithfully doing their own part. I can feel that I cannot do much, that the great work is beyond me, and be tempted to leave it to others or do nothing. But the wall was rebuilt by many, each doing the part near them; and the sum of many faithful portions was the whole. Keep me from despising my own small part in your work, or leaving it undone because I cannot do everything. Help me take up the part near me, the portion that is mine to do, and do it faithfully, as each person repaired the section near them. Your great work is accomplished by many each doing their part; help me do mine faithfully, Lord, the portion near me, trusting that it joins with the portions of others to accomplish the whole.