To Every Man his Work.
Once a year, in the University of Cambridge, there is a grand day called
Commemoration Day. On that day, in the middle of the service, in each
college chapel a list of honours is read out, a list containing the
names of all those who, in times gone by, gave money or help to that
college. The bodies of those whose names are read have many of them
crumbled to dust long centuries ago, but their names are remembered
still, remembered for what they have done; and that they may never be
forgotten, they are publicly read aloud, year by year, on the great
Commemoration Day.
Let us now take up God's honour list, and see who are entered upon it.
We shall find it filled with the names of those who have been dead more
than 2000 years, but whose names are not forgotten; they stand out fair
and clear in the Book of God, all are entered on the great list of
honours, and are remembered for what they have done.
Where shall we find God's great honour list? It is the list of all those
who responded to Nehemiah's appeal, and who rebuilt the walls of
Jerusalem. In Neh. iii. we have a list of their names, not one is
omitted. There those names have stood for 2000 years; there they will
stand to the end of time. Brave men, noble men were those Jews, who, as
soon as the scheme was laid before them, cried, 'Let us arise and
build;' and who not only responded by word of mouth, but who at once set
to work to do what they had promised.
Let us take a walk round the walls of Jerusalem and watch the builders
at work. We will begin where they began, ver. 1, at the Sheep Gate on
the east side of the city. As we stand by the gate we see beneath us the
Kedron valley, and beyond it the slopes of the Mount of Olives. Close by
us, but inside the city, is the sheep-market, where the sheep and lambs
are sold to those who wish to sacrifice in the temple, and near this
market is the pool where the sheep are washed before being led up into
the temple courts. This is the pool mentioned in John v. 2, where in
later times lay the impotent man waiting to be healed.
Who are these who are busily engaged repairing the Sheep Gate and the
wall beyond it; they are the priests, who have left their work in the
temple courts close by, and who, with their loins girded and their long
white tunics turned up, are leading, as it was right they should, the
van of Nehemiah's effort.
Heading these priests, and superintending their work, is Eliashib the
high priest. The meaning of his name is _God restores_, a grand name
for the man who began the restoration of the Holy City. This Eliashib was
the grandson of the high priest Jeshua, who had returned with
Zerubbabel. He is honourably mentioned by Nehemiah as leading the way in
this work; but, sad to say, though he earnestly built the wall round
the city, Eliashib was afterward the one who let sin come within those
very walls.
The priests are building from the Sheep Gate as far as the two towers,
Meah and Hananeel, which stood at the north-east corner of the city.
We pass on, and next we see a number of men building; we notice at once,
by their dress, that they are not priests, so we ask them where they
come from. We find they are men of Jericho, the city of palm trees,
fourteen miles away in the Jordan valley. They are the descendants of
the 345 men of Jericho who returned with the first detachment of Jews in
the time of Cyrus. This piece of the wall has been allotted to them
because it faces their own city Jericho; they are building at the very
spot from which the road started that led from Jerusalem to Jericho.
Passing the Jericho men we come to a bit of the wall where one solitary
man is working. His name is Zaccur. He can only have a small piece of
the wall allotted to him, for we are close now upon the Fish Gate, where
other builders are at work, the sons of Hassenaah. Possibly this Zaccur
was a man of no importance, for we never hear of him again; probably his
share of the work was only a small one, yet it was well and faithfully
done, and his name stands fast in God's honour list, and will stand
there while the world shall last.
We have come now to the Fish Gate, on the north side of the city. Close
by us is the fish-market, for through that gate comes all the fish sold
in Jerusalem. Men of Tyre are there with baskets of fish from the
Mediterranean, and Galilean fishermen with fish from the great inland
sea, on which in later times the apostles toiled for their daily bread.
Three men, who were probably well-known citizens, are repairing the
three next pieces of the wall, their names are Meremoth, Meshullam, and
Zadok. We will notice one of these three men, Meshullam, for we shall
hear more of him presently. If Meshullam's name is honourably mentioned
here as one of the builders of Jerusalem, we shall find it very
differently mentioned as we go on with Nehemiah's story.
Passing these three men, we come to a part of the wall which is being
built by the inhabitants of Tekoa, a small village not far from
Jerusalem, whence came the wise woman whom Joab sent to King David. What
is the matter at this part of the wall? The work does not get on as it
should. They seem to have no leaders, these people of Tekoa, and to have
a long stretch of wall, and but few hands to build it. We ask how this
is, and we find that some in Tekoa have shirked the work (ver. 5):
'Their nobles put not their necks to the work of their Lord.'
They have been like oxen, too idle to draw the plough, which have pulled
their necks from under the yoke, and have stubbornly refused to go
forward. So have these nobles of Tekoa stood aloof, too proud to work
side by side with the common people of the village, or too idle to join
in anything which requires continuous effort; they have left their
poorer neighbours to bear the burden alone, and to do it or not as they
please.
We are now passing the Old Gate, on the north of the city, the Damascus
Gate of modern days, from which goes the great northern road to Samaria
and Galilee.
The men of Gibeon and Mizpah, whose villages lay near together, we find
next on the wall, working side by side as neighbours should, and
building the part of the wall which faced their own homes, two villages
standing on the hills about five miles from the northern gate.
Coming round the city we find ourselves passing the Gate of Ephraim and
the Broad Wall. Here we see no workmen, for that part of the wall does
not need repairing. Uzziah, King of Judah, had built a strong piece of
wall here, about 200 yards long, and the Chaldeans had not been able to
destroy it with the rest of the city. This wall was twice the thickness
of the rest, and was always called the Broad Wall.
Near this wall we find men of two different trades working, goldsmiths
and apothecaries. Trades in the East are almost always hereditary,
passing down from father to son for many generations. Thus these
goldsmiths and apothecaries were joined together in family guilds or
unions, and came forward together to the work. The apothecaries were the
spice makers, important persons in the East, where spices are so largely
used in cooking, and where so many sweet-smelling and aromatic spices
are employed in embalming the dead.
Then, passing on, we see the tower which protected the furnaces or brick
kilns, in which the bricks were made which had been used in rebuilding
the houses of the city. So unsettled was the country, that it is
supposed it was found necessary to erect a tower for the defence of
these brick-makers, who were often at work by night as well as by day.
Close to the furnace tower we see a strange sight, and one which is well
worthy of our notice. This part of the wall deserves our earnest
attention, for here are actually young ladies engaged in the work,
standing, trowel in hand, toiling away side by side with the other
workmen. Who are these girls? They are the daughters of Shallum, the
ruler of the half part of Jerusalem (ver. 12) (or rather of the country
round Jerusalem). Shallum was evidently a wealthy and influential man,
but he did not withdraw from the work, like the nobles of Tekoa, and so
anxious are his daughters that the Lord's work should be done, that here
we find them toiling away by their father's side. God noticed the effort
made by these young ladies of Jerusalem, and did not forget to notice
them in His great honour list.
Passing on, we come to the part of the wall which Nehemiah had examined
in his moonlight ride. We see the Valley Gate, the Dung Gate, and the
Gate of the Fountain, opposite the Pool of Siloam. This part of the city
has suffered much from Nebuchadnezzar's work of destruction, and the
work of rebuilding it is therefore very heavy. But close to the
south-east corner, at the place where Nehemiah's mule stumbled and was
unable to proceed, the builders have a stiff piece of work indeed. The
piles of rubbish are so many and so deep, there is so much to be cleared
away before they can commence building, that we find accordingly the
piece given to each man to repair is not great, and that many hands are
making the labour light.
We notice, too, that most of those who are working in this part of the
city are repairing that bit of the wall which is immediately opposite
their own houses. No less than six times we are told that the builder's
own house was close to the part of the wall he built.
One man we cannot help watching as we turn round towards the eastern
wall. His name is Baruch, and there is something about him which
attracts our attention at once. He works as if he were working for his
life, he does not lose a moment; whoever is absent, Baruch is always at
his post; whoever is idle, Baruch is ever hard at work, early in the
morning and late at night, when the hot sun is scorching the city and
when the night dews are falling, Baruch is always busy, toiling away on
the wall with all his might and main. Ver. 20 tells us he 'earnestly
repaired.' The word means to be hot, to be on fire with zeal and energy.
He 'earnestly repaired the _other_ piece,' or as it would be better
translated '_another_ piece.' Having finished his own portion, in
another part of the wall, Baruch has come to the rescue at the
south-east corner, where the rubbish is deepest and the work is hardest.
Baruch therefore receives the mark of distinction on God's list of
honour. Round the corner, on the eastern wall, one builder we cannot
pass without notice, for he is an old white-headed man. His name is
Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah. We find this man mentioned in 1 Chron.
iii. 22 as a descendant of King David. His son Hattush had returned with
Ezra, twelve years before; now here is the old man himself, determined
not to let his white hairs prevent him from helping on the good work
(ver 29). He builds by the gate which was his charge, the Golden Gate,
at the east of the temple court and facing the Mount of Olives.
The last piece of the wall is being done by the goldsmiths and the
merchants; and now, as we pass them, we find ourselves again at the
Sheep Gate, at the very spot from which we started in our walk round the
city.
Listen to the ring of the trowels, hearken to the shouts of the workmen,
as they call to one another and cheer each other on in the work. From
morning till night, day after day, the trowels are kept busy, and the
work goes on, and already, as we watch, we begin to see the gaps filled
up and the ruin of many years repaired.
It was the work of the Lord, a grand work, a glorious work, which those
builders of Nehemiah were doing, and God noticed and marked, and put on
His list of honour every one who joined in it.
Times have changed, manners have altered, kingdoms have passed away,
since the eastern sun streamed upon Nehemiah's workmen, but there is
still work to be done for the Lord. The Master's workshop is still open,
and the Master's eye is still fixed on the workers, and He still enters
the name of each in a register, His great list of honour, kept not in
earth, but in heaven.
Is my name then on God's honour list? Am I working for Him? Am I to be
found at my post, faithfully carrying out the work He has given me to
do?
Looking at the walls of Jerusalem, surely the Lord would have us learn
three great lessons.
(1) _Who_ should work.
(2) _Where_ they should work.
(3) _How_ they should work.
_Who should work_? What say the walls of Jerusalem? Everyone without
exception. Do we not see people of all classes at work--rich men and
poor men, people of all occupations, priests, goldsmiths and
apothecaries, and merchants? men of all ages, the young and strong, and
the old and white-headed? those from all parts of the country--men of
Jericho, and Gibeon, and Mizpah, side by side with inhabitants of
Jerusalem? people of both sexes, men and women? The goldsmith did not
say, 'I don't understand building, therefore I cannot help.' The
apothecary did not object that it was not his trade, so he must leave it
to the bricklayers and masons. Old Shemaiah did not say, 'Surely an old
white-headed man like myself cannot be expected to do anything.' The men
of Jericho did not complain that they were fourteen miles from their
home, and that therefore it would be inconvenient for them to help. The
daughters of Shallum did not say, 'We are women, and therefore there is
nothing for us to do.'
But all came forward, heartily, willingly, cheerfully, to do the work of
their Lord.
There is only one exception, only one blot on the page, only one dark
spot on the register. The nobles of Tekoa, for 2000 years their names
have stood, enrolled as the shirkers in God's grand work.
Who then are to work for God? Every one of us, whoever we are, whatever
is our occupation, whatever our place of residence, whatever our age,
whatever our sex, the motto in God's great workshop remains the
same--'_To every one his work_,' his own particular work, to be done
by him, and by no one else.
_Where then shall we work_? Imitate Nehemiah's builders; those living
in the city built each the piece of wall before his own door, those living
outside built the part of the wall facing their own village, whilst the
priests built the piece nearest to the temple. Let us then, as God's
workers, begin at home, working from a centre outwards; our own heart
first, surely there is plenty of work to do there; then our own family,
our own household, our own street, our own congregation, our own city,
our own country, letting the circle ever widen and widen, till it
reacheth to the furthest corner of God's great workshop, to the
uttermost parts of the earth.
_How then shall we work_? Like Baruch, the son of Zabbai, hot with
zeal, on fire with earnestness and energy. Baruch did not saunter round
the walls to watch how the other builders were getting on; he stuck to his
post. Baruch did not work well one day and lie in bed the next, he
persevered steadily and patiently. Baruch did not work as if he were
trying to make the job last as long as possible, idly pretending to
work, but dreaming all the time, but he worked on bravely, earnestly,
unceasingly, till the work was done. So let us work while it is called
to-day, for the night cometh when no man can work.
It was no easy work those Jerusalem builders had. Outdoor work in the
East is always hard and heavy; it is no light matter to stand for hours
in the scorching sun without a particle of shade, toiling on at heavy
and unaccustomed work. But the builders bravely endured, and were
stedfast in the work, and they have their reward. Their names stand on
God's honour list, not even the most insignificant amongst them is
omitted.
Workers for God, does the work seem hard? Are the difficulties great?
Are you weary and faint as you keep at your post? Does the hot sun of
temptation often tempt you to throw up the work? Think of Nehemiah's
builders. Hold on, cheer up, work well and bravely, remembering that the
reward is sure. We read of certain people who lived at Philippi whose
names were written in heaven. Who were these? (Phil. iv. 3.) St. Paul
tells us; they were his fellow-labourers, the workers of God in that
city.
No human hand, no hand of angel or archangel, enters the names on that
register, for it is the Lamb's book of life. None but the Lamb can open
it, none but He can write in it, none but He will read its contents in
the ears of the assembled universe.
What an honour, what a wonderful joy, what a glorious reward it will be
to each faithful worker, as he hears his own name read from the list!
Surely it will well repay him for all he has undergone in the working
days of earth.