In Chapter 3 of Nehemiah, once again I struggled with the names of men who worked together on rebuilding the Jerusalem wall under Nehemiah’s leadership. Verses 6-10 were just the beginning of my “Names to Skip Over,” list. Being a lazy writer and reader, I prefer one- and two-syllable names like Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Nothing at all against Jehoiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah who repaired the Old Gate, or Shallum the son of Hallohesh who worked beside his daughters. But I confess, after months of working with Nehemiah, I began to feel like one of the gang. Jill the daughter of John Carpenter working next to Jehoiada, or Shallum and his daughters. As I read the story behind the rebuilding of the wall, and the prophesies regarding Jerusalem, I began to see these men as no longer strangers, but co-workers and neighbors. Eliashib, the high priest; Zerrubbabel the governor of Jerusalem in charge of rebuilding God’s temple; King Artaxerxes of Babylon; Sanballat, an enemy of the Jewish people.
While I may not be able to pass a spelling test of names taken from an Old Testament genealogy list, that didn’t stop me from building a rapport with Nehemiah. Another time in my life, when I co-hosted a radio program, I played and promoted North American Indian music. Again and again, I apologized to my listening audience for skipping over the tribal name of a singer. My omission had to do with fear that I’d mispronounce a name or stutter and stumble, making a fool of myself (which happened quite frequently regardless). Still, not being able to pronounce certain names did not stop me from playing their songs or enjoying their friendship. Later, when I moved to Mexico, again I was challenged as I sounded out Spanish names. I could communicate with my neighbors if they spoke English or we both used hand signs. What surprised me most was that my four-letter name proved difficult to pronounce in Spanish. In other words, as you read the book of Nehemiah, don’t be intimidated by long lists of names you have trouble pronouncing. In the book of Ezra, you’ll be surprised to see the same list of names, and since Ezra came before Nehemiah, you can guess who borrowed whose list for the census. I invite you to get to know the people behind the names as you read through Chapter 3. The men listed are often assigned to rebuilding a particular section of the wall or gate because they too are neighbors and/or possess similar skills. Get to know them. These are sons and daughters, friends and families who have been exiled for 70 years, returned to their homeland, only to find devastation and reproach. Rubble and stubble. No safety net or wall around their town.
If you’re from Nebraska, you know about devastation caused by tornados. When one tore through the small town of Hallam, what was left were homes reduced to cinder sticks and piles of bricks, windows broken, metal twisted, clothing, bathtubs, rocking chairs, roofs, and cars found everywhere they weren’t supposed to be. But, the damaged town came together because of neighbors and people living in the surrounding area. Joe brings his tools; the neighboring town brings a caravan of people specializing in plumbing, roofing, electrical wiring and building construction. Donations of furniture, food and water are dropped off. Tables are set up and loaded with water bottles, donuts, sandwiches and coffee. And so the town is rebuilt using new and old material, just like the Israelites rebuilt the wall around Jerusalem.
Okay, how exactly do you get past the piles of rubble? One brick at a time, one shovelful, one dumpster. I keep thinking of the media pictures of Beirut after the recent explosion, leaving behind mountains of massive destruction and death--piles of what used to be homes and apartments and businesses. I’m also reminded of 9-11 and the aftermath of the Twin Towers collapsing and the years it took to sort through the piles. When destruction is caused by war or weather, people often experience loss and grief. But know this, that strength and comfort will pour in from neighbors and neighboring towns, and in some cases, national and international support. For all who come to help, you might not know their name, even if you work beside them.
THE LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR LESSON
People pitch in to work together. That’s what makes a city a city, not the difficult names or traditions of a nation. When the Pharisees asked Jesus which is the great commandment in the Law, Jesus answered, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your hearts, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments, hand all the Law and the Prophets.”
That can be tough sometimes, loving others as we love ourselves, especially if we end up working next to someone we don’t know or even like. But, by following the same principles as Jesus, the same commandments, Nehemiah helped his countrymen rebuild a wall, two-and-a-half miles long, in 52 days. It’s part of Jesus’ LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF Campaign.
Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests and built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and hung its doors. They built as far as the Tower of the Hundred, and consecrated it, then as far as the Tower of Hananel. 2 Next to Eliashib the men of Jericho built. And next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built . . . .
