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“The Stone of Dedication (Nehemiah 4)”
The Stone of Dedication (Nehemiah 4)
Wade Webster
Each chapter of the book of Nehemiah gives us another stone that must be revived to rebuild the work of God. So far, we have noticed the stones of supplication, preparation, and coordination. In this installment of our study, we will notice the stone of dedication. We will see the dedication of Nehemiah and the people in the hearts, the hands, and the hours that they gave to the work.
Their Hearts
“So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work” (Neh. 4:6). Please note that the people had a mind to work. Their hearts were in what they were doing. Had they only been going through the motions or half-hearted about the work of rebuilding, they would have quit. The context reveals that they faced great ridicule from those in the region. We read, “But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews. And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish—stones that are burned?” Now Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall” (Neh. 4:1-3). Although these words must have stung them, they didn’t stop them.
Their Hands
“So it was, from that time on, that half of my servants worked at construction, while the other half held the spears, the shields, the bows, and wore armor; and the leaders were behind all the house of Judah. Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon” (Neh. 4:16-17). When ridicule didn’t stop the work, the enemies in the region threatened to attack them. We read, “Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry, and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion… And our adversaries said, “They will neither know nor see anything, till we come into their midst and kill them and cause the work to cease.” (Neh. 4:7-8, 11). The enemy hoped to create confusion and to cause the work to cease. Although the enemy wasn’t able to stop the work, they did slow it tremendously. Some of the workers had to be assigned to guard duty. Others had to work with a tool in one hand and a weapon in the other.
Their Hours
“So we labored in the work, and half of the men held the spears from daybreak until the stars appeared. At the same time I also said to the people, “Let each man and his servant stay at night in Jerusalem, that they may be our guard by night and a working party by day.” So neither I, my brethren, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me took off our clothes, except that everyone took them off for washing” (Neh. 4:21-23). Please note the long hours that they worked. They were dedicated to completing this project as soon as possible.
How dedicated are we to the work of the Lord today? Are our hearts in it? Are we working with both hands? Are we willing to get up early and to stay up late until the job is done?
