Nehemiah came to Jerusalem with a vision, a vision to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down when Babylon had destroyed the city nearly 140 years before. He started by surveying the work, but then he laid out his vision to recruit the other people in the work. Nehemiah didn’t, in fact, start by swinging a hammer. Instead, he knew that this was a big job and he called many people into the work.
In all, just among those that are listed in chapter 3, I counted 39 sections of workers, made up of multiple men and women in each section, who were called into service and were counted as those who were completing the work. All of the way around the city, the wall was to be rebuilt and the work didn’t require one worker, a small crew, or even a large team. No, this was a huge job and required an army of workers who would rebuild the walls.
The repairs next to him were made by the priests from the surrounding region. Beyond them, Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs in front of their house; and next to them, Azariah son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, made repairs beside his house. Next to him, Binnui son of Henadad repaired another section, from Azariah’s house to the angle and the corner, and Palal son of Uzai worked opposite the angle and the tower projecting from the upper palace near the court of the guard.
Nehemiah 3:22-25
In a similar way, the work that Christ has called us into, to preach the Gospel of the kingdom to all nations, to make disciples of all nations, also requires many, many workers. It is no small work. It is a work on a global scale and requires a number of workers commensurate with the calling that Jesus has given to us. A church here, a pastor there, or a few missionaries aren’t enough. No, the work that is in front of us requires workers. A lot of them.
This is our aim. Jesus told his disciples when he sent them out – recorded in Luke 10 – to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send workers out into his harvest field. This is what we must continue to do today. Not just hope that workers will go, but pray that God will send them, and as God identifies those people who are willing to go, even some who will go to their friends and family or others that will go across the world, we must prepare them and send them.
This is the work that God has called us into. The walls are broken down. The world is in desperate need of Christ and we can no longer “play” church… – please hear what I’m saying. It isn’t enough to just go to church once a week and move on with the rest of our lives. It isn’t enough to be part of a Bible study. The Lord is sending out workers to a world that is broken and the only solution is Jesus himself. Will we be the workers? Will we rebuild the walls? Will we call others up to service to bring many into the kingdom of God?