Surveying the Damage: Cooperation and opposition

Taking a break from our work, we decided to see how things were going along different sections of the wall. In awe, our mouths fall open. Every section of the wall is being worked on. Craftsmen, merchants, goldsmiths, perfumers, nobles, priests, mayors, men, women, children, Temple staff, gatekeepers – everyone – is working on the walls near their places of work or homes.

Eliashib and the other priests are hard at work alongside regular people like us. The people of Jericho are working here, too. They are almost done with rebuilding the Sheep Gate. Some are now working on the wall leading to the Tower of the Hundred and further on some have started working on the wall towards the Tower of Hananel.

The Hassenaah brothers are diligently rebuilding the Fish Gate. They have hung the doors and are trying to get the bars and bolts to fit right. Farther on, we see Benjamin and Hashub working on the wall right outside their front door and next to them, Azariah, Maaseiah’s son, is doing the work near his house. The Sheep, Fish, Jeshanah, Valley, Dung, Fountain, Water, Horse, East and Inspection Gates are all being rebuilt and fitted with new bolts and bars.

We heard from several workers at one point that the local kings, Tobiah and Sanballet, who brought with them their friend, Geshem the Arab, had come to tease and tell jokes about the Israelites trying to rebuild the walls. The workers also told us what Nee had said to them:

“The God of Heaven, the only true, powerful God, will give us success. We answer to Him. We are only doing what He wants us to do. This is His city. We are His people. We are committed to serving Him even if the task seems impossible. Whether we serve God and rebuild the wall or not is not up to you. It is none of your business. And, you can do nothing about it. So, save your breath! We will do what our God asks. He will bring the success. So there!!”

We hurry back to our section of the wall. We can’t wait to continue being part of this great project. We are part of this great thing God is doing . . .