Have you ever tried to build a part of something and another person build the other part but you are not in ears shot of each other? You have to communicate with each other so that it will match up when you put it together, so you call, you email, you text, you myspace, etc. It is not so difficult with just two people, but try to do it with over 100 people, each responsible for a section of it, and then they all have to fit together. To me, it is nearly impossible.
This is what the Israelites had to do to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem, in the book of Nehemiah. In chapter 3, Nehemiah lists all the people who had a part in rebuilding the wall. I have read that chapter so many times and just skimmed over it because who cares about all those names! But a few days ago, I read it in detail and I finished reading it and sat there with so many thoughts going through my head.
First, it took a strong leader with a vision, to lead the people. He had to get them to capture the idea that it could be done and rally them to do it. He then had to get them to follow his direction and work together. One person, by himself, could not have built the wall. It had to be many!
I know so many times, I just want to do the job myself because it is easier than having to tell someone how to do it and then, will they do it the way I want them to do it? It is called trusting each other. That is what the Israelites had to do, trust each other.
When I am asked to do a job, and have to do it a particular way, that is not the way I would do it, it is hard to do it. Don’t you think that with that many people building the wall that several of the people did not think it was the best way to go about it? That is called trusting your leadership and following their direction. If they did not follow his direction, they wall never would have gotten built and it would never would have matched up in over 100 different locations. Think about, building ONE wall in over 100 sections? You do not do that! Ask any construction worker and he will tell you.
With all these obstacles, the only way the wall got built was TRUST. Trust is a hard thing to do.
Dave, It is amazing, but I have also been reading through Nehemiah, and your points are well taken. One thing that struck me was the tremendous amount of lifting these people had to do (one rock at a time, with no back braces!) and the opposition they received. At the store here I am constantly concerned about my employees backs as they move furniture. With the tremendous amount of physical work they were doing, it would have been very easy for them to give up. The workers and leadership were obviously Spirit driven, as we all need to be in all we do.
Hope you guys are all doing well.