‘Hewers of the stone of the wall’

Nehemiah 3

II Chron.25:23 – Jehoash breaks wall (400 cubits)II Chron.26:9 – Uzziah repairs wall

II Chron.27:3 – Jotham built on wall of OphelII Chron.32:5 – Hezekiah repaired walls

II Chron.33:14 – Manasseh built wall without cityII Chron 36:19 – Chaldeans destroy temple & wall

REBUILT UNDER NEHEMIAH

State of Wall ~ Spiritual Health of NationState of Wall ~ Spiritual Health of Nation

SPIRITUAL FOUNDATIONS?

Prov. 24:30-32 – Spiritual LazinessProv. 18:10-12 – Walls of ConceitProv. 25:28 – No Self Control – Wrecking Ball

Contrast – Prov.16:32Ecc.10:8-9 – Break the Wall – Own PerilEzek. 8:7-12 – A Hole in the WallEzek.13:5,10-16 – Band Aids + Temporary PatchesIs.59:9-15 – Grope for the WallHab.2:9-11 – The Wall Tells a Story

Example – Dan.5:25

Ps. 51:17-19

• A perpetual process• If we are not building we are regressing• As soon as we stop building the wall begins to fall

Heb. 2796,1443 - ‘an artificer’ - ‘to surround with a fence, hedge,wall,to erect a wall’

II Sam.5:11 – mgn.I Chron.22:2I Kings 5:15-18

Character of a Mason in the Ecclesia

•Bezaleel – Ex.35:10,21,25,27,30-35 ‘cutting of stones, to set them’•‘Repairer (mason) of the breach’ Ezek. 22:30, Is.58:12

Eph.2:14 – ‘Christ…broken down the middle wall of partition’I Cor.3:10-15 – ‘Let every man take heed how he buildeth’I Pet.2:5 – ‘lively stones’

Roth. ‘being built up’

‘WE ARE NOT BRICKS, WE ARE STONES OF ALL DIFFERENT SIZES AND SHAPES’

(Bro Art Clarke)

The Church of the Holy RudeFounded in 1129

Rev.21:15-23•Garnished with precious stones – Mal.3:17•God did lighten it – wall of fire – Zech.2:4-5

• Walls called ‘salvation’ – Is.60:18• Everlasting name – Is.56:5

…CONSTRUCTION HAS BEGUN!!

NEHEMIAH 3

A Microcosm of an Ecclesia

v. 1

v. 2

SEED ON STONY GROUNDMatt 13:20-21

NON RESIDENT MEMBERS

v. 4

DEDICATED, FOCUSSED, RELIABLE

SPIRITUALLY UNSTABLE

v. 5 COMMONERS – perform the workNOBLES – watch the work

v.9

Exhort - Nobles became common labourers! Our external vocation doesn’t dictate position in an ecclesia!

HEWERS OF WOOD AND DRAWERS OF WATER

v. 7

WORKING RULER

v. 10 FUTURE TEMPLE BUILDERZech 6:10-15

v. 12 SINGLE PARENT

v. 14 RECHABITE

v. 20 ‘EARNESTLY REPAIRED’

v. 26 MENIAL LABOURERS

I Cor. 3:9-15