How to work together well for the common good? (Nehemiah 3)

On an elders’ retreat that I was a part of, we had a speaker talking about leadership. He described how his son, a pastor, was about to choose a co-pastor. Our speaker’s question to him was whether he, the son, could also be friends with his co-pastor, if they got on well in their personalities. His point was that working together with someone in ministry takes more than agreement on doctrinal points. Mutual respect and liking can help support the work. I found his advice both surprising and refreshing. What does it take to work together effectively with others?

United in one purpose

The wall building in Nehemiah 3 turns out to be a phenomenally successful enterprise, where the recurring phrase ‘and next to him/them…’ emphasises the way these people worked side-by-side from all walks of life: priests, men in and outside of Jerusalem, craftsmen, high officials, even some women (Neh 3:1, 8, 9, 12).[1] This sense of being united around a common purpose despite differences is certainly exemplary.

Natural connections and rapport

Yet, there is something else visible in the long list of names. Many of these people laboured specifically on parts of the wall where they had a vested interest, either because they worked in the area (priests build sections around the temple – Neh 3:1), or because they lived nearby (e.g. Neh 3:23, 28-29), so they would naturally want to ensure that the work was done well and efficiently. There were also groups sharing some common ground such as their profession (the Levites – Neh 3:17; craftsmen – Neh 3:8, though the latter may also have resided in the same district) or being men from the same place (e.g. the men from Gibeon and Mizpah – Neh 3:7; ‘the men of the valley’, i.e. the lower Jordan region – Neh 3:22).

In other words, Nehemiah and the leadership harnessed existing affinities and concerns of people in assigning them into work groups. As Christians, we are often encouraged to love the unlovely and do good to those who cannot reciprocate as well as be willing to work together with anyone, so that considering those natural connections and interests can be seen as selfish. Yet taking advantage of these when present can work for the good of all.

Willingness to work beyond personal interest and connections

On the other hand, there may be pre-existing structures whether in a job or in the church, where we have to co-operate with people we do not naturally get on with. In fact, there are some tensions like that in our chapter, where some nobles from Tekoa refuse to work under their assigned supervisors (Neh 3:5). Although the passage does not explain the reason, the Hebrew expression ‘they did not bring their neck to the work’ evokes the imagery of an ox refusing to submit to the yoke and implies pride. If these nobles thought of themselves as leaders, they may have resented others placed above them. Conversely, our list also provides examples of people who were so enthusiastic that irrespective of personal stakes in a section of the wall, they also worked on a second section somewhere else (NASB ‘another section’, e.g. Neh 3:4, 21; Neh 3:5, 27).[2] Thus, we cannot and should not rely just on natural sympathies and rapport to keep us going.

Striking a balance

This chapter illustrates a healthy pragmatism between taking advantage of natural connections and interests and recognising the need at times to work alongside others who are different from us and for the greater good of others. This is true in various ministry teams in the church, where the question whether a potential new team member will be able to work harmoniously with others should be a legitimate consideration. Conversely, if we have no choice in the team mates assigned to us, we are to make every effort to work together peacefully. In a different area that involves furthering spiritual growth through homegroups or a mentoring system, it is again helpful to take into account people’s leanings and interests rather than mechanically assign them into groups or under a mentor irrespective of compatibility. At the same time what people want and what is good for their growth are not identical, so there has to be room for other considerations. It takes wisdom to sort through various aspects in these situations so that God’s purposes are achieved.

---

[1] Neh 3:12 is the only place that mentions women, so that their participation in building is unusual. It is possible that the official in question had no sons and so drafted in his daughters to help.

[2] Sometimes, we are only told of the ‘second section’ that someone worked on (e.g. Neh 3:11, 20), which suggests that we do not have the full list of workers and sections they repaired in this chapter.

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with others.