Nehemiah 3:31,32

Nehemiah 3:31,32 After him repaired Malchiah the goldsmith's son unto the place of the Nethinims, and of the merchants, over against the gate Miphkad, and to the going up of the corner. And between the going up of the corner unto the sheep gate repaired the goldsmiths and the merchants. Just like the priests, the goldsmiths and merchants were not used to doing construction. But they wanted to get involved and they knew their responsibility to help to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. The merchants sold things everyday and made money buying and selling. But if their city was not secure, any thugs could come right in and take everything that they had. They knew that they needed the protection of the wall, so they helped to build it. The same with Malchiah, the goldsmith’s son. His father usually worked with tiny tools making rings and gold pins. But if they didn’t have a safe wall to protect them, what might happen to their gold? Sanballat and Tobiah could come right in and take whatever they wanted! So Malchiah worked to protect his father and the other goldsmiths. Malchiah probably had tender hands. He worked with tiny tools shaping beautiful objects in his father’s shop. But he was willing to get his hands dirty and build with stone and cement. The protection of his family was important to him. Malchiah and the merchants are good examples to us.