The Dung Gate (Neh 3-5)

"Malchijah the son of Rechab, ruler of the district of Beth-haccherem, repaired the Dung Gate. He rebuilt it and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars."

Malchijah is awesome! I'm not talking about Malchijah the son of Harim (rebuilt the Tower of Furances) or Malchijah the goldsmith, but Malchijah the son of Rechab who rebuilt the Dung Gate. Remember it is "rebuilt" not "built", so the foul odor of the dung was left hanging in the air as they worked, but they didn't simply work at the Dung Gate, but they also guard by night! "The common laborers held a tool in one hand and a spear in the other. Each of the builders had a sword strapped to his side as he worked. I kept the trumpter at my side to sound the alert... guards by night and workmen by day." So they probably tried to walk as far away from the Dung Gate as they can to guard by night, or its probably the other way around for their nose may be numb or deaf from smelling the foul odor all day long!

Nehemiah probably took some strides around the city with the trumpter at his side to survey some works done. Nehemiah probably smell the foul odor, since his nose wasn't numb from those foul smelling he had lose his appetite. Which enable him to be even more generosity as he refused to take much pleasure in the food allowance of the governor, so he ate just like his workmen! "Yet for all this I did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because the service was too heavy on this people."

Sorry to disappoint you, but the "foul smell" may hang in the fiction section in the bookstore since the Dung Gate was probably abandoned for 70 years! So it may be greener and more beautiful than everywhere else! I don't know where they would put their fresh dungs while those walls are being rebuilt, so a temporary Dung Gate may be created meanwhile. Well who knows! Let's remain in fiction section and continue to imagine the foul smelling left hanging up in the air while they worked so hard!

Ever think of any creative ways to be more generosity like Nehemiah who refused the luxury from the government? Nehemiah was touched by how much his people worked hard to achieve God's vision, so he wanted to show his appreciation by refusing to make their work harder. So he ate something below his standard, probably below his generosity! He gave more than what he can afford to eat.