The Dung Gate Builder

Malkijah son of Recab.

Never heard of him?

But he was the ruler of the district of Beth Hakkerem!

Still have no clue who he is?

That's okay because very few people do. Malkijah son of Recab is only mentioned once in all of scripture.

So what's the big deal about Malkijah?

When Nehemiah started rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, he gathered all the leaders of the city together to divide up the sections of the wall they would build. I imagine there were many who wanted to build the Golden Gate, or the Fountain Gate. I bet there were others who vied for the chance to build the Fish Gate or the Valley Gate. But there weren't any takers when it came to rebuilding the Dung Gate.

You see, your name would go down in the annals of history forever. It would be written in the book of life itself and forever people would associate your name with the Dung Gate.

And when no one else stepped up to rebuild the Dung Gate, there was one who would.

That's right. Malkijah the son of Recab.

I can just imagine what Malkijah's children said to their daddy when they found out what their daddy had done. Daddy! How could you? Now everyone will associate our family name with DUNG!

But you know what? If your city doesn't have a Dung Gate, your entire city stinks up to royal heaven!

If your church, organization, office, home, doesn't have a Malkijah, I guarantee your place stinks. You see, Malkijah are the ones who do the work that few people want to do, but must be done. Malkijahs are the ones who do their work while no one is watching. They do it because it must get done. But more importantly, they do it because it's God's work.

You'll see the Malkijahs every Sunday who stay behind while everyone else leaves the sanctuary to pick up all the bulletins and trash.

Malkijahs are the ones in the kitchen washing dishes and setting things up so that everyone else can have a good time at the potluck.

Malkiajahs are the ones when no one is watching, shows up to work on the church grounds to plant flowers and plants to make the church pretty for Easter.

And if your church or organization doesn't have many Malkijahs? Well, you know how stinky that is.

Thank God for Malkijahs. You are my heroes!