Towers in the Scripture speak of two main things. The first is shelter and safety, and thus we read, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe” (Prov. 18:10). The second is detection and protection. The position of the watchman in Scripture is so important, requiring ongoing awareness, diligence and continuance. See 2 Kings 9:17-21.
In addition to the gates of Jerusalem mentioned to us in the Book of Nehemiah, Scripture mentions a number of towers in the wall around the city that are very instructive as well. While there are twelve gates mentioned in Nehemiah, there are only six towers mentioned. Chapter 3 gives us ten of the gates and all of the recorded towers.
The Tower of Meah
The first tower given to us is in Nehemiah 3:1—the tower of Meah. Meah means “one hundred” and is the tower right next to the sheep gate. It is the first tower mentioned, and perhaps the thought is that the salvation of a soul is totally a work of God and that once a soul is saved, it is only by staying near to the Lord that a saved one can be happy, fruitful and preserved. The Lord desires to have us 100% for Himself, and in a coming day He will reward faithfulness.
The Tower of Hananeel
The second tower mentioned is the tower of Hananeel, which is also closely connected with the tower of Meah in the first verse. Hananeel means “God is gracious,” and we can relate this to both His saving grace and His goodness to us through our whole journey as believers (Eph. 2:8; Gen. 48:15; Psa. 23:6).
The Tower of the Furnaces
The next tower seems to have been in disrepair, and so it is recorded in verse 11 that “Malchijah ... and Hashub ... repaired ... the tower of the furnaces. Perhaps this would speak of the need for self-judgment in our lives. No doubt this was needed in Jerusalem for things to go on well once the wall was finished, in order to get rid of rubbish. Its lack of use might have been the reason the city had fallen into decline in the first place (Neh. 4:10). Malchijah means “my king is Jehovah” and Hashub means “thoughtful,” so these men were very fitting volunteers to rebuild this tower. Those who love the Lord want to be near to Him and so realize the importance of self-judgment to stay near to Him (1 Cor. 11:28).
The High Tower
The next tower mentioned in Nehemiah 3 is in verse 25. It is the high tower (JND trans.). What a resource we have in our Lord Jesus! “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower” (Psa. 18:2). The kings were to be always near the Lord for his keeping grace, protection and direction. It is no wonder the high tower was by the king’s house which was by the court of the prison.
The Tower That Lieth Out
The next tower in verse 26, the tower that lieth out, was near the water gate. When we go out to the world with the gospel, we need to remember that, despite man’s responsibility to come to Christ, it is the sovereign work of God in the soul that imparts new life and saves (Rom. 10:13; Rev. 22:17; John 17:24-26; Eph. 1:4-12).
The Great Tower
The sixth and final tower mentioned in Nehemiah 3 is the great tower in verse 27. Scripture mentions that it also “lieth out.” Our labors for our brethren need to have the Lord and His glory as their object. The Lord Jesus is the good Shepherd, the chief Shepherd, and also the great Shepherd. As “under” shepherds, we have Him as an example for our ways with His people. (See 1 Peter 5:1-4.)
Long before Nehemiah’s time, Solomon was busy with upkeep and repair on the wall of Jerusalem. In 1 Kings 11:27, we read that at that time Jeroboam “lifted up his hand against the king.” He was “a mighty man of valor” and also “industrious” (vs. 28), but perhaps his thoughts were for himself rather than the defense of Jerusalem and the good of God’s people. We know what evil Jeroboam later introduced into Israel. May we value the work of the Lord in our lives and do our work for the Lord with more of a realization of His love and the resource we have in Him.
P. E. House