Reading: Nehemiah 4-6
JBut it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth, And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it (Neh. 4:7-8).
Approximately 73 years after the rebuilding of the Temple of God (Ezra 6:15; Neh. 1:1; 2:1), Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem accompanied by a small contingent of Persian soldiers (Neh. 2:9). He arrived with letters of instruction, sealed by the king, which empowered him to gather the necessary resources and complete the construction of the city wall with all due haste (2:7-8). Just because he had the king’s permission did not mean Nehemiah was universally welcomed in Judah. The Jewish population was steadily growing but still very much in the minority. Those who had claimed the land since the dissolution of Israel and Judah viewed them with suspicion and distrust. Nehemiah’s stated intention to repair the walls and strengthen the Jewish city of Jerusalem was met with anger and fear.
The opposition, led by Sanballat the Horonite, was vocal in its quest to stop the work on the wall. Still, no matter what they attempted, Nehemiah’s calm and sure leadership kept the Jewish workmen motivated and on task. So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work (4:6). When the verbal attacks gave way to physical threats, Nehemiah organized his workers in such a way that work continued under the protection of armed guards (4:13-16), and the repairs continued. As the wall neared completion, two last-ditch attempts were made to discredit Nehemiah and bring his work to a halt.
The first try was no doubt intended to be an ambush. An attempt was made to draw Nehemiah out of the city and away from his established protective guard. Nehemiah, however, refused to allow them to draw him into conflict. And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you (6:3)? By keeping his focus solidly on God’s work and refusing to pause in that work for any reason, Nehemiah neatly sidestepped the trap they had laid out for him.
When Nehemiah proved he could not be easily distracted, they sought to grab his attention in a more devious manner. They had letters drawn up claiming proof of a plot, headed by Nehemiah, that sought to liberate Judah from Medo-Persian rule and instate Nehemiah himself as king in Jerusalem. They felt confident that such an attack on his reputation would cause Nehemiah to turn aside from his task and defend himself. Yet once again, they were mistaken. Nehemiah knew he was in the right, and he was unconcerned with his reputation. He ignored the lies and innuendos, confident that he stood blameless before God.
As we follow the path set before us by the Lord, let us resolve to stand as firm in our convictions as Nehemiah. This devout servant of God allowed no one to distract him from his assigned task. Although there will always be those whose fear and hatred of the Lord will lead them to attempt to sabotage our work, we must trust in God to protect us and always maintain our focus on the task at hand.
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:14).
Thought For Today: Life only ‘gets in the way’ of living for the Lord when we attempt to hide certain aspects of our lives from Him.
Christ Portrayed:By Nehemiah and other Jews who had bought back (redeemed) Jews who had been sold to the heathen as slaves while in Persia (Neh.5:8). We, which He hath purchased with His own blood (Acts 20:28), were redeemed when we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
Word Studies:4:7 breaches = broken places; 4:10 strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed = strength of the workmen is failing; 4:20 resort ye thither = assemble there; 5:3 dearth = famine; 5:7 usury = interest.
Pray For Staff:Kevin Jennings • Government Officials: Sen. Ben Luján (NM)Rep.Susan Wil (PA) Rep.Alex Mooney(WV) • Country: Pitcairn Islands (48) South Pacific Ocean • Major Languages: English, Pitkern • 100% Seventh-Day Adventist • Prayer Suggestion: Humbly kneel before the Lord in prayer and worship the Lord (II Chr. 6:13).
Optional Reading: II Corinthians 9.