This fourth chapter is a thrilling experience of how a man of God by faith can overcome some of the greatest attacks by Satan and go on to do great work for the Lord.
In the third chapter, we have the great list of workers and where they were to work on the wall of the city.
We have noted that Nehemiah allocated the work so that everyone worked on a section of the wall that was nearest to their own home.
In chapter four, we see the wall as it is in the process of reconstruction, the opposition gathering its forces, and then the final and complete overthrow of the enemy.
1. The opposition
As we study the nature of this opposition, we are not just looking into Old Testament history. As we note the tactics of the enemy in Nehemiah’s day, we shall discover that he uses the same method with us.
A. Opposition comes from without
In this instance, the first sign of opposition came from without, from Sanballat and Tobiah, in the form of scorn and ridicule.
Sanballot said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?” verse 2
Tobiah joined in, “Yes, what they are building—if a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall!” verse 3
This can be pretty crushing to a man’s morale. You have done your very best, you have obeyed God, and then someone comes along and starts making fun of your work.
This subtle approach is as modern as today. When the Christian dares to say that the only hope for the world is found in Jesus Christ, the whole force of modern education lines up against us. What does it say? You feeble Christians, you with your plan of getting people converted, how can you possibly stand alongside our great plan in which the world can be revolutionized in a few years?
The world judges everything by size and by the headlines that are created, but God does not work that way.
How the world talks about the Christian is incorrect, but the tragedy is that too often the thinking of the world infiltrates the church, until we look at ourselves as small and begin to think like the world that we cannot do anything. God does not depend on the spectacular or the thing that looks big. The thing He wants is for every one of His people to have a mind to work, and be on the job of Christian living and service seven days and nights a week.
B. This opposition was not only scornful, it was powerful.
Look at the forces that stood against Nehemiah. Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites all aligned themselves into one force to stand against Nehemiah and his people. All of these people had been at war against each other, but now they unite together as mutual friends, in their determination to stamp out the work of God.
This is not the only time enemies have joined together against God. They did with Jesus also. At Jesus’ trial, Pilate and Herod, two arch enemies, became friends as they considered what to do with Jesus. (Luke 12:32)
The enemy was powerful, but note the power of the people also. Notice how hard they worked. They worked so hard that it gave the appearance that they were going to finish one whole end in one day. It took them only 52 days after that.
It is this spirit of work that arouses the attack of the enemy. Satan never bothers about the half-hearted Christians, but once you are determined to work and give your very best to the Lord, then he rises to oppose you.
2. The opposition is overcome.
In view of this strong opposition, what did Nehemiah do? Did he panic, worry, or retaliate with words? Verse 6 says, “So we built the wall.” He just kept on building and ignoring their ridicule, for the people had a mind to work. They didn’t get discouraged under these scornful attacks. They didn’t complain. They just kept working, doing that which the enemy said could not be done.
A. A mind to work.
The people had a mind to work. There is no better way to silence the enemy than to do what he says cannot be done.
To be fair, we must note that not every single person was of this mind. In Nehemiah 3:5, we see some noble men who would not lower themselves to bend their necks to the task. Every church knows this kind of person. He feels that if he sends his donations to the church, he has fulfilled the height of his service to the Lord. We do not despise any gift that anyone wishes to make to the Lord’s work, but this is far from all that God expects of His followers.
One key to the success of Nehemiah against the enemy was the fact that the people had a mind to work.
B. A heart to pray.
Almost always in a Christian’s life, if you do not have a heart to pray, there is no mind to work. Have you ever noticed the difference in the day in which you do not take the time to pray? You easily become irritable and the whole day just doesn’t go right.
C. An eye to watch
Nehemiah 4:9 And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.
It was necessary that a watch be set against any attack that might come by surprise. With the disposition of the enemy, there was no strategy that they would fail to use; thus, it was necessary for a guard to be set against them.
The Christian needs this guard on his life. The happy thing is we have the Lord Jesus to watch over us and keep us in all our ways.
One of the greatest victories that Satan can win is to simply laugh us out of work. This is what he was trying to do to Nehemiah. Unfortunately, he manages to do this far too often. Somehow, when someone scorns our work and ridicules it, it is easy for the walls to remain broken down. How I pray we may learn this lesson from Nehemiah to be less concerned about the ridicule of men and much more concerned about the approval of God. Then we will build the wall.
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