Misc. - "Obedience in Spite of Opposition" - Nehemiah 4

“Obedience in the Face of Opposition”

Illustration...

Nehemiah

The title of the series is "Waiting on a Better Hero." 

My hope is to teach through a book that many students aren't familiar with while at the same time pointing them to Jesus as I believe Nehemiah does so well as the last book chronologically in the OT.  You'll have all of chapter 4.  If you have any questions about the series, please let me know.

Couple of notes.  We typically shoot for a 25-30 minute teaching slot.  And, this semester, we will have a reflection time on the back end where students answer the question, "What will you do with what you've just heard?" 

Nehemiah 4:1–23 CSB

1 When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious. He mocked the Jews 2 before his colleagues and the powerful men of Samaria and said, “What are these pathetic Jews doing? Can they restore it by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they ever finish it? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?” 3 Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, “Indeed, even if a fox climbed up what they are building, he would break down their stone wall!” 4 Listen, our God, for we are despised. Make their insults return on their own heads and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity. 5 Do not cover their guilt or let their sin be erased from your sight, because they have angered the builders. 6 So we rebuilt the wall until the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had the will to keep working. 7 When Sanballat, Tobiah, and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the repair to the walls of Jerusalem was progressing and that the gaps were being closed, they became furious. 8 They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw it into confusion. 9 So we prayed to our God and stationed a guard because of them day and night. 10 In Judah, it was said: The strength of the laborer fails, since there is so much rubble. We will never be able to rebuild the wall. 11 And our enemies said, “They won’t realize it until we’re among them and can kill them and stop the work.” 12 When the Jews who lived nearby arrived, they said to us time and again, “Everywhere you turn, they attack us.” 13 So I stationed people behind the lowest sections of the wall, at the vulnerable areas. I stationed them by families with their swords, spears, and bows. 14 After I made an inspection, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the great and awe-inspiring Lord, and fight for your countrymen, your sons and daughters, your wives and homes.” 15 When our enemies heard that we knew their scheme and that God had frustrated it, every one of us returned to his own work on the wall. 16 From that day on, half of my men did the work while the other half held spears, shields, bows, and armor. The officers supported all the people of Judah, 17 who were rebuilding the wall. The laborers who carried the loads worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other. 18 Each of the builders had his sword strapped around his waist while he was building, and the one who sounded the ram’s horn was beside me. 19 Then I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, “The work is enormous and spread out, and we are separated far from one another along the wall. 20 Wherever you hear the sound of the ram’s horn, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us!” 21 So we continued the work, while half of the men were holding spears from daybreak until the stars came out. 22 At that time, I also said to the people, “Let everyone and his servant spend the night inside Jerusalem, so that they can stand guard by night and work by day.” 23 And I, my brothers, my servants, and the men of the guard with me never took off our clothes. Each carried his weapon, even when washing.

1. The Devices of the Enemy

a. Ridicule

Nehemiah 4:1–6 CSB

1 When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious. He mocked the Jews 2 before his colleagues and the powerful men of Samaria and said, “What are these pathetic Jews doing? Can they restore it by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they ever finish it? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?” 3 Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, “Indeed, even if a fox climbed up what they are building, he would break down their stone wall!” 4 Listen, our God, for we are despised. Make their insults return on their own heads and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity. 5 Do not cover their guilt or let their sin be erased from your sight, because they have angered the builders. 6 So we rebuilt the wall until the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had the will to keep working.

The Enemy Ridicules the Workers

Nehemiah 4:2 CSB

2 before his colleagues and the powerful men of Samaria and said, “What are these pathetic Jews doing? Can they restore it by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they ever finish it? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?”

Feeble = this means “withered, miserable.”

2 Corinthians 12:9 CSB

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me.

God uses the weak things to bring His work to completion!

The Enemy Ridicules the Work

Nehemiah 4:2 CSB

2 before his colleagues and the powerful men of Samaria and said, “What are these pathetic Jews doing? Can they restore it by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they ever finish it? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?”

Will you finish in a day?

“Will they sacrifice?” implies- “It will take more than a prayer and worship to rebuild the city!”

The Enemy Ridicules the Materials

Tobiah said, Nehemiah 4:3

Nehemiah 4:3 CSB

3 Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, “Indeed, even if a fox climbed up what they are building, he would break down their stone wall!”

The stuff they are using will fall if a fox steps on it!

b. Threats

Nehemiah 4:7–8 CSB

7 When Sanballat, Tobiah, and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the repair to the walls of Jerusalem was progressing and that the gaps were being closed, they became furious. 8 They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw it into confusion.

We see this now.

c. Discouragement

What was produced by ridicule and threats?

Discouragement

Fear

and eventually selfishness.

What the enemy likes to do is stir things from without, and if he stirs enough stuff up from without, his hope is that when we’re left alone, we will stir up the other stuff from within.

back to this idea of discouragement. What is discouragement?

I would argue that discouragement happens when you agree with the enemy.

discouragement happens when you focus on you rather than the Lord of you.

Here’s another thing for you:

Nehemiah 6:17-19 shows that most of Judah were intermarried with the enemy.

2. The Response from the Workers

a. Respond to Ridicule with Prayer

Nehemiah 4:4–5 CSB

4 Listen, our God, for we are despised. Make their insults return on their own heads and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity. 5 Do not cover their guilt or let their sin be erased from your sight, because they have angered the builders.

Personal Prayer

Nehemiah 4:4–5 CSB

4 Listen, our God, for we are despised. Make their insults return on their own heads and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity. 5 Do not cover their guilt or let their sin be erased from your sight, because they have angered the builders.

2. Purposeful Prayer

Nehemiah 4:9 CSB

9 So we prayed to our God and stationed a guard because of them day and night.

b. Respond to the Threats with a Plan

Nehemiah 4:9 CSB

9 So we prayed to our God and stationed a guard because of them day and night.

Nehemiah 4:13 CSB

13 So I stationed people behind the lowest sections of the wall, at the vulnerable areas. I stationed them by families with their swords, spears, and bows.

a sword to come against every spiritual force of wickedness in high places, and trowel to do the work of building up the people of God.

c. Respond to Discouragement with Worship

Nehemiah 4:14 CSB

14 After I made an inspection, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the great and awe-inspiring Lord, and fight for your countrymen, your sons and daughters, your wives and homes.”

3. The

why was this work so important?

It’s a wall.

The Eastern Gate.