Nehemiah 4

Introduction

Last week we saw a lot of the gates and sections of the wall being rebuilt, everything was going good. Every person was doing their part and great progress was being made, but one thing you can always count on when their is progress in the Christian life the devil will start trying to discourage you from continuing in the work.

This morning we are going to see the enemy trying to discourage the work on the wall and Nehemiah's plan to continue the work.

The discouragement vs. 1-12

Sanballat heard they were building the wall.

We saw in chapter two that Sanballat was not very happy that Nehemiah had come to rebuild the walls in Jerusalem.

Nehemiah 2:10 “When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.”

Nehemiah 2:19 “But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?”

Now the Bible tells us he was wroth and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews

He gets together with his brethren and continues to mock the Jews

He asks them “what do these feeble jews?”

That word feeble means withered or miserable

What Sanballat failed to realize is that God can turn our feebleness into his power

1 Corinthians 1:25–31 “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”

Then he ridicules the work by asking will they fortify themselves?

The answer to that is no, but God will fortify them

will they sacrifice?

will they make an end in a day

He’s asking will they complete the walls in a day

then he ridicules the materials “Will they revive these stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?”

After Sanballat gets done, Tobiah is next where he mocks the finish product.

He tells them, theres no need for an army, a fox could go up on the wall and they would fall

Notice how Nehemiah responded to the enemy vs. 4-5

Psalm 123:3–4 “Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us: For we are exceedingly filled with contempt. Our soul is exceedingly filled With the scorning of those that are at ease, And with the contempt of the proud.”

Psalm 79:12 “And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom Their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord.”

Verse 5

Jeremiah 18:23 “Yet, Lord, thou knowest all their counsel against me to slay me: forgive not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from thy sight, but let them be overthrown before thee; deal thus with them in the time of thine anger.”

I like what Weirsbe said about Nehemiahs prayer here

“we must remember that Nehemiah was praying as a servant of God concerned for the glory of God. He was not requesting personal vengeance but official vindication for God’s people. The enemy had blasphemously provoked God before the builders, and this was a terrible sin.

After he prayed look what he did next, he got up and they built the wall, because the people were paying attention to the ridicule, but they had a mind to work

We can’t allow the worlds discouragement to keep us from doing the work God has called us too

Anything that keeps you from doing what God has called you to do will only help the enemy.

When there word of ridicule didn’t work they went to threats of violence vs. 7-8

They again got angry of the progress of the wall and conspired together to come against jerusalem.

Have you ever noticed that misery loves company? Here we see Sanballat and Tobiah gather some troops and surround Jerusalem.

But nehemiah had a plan, their would be a watch day and night because of the enemy.

They would have people looking out for the enemy 24 hours a day.

Notice the discouragement of Judah in verse 10-12

He got his eyes off the goal and onto everything around him. Before Sanballat and Tobiah started talking about all the rubble around, the only one who hd noticed it was Nehemiah.

The enemy was planning a sneak attack on the workers so they were discouraged in their work vs. 11

Those who lived outside the city kept bringing reports of what the enemy was threatening to do. Vs. 12

Nehemiahs plan vs. 13-23

The first thing Nehemiah did was set guard at the vulnerable areas of the construction.

He armed families so that everyone could stay safe from the attack of the enemy

After that he got up and gave another speech to the people

He told them not to be afraid

They didn’t need to be afraid because of whose side they were on

Then he tells them to remember the Lord

While the enemy tried to distract them from God, Nehemiah reminded them to remember him.

He is a great and awesome God!

Psalm 56:3–4 “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, In God I have put my trust; I will not fear What flesh can do unto me.”

Lastly he tells them to fight

Building and battling are both a normal part of the Christian life if we are faithful disciples

Luke 14:28–33 “For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”

Half the workers held a weapon and the other held the tools to do the work, even those who lived outside jerusalem were told to lodge in jerusalem so they could help guard the city.

While the enemy wanted to destroy the walls, Nehemiah was relying on the Lord to keep them safe.

Nehemiah set the example for the workers to follow

Conclusion

Alan Redpath explained why the Jews succeded in getting their work done and keeping the enemy at bay: The people had a mind to work (6) a heart to pray (9) an eye to watch (9) and an ear to hear (20) and this gave them the victory.

As Christians if we want to succeed in the work that God has for us we must do these same things ex