Nehemiah 4:1-23 Overcoming the Enemy

Nehemiah 4 Verses 1to 23 Overcoming the Enemy  August 3, 2025 Lesson 5 The Relentless Pursuit of Obedience Class Presentation Notes AAAA

Background Scriptures

· Nehemiah 4:1-23   We will address them in the lesson.

Main Idea:

· All leaders face opposition when they challenge the status quo.

Study Aim:

· To understand that Nehemiah’s response to opposition provides a model for leaders when they deal with criticism.

Create Interest:

· Not everything we do will be popular or accepted by others, especially by those who feel threatened by what we might accomplish. This includes even the good things we do. When our actions are an expression of our faith in God, our detractors may resort to mockery and ridicule, which becomes a reflection of their own disdain for God and the things of God. However, He is not hindered in any way by those who oppose Him. The fruitfulness of our service is not dependent on the affirmation of others, but on the One in whom we trust. With boldness, we can persist in doing what we are certain God has called us to do, firmly believing He is with us and will sustain us.[1]

o Isaiah 41:10 (NASB95)

‘Do not fear, for I am with you;

 Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.

 I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,

                     Surely, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

Lesson in Historical Context:

· When Nehemiah heard that Jerusalem was in ruins and its inhabitants were a reproach to the surrounding nations, he was overcome with grief, and he fasted and prayed that God will use him to bring about the city’s revitalization (1:1–11). Nehemiah then secured Artaxerxes’ permission and provision to go to Jerusalem and rebuild its walls (2:1–10). People from all walks of life in Jerusalem and from all over Judah agreed to join Nehemiah in the project (3:1–32),but they encounter opposition from their neighbors and challenges from within their own community. Despite this, Nehemiah and the people faced these challenges, were resolute.[2]

· Work continued on the wall, but the more progress Nehemiah and the people made, the greater the opposition became. It began as taunts, mockery, and ridicule, but soon it intensified to include threats of an armed attack.

o Nehemiah led the people to pray; to remember how awesome God was.

o He also exhorted them to fight for what they knew was important, good, and right.

· While he trusted God, Nehemiah’s faith was an active faith.Thus, he led the people to set in place security measures. As a result, the people were able to persist in doing the great work that had been given to them.

· This section deals with a cluster of obstacles that had to be overcome. It is closely tied into the pattern of opposition we have already observed. Strictly speaking, verses 1–5 round off chapter 3: progress in wall building was countered by enemy opposition triggered by news of it (heard), which in turn was checked by a response from Nehemiah. Verses 6–9 reproduce this pattern of chess-like moves on a smaller scale. Verses 10–23 loosely continue the theme of overcoming obstacles. The structure of the passage follows a series of problems and their solutions. Nehemiah counters negative statements in verses 10–12, the second spoken by Judah’s foes and the third enemy related, by positive statements (vv. 14, 19–20, 22) and appropriate actions. He translated his spiritual vision into practical details of resourceful management and unsparing effort.[3]

Bible Study:

Nehemiah 4:1–3 (NASB95)  Work was Ridiculed

   1     Now it came about that when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and very angry and mocked the Jews.

   2     He spoke in the presence of his brothers and the wealthy men of Samaria and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Are they going to restore it for themselves? Can they offer sacrifices? Can they finish in a day? Can they revive the stones from the dusty rubble even the burned ones?”

   3     Now Tobiah the Ammonite was near him and he said, “Even what they are building—if a fox should jump on it, he would break their stone wall down!”

· Note:  Chapter 3 might give the impression that once Nehemiah had carefully assigned everyone to a particular section of the wall, from that time on everything progressed smoothly. Not so! God’s work seldom goes forward without opposition. In fact, this new leader in Judah faced many problems.

          in Vs.4:1–3.

· As noted earlier (2:10) Sanballatwas displeased when he heard that Nehemiah had returned to Jerusalem to help the Jews. Sanballat, however, did not know of God’s interest in His people. Sanballat’s displeasure turned to intense anger (4:1; cf. v. 7). So, with his associates, including Tobiah (2:19; 4:3; also cf. v. 7; 6:1, 12, 14) and Geshem (2:19), and in the presence of Samaritan soldiers, Sanballat ridiculed the Jews. He accused them of rebelling against King Artaxerxes (2:19) and by a series of questions he suggested they were incapable of completing the project (4:2). Calling them feeble he asked if they would offer sacrifices. That is, could they possibly complete the walls so that they could then give sacrifices of thanksgiving? The question about finishing in a day suggests that the Jews did not know what they were undertaking. And how, Sanballat asked, could they use burned, weakened bricks from the heaps ofdebris? Tobiah the Ammonite (cf. 2:19), standing nearby, also tried to discourage the Jews. Ridiculing them, he said they were so inept in their work that a fox, weighing only a few pounds, would break it down by merely climbing up on it.[4]

Nehemiah 4:4–5 (NASB95) The Appeal to the Lord

   4     Hear, O our God, how we are despised! Return their reproach on their own heads and give them up for plunder in a land of captivity.

   5     Do not forgive their iniquity and let not their sin be blotted out before You, for they have demoralized the builders.

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· Nehemiah responded to the ridicule by praying. He could have retaliated but did not do this. Our tendency sometimes is to snap back or mouth off at people that anger us. Nehemiah did not do this. He took his problem to the Lord and delegated the problem to God. Smart man! He did not bottle up his feelings and explode later on. He vented his pain, hurt, and anger to the Lord. He dealt with several issues in his prayer.  Let’s learn from this……

·  The Issue of Reproach or Rejection: “we are despised” 4:4

o Nehemiah admitted his hurt and the reproach of these people was the initial basis of his appeal to the Lord. Instead of taking revenge, he delegated the issue of retaliation to the Lord.

§ Romans 12:19—Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

· The Issue of Reaping: “turn their reproach upon their own head” 4:4

o Nehemiah was asking that they would reap what they sowed and that their reproach would return upon their own heads. He continued to delegate the retaliation to the Lord. Beloved, God can deal with those who harm us in a much better way than we can. The Bible promises us that those who try to destroy others will be caught in their own trap. They will reap what they sow.   Discuss and share past experiences.

§ Galatians 6:7—Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

· The Issue of Reduction and Ruin: “give them for a prey in the land of captivity:” 4:4

o Nehemiah prayed for their defeat and captivity in a foreign land. He asked the Lord to deal with them and reduce them to plunder. Notice how he continued to delegate the problem to the Lord. The book of Psalms is a book of comfort. It is interesting to note that the issue of “enemies” is dealt with extensively in this book. David constantly took his enemies to the Lord and found comfort in doing so.

§ Psalm 6:10—Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed: let them return and be ashamed suddenly.

· The Issue of the Revelation of Sin: “And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee:” 4:5

o Nehemiah was asking that their sin would be revealed and not concealed. He was asking for God’s judgment upon those who were opposing God’s work. Beloved, the Lord will one day judge those who have opposed or rejected Him.

§ Hebrews 9:27—And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Nehemiah 4:6 (NASB95) The Attitude and Actions of God’s People

6  So we built the wall and the whole wall was joined together to half its height,for the people had a mind to work.

· Nehemiah delegated his problems to the Lord and got back to work. He did not wait for things to happen. He did what God led him to do. He and the people cleared the piles of dust and debris, and built the wall using what was at hand, burnt stones and all.

· At this point, half of the height of the wall was rebuilt because Nehemiah and the people had a mind or will to work. In the Hebrew it reads “For the people had a heart to work.”

o Their hearts were engaged in it and where the heart is engaged, the work of God goes on well.

o Their will was surrendered to the Lord.

o The ridicule did not get them distracted for long.

o Praying helped Nehemiah in the area of persistence and stabilized his perspective of the work. It diffused his anger and enabled him to refocus on the goal. He went back to work and did not get sidetracked from the task at hand.

Thoughts to Soak On:

· Nothing excites Satan or the critics more than for negativism to result in a slowdown of progress. The easiest thing to do is to give up.

o Nehemiah’s prayer and persistence kept him from responding this way and putting up the white flag.

o The work of rebuilding the wall progressed well because the people had set their hearts and minds on accomplishing the task. They did not lose faith or give up, but they persevered in the work.   Discuss.

· If God has called you to a task, determine to complete it, even if you face opposition or discouragement.

o The rewards of work done well will be worth the effort.

o Clear the dust piles of disobedience from your life and rebuild your life with the burnt stones of past mistakes, learning from those mistakes and not making them again.    Discuss

o The wise person will learn from his failures, the rebellious fool will not learn or listen.

§  Proverbs 26:11—As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly..[5]

Nehemiah 4:7–8 (NASB95) The Attack Plans of the Enemy

   7     Now when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repair of the walls of Jerusalem went on, and that the breaches began to be closed, they were very angry.

   8     All of them conspired together to come andfight against Jerusalem and to cause a disturbance in it.

· A common enemy and a common cause brought four different groups together to stop the work on the walls of Jerusalem. The city was now completely surrounded by enemies! To the north were Sanballat and the Samaritans; to the east, Tobiah and the Ammonites; to the south, Geshem and the Arabs; and to the west, the Ashdodites. Ashdod was perhaps the most important city in Philistia at that time, and the Philistines did not want to see a strong community in Jerusalem.

· God’s people sometimes have difficulty working together, but the people of the world have no problem uniting in opposition to the work of the Lord (Ps. 2:1–2; Acts 4:23–30; Luke 23:12). As the enemy saw the work progressing, they became angry and decided to plan a secret attack against Jerusalem. Satan hates the Jews and has used one nation after another to try to destroy them (see Ps. 85 and Rev. 12). Does this sound familiar with today’s news?

· God chose the Jews to be His vehicle for giving the world the knowledge of the true God, the Scriptures, and the Savior(Rom. 9:1–5). “Salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22), and Satan wanted to prevent the Savior from coming into the world. If he could destroy the nation, he would frustrate God’s plan.

Nehemiah 4:9 (NASB95)  Nehemiah’s Response to Overcoming

 Discouragement

9 But we prayed to our God, and because of them we set up a guard against them day and night.

· Nehemiah suspected that his enemies would launch an attack, so he posted a guard and encouraged the people to pray. The workers held both tools and weapons (Neh. 4:17) and were prepared to fight when the signal was given. “Watch and pray” combines faith and works and is a good example for us to follow in our work and our warfare (see Mark 13:33; 14:38; Eph. 6:18; Col. 4:2–4).

o The Christian’s battle is not against flesh and blood, but against Satan and his demonic forces that use flesh and blood to oppose the Lord’s work. If we hope to win the war and finish the work, we must use the spiritual equipment God has provided (Eph. 6:10–18; 2 Cor. 10:1–6).

o Note: If we focus on the visible enemy alone and forget the invisible enemy, we are sure to start trusting our own resources; and this will lead to defeat.[6]     Discuss.

Nehemiah 4:10–14 (NASB95)  Satan Continued His Attack

10     Thus in Judah it was said,

“The strength of the burden bearers is failing,

Yet there is much rubbish;

And we ourselves are unable

To rebuild the wall.”

11     Our enemies said, “They will not know or see until we come among them, kill them and put a stop to the work.”

12     When the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times, “They will come up against us from every place where you may turn,”

13     then I stationed men in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, the exposed places, and I stationed the people in families with their swords, spears and bows

 14       When I saw their fear, I rose and spoke to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people: “Do not be afraid of them; remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your houses.”

· Nehemiah did three things, apart from not giving up. Vs. 9, First, he prayed. This is not surprising; it was his first reaction when the news reached him in Susa. Prayer is his instinctive reaction to a crisis. Should it be ours?????

· Vs. 13:  Second, he set a watch, and he equipped the workers with weapons as well as tools. Either some people kept guard while others continued the building work, or individuals did the building work with their weapons on hand.

o Nehemiah kept close to him a man who could blow the horn to warn people of any impending attack and get them to gather so as to undertake a collective defense rather than be picked off in small groups, spread along the route of the wall as they were.

· Vs. 14:  Third, he did something about the people’s morale. He assembled the people as a whole by their families in an open space—maybe the reference to its being an exposed place signifies a show of strength and coolness for the benefit of any representatives of the hostile neighbors who are in the city.

o The people gathered with their weapons and Nehemiah addressed them in the way someone like Joshua or Gideon might have done.

§ Joshua 1:9 (NASB95)

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do   not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

o He urged them not to be afraid, not because they are well-armed or because they have overestimated the enemy but because of who their God is.[7]

Nehemiah 4:15–19 (NASB95) The Wall Completed in 52 Days!

15 When our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had frustrated their plan, then all of us returned to the wall, each one to his work.

16 From that day on, half of my servants carried on the work while half of them held the spears, the shields, the bows and the breastplates; and the captains werebehind the whole house of Judah.

17 Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens took theirload with one hand doing the work and the other holding a weapon.

18 As for the builders, each wore his sword girded at his side as he built, while the trumpeter stood near me.

19 I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “The work is great and extensive, and we are separated on the wall far from one another.

· Despite all the difficulties that were encountered, the wall was completed, we are told, in fifty-two days (52), or about two months. Elul (15) is the sixth month of the Jewish calendar, corresponding to the last half of August and the first half of September. ( Neh. 6:15)

· The final completion of the walls was a signal blow to the morale of Judah’s enemies. “The nations around them were afraid,” writes Nehemiah, “and fell greatly in their own esteem; for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God” (16, RSV; cf. Ps. 126:2–3).

· However, we learn immediately in verses 17–19 that there were still treacherous forces at work within the city. Some of Tobiah’s friends, several of whom related to him by marriage, were carrying on a constant correspondence with him and endeavoring apparently to put Nehemiah in fear of him.

· “God’s people,” remarks J. S. Wright, “must be ever on their guard, even in a time of success. Infiltration of enemy-inspired ideas might yet spoil the work and bring in pagan standards of life and religion.”[]Tobiah, we note, was actually admitted into the city later, during Nehemiah’s absence, and given a room in the Temple (13:4–7).

o How stealthily the enemy of our souls lurks nearby, awaiting an opportunity to take up his abode in the innermost recesses of our hearts when we are off our guard![8]

Nehemiah 4:20–23 (NASB95)

20     “At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.”

21     So we carried on the work with half of them holding spears from dawn until the stars appeared.

22     At that time I also said to the people, “Let each man with his servant spend the night within Jerusalem so that they may be a guard for us by night and a laborer by day.”

23     So neither I, my brothers, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us removed our clothes, each tookhis weapon even to the water.

· You want a picture of leadership? You have it here in Nehemiah. Nehemiah is not using people to make his life more luxurious.

o He is laying his own life down for a cause that is bigger than his reputation.

o He is not motivating the people with the song of his own greatness; he is motivating the people with the greatness of God.

o He tells them in verse 14 to remember the Lord, who is great and awesome.

o He tells them that God is at work for them frustrating the plans of the enemy (v. 15), and

o He asserts in verse 20, “Our God will fight for us!”

· In addition to pointing the people beyond himself to the Lord,

o Nehemiah is leading by example as he shows his own willingness to engage the fight—with the trumpeter next to him (v. 18).

o He is leading by example as he surveys the situation and makes provision for the people to be defended at weak points (v. 13), for the battle to be joined in case of crisis (v. 20), and for the city to be guarded at night (v. 22).

o The extremity of his readiness to sacrifice is then stated in verse 23 as he describes the vigilance and readiness that he modeled with his inner circle.

o Not only that, we should do whatever we must to be in fellowship with God, to be in His presence, to see the Lord Christ face to face.[9]

Questions to soak on and answer:

· Do you live for a cause greater than yourself?

· Do you lay your life down for those you love?

· Do you fix your mind on Christ, the perfect man?

· Do you lead by example?

o What enables people to do this, of course, is the experience of God’s truth, goodness, and beauty, supremely displayed in the gospel.

o If we know God as He is, we will be captivated by Him and ready to do whatever He says.

· How does God want us to deal with discouragement?

· What practical steps could you take the next time you feel opposition from others for doing what is right?

· How can you encourage a friend or family member who you know is discouraged?

What are some lasting truths that come from Nehemiah 4:14–18?

· Respond to distress and opposition by keeping the focus on the opportunities to accomplish a godly mission.

· We are called to stand for what is good even as we stand against what is evil.

· We can trust God to frustrate the evil schemes of those who oppose our service to Him.

· Prayer and hope in God should move us into action.

· Everyone has a place in the service of the Lord that serves the greater good.

Live It Out in the Path to Victory

· If doing God’s work brings out detractors and opposition—and it will—then what are we to do in response? Here are some things to consider.

o We pray and place our hope and trust in God.

o We take responsible action to challenge and defeat the schemes of the wicked.

o We persist and persevere in doing what we know is right and what God has called us to do.

· When have you faced ridicule and opposition because of your faithful service to the Lord… How did you deal with it?

· Recall a time when you were strengthened to do what God was leading you to do by spending time before Him in prayer. What did you learn through the experience? How did it prepare you for any opposition that surfaced?[10]

Grace and Peace,

[1]Ronald K. Brown, Bible Studies for Life, Summer 2018, Herschel Hobbs Commentary (LifeWay Christian Resources, 2018), 99.

[2]Douglas Mangum, ed., Lexham Context Commentary: Old Testament, Lexham Context Commentary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2020), Ne 1:1–6:19.

[3]Leslie C. Allen, “Nehemiah,” in Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, ed. W. Ward Gasque, Robert L. Hubbard, and Robert K. Johnston, Understanding the Bible Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2012), 104.

[4]Gene A. Getz, “Nehemiah,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 681.

[5]Rod Mattoon, Treasures from Nehemiah, Treasures from Scripture Series (Springfield, IL: Rod Mattoon, 2008), 62–65.

[6]Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Determined, “Be” Commentary Series (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 53–54.

[7]John Goldingay, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther for Everyone, Old Testament for Everyone (Louisville, KY; London: Westminster John Knox Press; Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2012), 100–101.

[8]C. E. Demaray, “The Book of Nehemiah,” in Joshua through Esther, vol. II, Beacon Bible Commentary (Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, 1965), Ne 6:15–19.

[9]James M. Hamilton Jr. et al., Exalting Jesus in Ezra-Nehemiah (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2014), 120–121.

[10]Ronald K. Brown, Bible Studies for Life, Summer 2018, Herschel Hobbs Commentary (LifeWay Christian Resources, 2018), 107–108.