Sermon Tone Analysis

Nehemiah had come to Jerusalem from Susa with a single-minded objective:

to rebuild the massive but ruined wall of Jerusalem.

He was beset by obstacles.

First, he had to gain permission from the Persian emperor Artaxerxes,

which meant getting him to reverse an earlier state policy

against rebuilding the Jewish capital.

Once in Jerusalem, Nehemiah had to devise a plan for accomplishing his task and

then find ways to motivate the people to tackle it.

When the work got started, he was opposed by the governors of the surrounding provinces and

by injustices within Israel.

Nehemiah’s enemies tried to stop the work by ridicule, threat of violence, intrigue, harmful rumors, and intimidation.

His wealthier countrymen almost sunk it by their oppression of the poor.

But Nehemiah pressed on.

So great was the task and so great its accomplishment that we can hardly miss the thrill of the superb understatement in verse 15 So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days.”

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the reconstruction of the massive wall was done—one and a half to two and a half miles of masonry.

The construction was completed within two months of his arrival in the city.

One major thread that is woven through this victory is the power of written and spoken exhortation.

I want you to think about this as we seek to have times of exhortation as a church family at the conclusion of our worship service.

We are also encouraging everyone to take the directory and write letters of encouragement to those who miss our Sunday gatherings!!!

Nehemiah’s journal is a magnificent commentary on the persuasive effectiveness of exhortation.

Throughout the campaign, Nehemiah was determined to acknowledge

either in speech or writing the source of their strength.

He began by exhorted in writing that all great projects for God begin in the place of honest, reflective and dependent prayer (1:4–11).

He then exhorted that it was because ‘the gracious hand’ of God was upon him that he obtained permission to leave Persia with authority, protection and provisions (2:8).

Once in Jerusalem, he exhorted to the prospective builders about the miracle of that ‘gracious hand’ (2:18), and

he continued to exhort not only to sympathetic believers but to unbelieving scoffers as well: ‘The God of heaven will give us success’ (2:19–20).

He exhorted compassionately, when morale was low: ‘Don’t be afraid … Remember the Lord’ (4:14).

He testified gratefully, placing on record his indebtedness to God’s sovereign power in frustrating the evil designs of the enemy (4:15).

He exhorted confidently as the wearied team divided into builders and soldiers: ‘Our God will fight for us’ (4:20).

To his wealthy but loveless contemporaries he exhorted perceptively: ‘Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies?’ (5:9).

In writing, he exhorted humbly, that ‘out of reverence for God’ he ‘did not act like that’ (5:15).

When troubles began to mount daily, he exhorted dependently about a God who would strengthen his hands (6:9) and now,

with the walls rebuilt, he exhorted adoringly that even his enemies acknowledge that this work has been done with the help of our God (16).

What perseverance!

What courage!!

Let’s be very clear about what is encapsulated in that statement of the 52 days in v15.

This the victory of the plan and purpose of God for His people.

It’s a speedy outcome, the result of effective leadership.

Watching the people of God may not seem very entertaining but our God is the God of small things as well as the God of big things.

Note how Nehemiah puts it in 16 And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was done by our God.”

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They were disheartened, the enemies of God were.

God had frustrated their plans and humiliated them.

They will no longer be able to dominate and exploit the people of God as they had been doing.

“this work was done by our God.”

Nehemiah throws off any personal congratulations in the matter and

points to the decisive factor in their achievement.

“this work was done by our God.”

God has called us to build the city of his church; we too must not let ourselves be deflected from this great task.

Apathy and procrastination are twin enemies which the church has constantly to combat.

Now watch this: Nehemiah’s appeal in 2:17 Then I said to them, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire.

Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.””

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6:16 is a fulfillment of that appeal but, there’s no pause to congratulate ourselves.

The wall is just the frame work.

Look at the attitudes and activities of the people who live behind those walls.

And what we see is there’s indications of danger already.

There’s still the need for more reform, which we’ll see later in the book.

Look at 17 Also in those days ...

That introductory phrase looks beyond the eight-week building project.

This is what else is happening both during and after those days.

Today we are going to see: How do we defeat the attacking enemy in the midst of opposition.

How do we defeat the attacking enemy in the midst of opposition.

What we’ll see is that the enemy isn’t now on the outside, he’s come in and has begun to attack.

How painful would it be, as a leader like Nehemiah, to see like in 6:14 that many of Jerusalem’s prophets were opposed to him.

He goes on to discover that many among Judah’s nobility had also joined their ranks.

17 Also in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came to them.

18 For many in Judah were pledged to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shechaniah the son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.

19 Also they reported his good deeds before me, and reported my words to him.

Tobiah sent letters to frighten me.” ()

Here’s the ENEMIES CRAFTY CUTTING IN (v17-19)

This is possible the worst affliction of all.

If the enemy can be precisely identified, then the source of the trouble is evident and suitable precautions can be taken.

But the sinister dimension of the latest attack is that the determined opponent (Tobiah)

has so secretly infiltrated the ranks of the region’s nobility v18 “For man in Judah were pledged to him...”

that now it’s virtually impossible to distinguish enemy from friend.

See the outside enemy Tobiah had begun to influence the people of God on the inside, which severely hinders God’s mission and work.

Let me give you an example of what some of you do and

you’re probably not aware of really what you’re doing.

So you say, “Hey can I talk with you pastor Joel?” “Sure!”

“Ok…me and some people were talking and we’re not really happy with such-and-such!”

“I don’t like such-and-such a change…and I’m not the only one who thinks this!”

“I don’t like such-and-such a change…and I’m not the only one who thinks this!”

“Well tell me who else, because we need to talk this through!”

“Well I’m not going to mention names...”

You see what happens?

Then I come up here and look at all the faces and

you can imagine what the devil does to me!

Like Nehemiah, who here is opposing the leading of God’s church?

I’m not talking about, if you disagree with me, you’re an enemy or you’re opposing God.

Let me try to flesh this out for you.

Because that’s what it is, it’s opposition not submission.

Yet we are called upon by God to submit ourselves to one another.

If the key ingredients of God’s Word is present, the prayers of God’s people.

Let me just list for you of where God has led us, as we think about the real ingredients of a true church.

[go to hand out]

When we come together, you need to know (not my opinion) but the mind and heart of the Savior.

Christ is the teacher and I’m only a servant of His.

I don’t cook the meal, I only deliver it to you.

See?

So if these things are present in the church, and you come to me and say,

“I don’t like the time change!”