Opposition Comes
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Opposition Comes
Opposition Comes
1 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.
Nehemiah is now moving forward and progress is being made.
Things are happening
God is being glorified
People are united
The devil is not happy
Stir up the pot
discourage the people
make fun of the people
‘Threaten the people
Tell them the project is too big
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
I Irritation
I Irritation
1 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.
Was greatly incensed” (from kāʿas) means “to be irritated” (cf. the reaction of Sanballat and his colleagues when they first heard of Nehemiah’s arrival [2:19]).[1]
As noted earlier (2:10) Sanballat was 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).[1]
Sanballat - went from ridicule to anger
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.
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? 20 Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.
neh 2.
Wroth - hot , upset and out of control
This is starting to upset me intimidation did not work
Ridicule did not work
Now I am mad....
Satan will rise up people to put in your path that will do everything to stop you...
Paul faced in going from town to town
23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. 24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. 25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. 28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
2 cor 11:23-28
Progress in the gospel always faces opposition
II Intimidation and Insult
II Intimidation and Insult
2 And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned? 3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.
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Sanballat rapidly fired five derisive questions to taunt the Jews and discourage them from their efforts.
1. “What are those feeble Jews doing?”
The word “feeble” (ʾamēlal) is used only here in the sense of “frail,” “miserable,” “withered,” “powerless.” You frail poor soul you are going to build the wall.....
The JB renders the phrase “pathetic Jews”
2. “Will they restore their wall?” The word translated “restore” usually means “to abandon.” See comment on 3:8.
The implication is they will abandon the work....
They will stop .... they started but did not finish....
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
Some people are know for not finishing
They start well but get distracted or do not finish well.
3. “Will they offer sacrifices?” The Jews eventually succeeded in offering sacrifices (12:43).
Will they ever get to sacrifice ...
The common theme is to place doubt in the hearer ......
Is that possibel
Are you sure you want to do that?
1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
4. “Will they finish in a day?” Despite the furious activity of the Jews, the work seemed so great that it could hardly be finished in a short time.
There is no way you could ever do that?
The job is too big
You are not qualified
Its too hard
God wants you to relax and have fun
5. “Can they bring the stones back to life … burned as they are?” Fire had damaged the stones, which were probably limestone, and had caused much of the stone to crack and disintegrate.[1]
Look at you building materials ....
5. “Can they bring the stones back to life … burned as they are?” Fire had damaged the stones, which were probably limestone, and had caused much of the stone to crack and disintegrate.[1]
This will never work
The goal was to get the people to quit.
You just cant do it ...
The end goal was discouragement ......
3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.
4 Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity:
The context therefore suggests that a fox is intended: the point of the sneer is that any wall the Jews built would be so flimsy that even the light footsteps of a solitary fox would collapse it [1]
It will not last it will be too weak to withstand even a fox
Discouragement is a temptation “common to man” ().
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
And in dealing with it sometimes we need tenderness and other times we need toughness. But either way discouragement is not to be tolerated or wallowed in. It’s to be fought.
And in dealing with it sometimes we need tenderness and other times we need toughness. But either way discouragement is not to be tolerated or wallowed in. It’s to be fought.
If we linger in discouragement it can be costly.
Its sense of defeat and hopelessness saps us of energy and vision. It can consume a lot of time. It can keep us from doing what we need to do because we don’t want to face it. And it can even be contagious, weakening others’ faith.
When we feel discouraged we want comfort, which is right to feel. But the comforts we often turn to are ways to avoid our fears rather than ways to muster our courage to face and overcome them. When this happens discouragement simply becomes sinful indulgence in unbelief, no different than indulging in lust or anger or other sins of unbelief.
Illustration of discouragement - college
career
III Intervention
III Intervention
4 Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity: 5 And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders.
As in the imprecatory psalms (; ; ; ; ; cf. ZPEB, 4:938–39), Nehemiah did not personally take action against his opponents but called down the vengeance of God.
Nehemiah did not argue
He did not fight
He took the case directly to God
God you asked me to do this
You need to take care of it
Prayer was a distinct and consistent part of Nehemiah’s approach to problem-solving. When faced with Sanballat’s demoralizing attack, he immediately asked God for help: Hear us, O our God, for we are despised.
Like some of the imprecatory prayers in which the psalmists invoked God’s condemnation on His enemies, Nehemiah’s prayer in this instance was severe and condemning. He prayed that Sanballat and his cohorts would be taken captive and that they would be judged for their sins.
Prayer was a distinct and consistent part of Nehemiah’s approach to problem-solving. When faced with Sanballat’s demoralizing attack, he immediately asked God for help: Hear us, O our God, for we are despised.
Like some of the imprecatory prayers in which the psalmists invoked God’s condemnation on His enemies, Nehemiah’s prayer in this instance was severe and condemning. He prayed that Sanballat and his cohorts would be taken captive and that they would be judged for their sins.[1]
12 And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom Their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord.
Prayer was a distinct and consistent part of Nehemiah’s approach to problem-solving. When faced with Sanballat’s demoralizing attack, he immediately asked God for help: Hear us, O our God, for we are despised.
Like some of the imprecatory prayers in which the psalmists invoked God’s condemnation on His enemies, Nehemiah’s prayer in this instance was severe and condemning. He prayed that Sanballat and his cohorts would be taken captive and that they would be judged for their sins.[1]
When opposition comes how do you handle it?
19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
james 1:19-20
Ackroyd (Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, pp. 277–78) remarked, “To understand such violent language, we need to appreciate fully the sense of the divine purpose at work, so that opposition is not seen in human terms but as opposition to God himself.”
Nehemiah’s prayer borrows from the language of Jeremiah (; ; ).[1]