Nehemiah 4:1-14: "An Angered Man"

Intro:

Outline:

Competing Desires: “Building the Wall” (vs. 1-6)

Controlling Differences: “Going Forward” (vs. 7-9)

Complete Distruction: “Kill them and Stop the Work” (vs. 10-14)

Summary:

Prayer: James 1:19-26

Competing Desires: “Building the Wall” (vs. 1-6)

Response

When Sanballat heard (aggressively explodes)

That we were building the wall

He was

Angry- “burned (emotionally)”, become hot, to feel stong emotion, especially anger or passion

Greatly enraged- “to be angry, vexed, irritated, grieve, disturb... offended”

Jeered at the Jews- “mocked, stammer with a stammering tongue, in a foreign language” treated them with contempt

intimidation factor

He said

In the presence of his brothers

And of the army of Samaria- band-standing, gaining a following,

What are these feeble Jews doing?

Will they restore it for themselves?

Will they sacrifice?

Will they finish up in a day?

Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish

and burned ones at that?

Do you think Sanballat is interested in hearing an answer to these questions?

Recruit

Tobiah the Ammonite (passively doubts)

Was beside him

and he said

Yes, what they are building

If a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!

He answers Sanballat’s question, but he undercuts the result. “you can go ahead and do what you want, but it will never mean anything or last long”.

Request

Hear, O our God- interesting, who does Nehemiah want to hear his plea...

For we are despised- not that Sanballat is an idiot.

Turn back their taunt on their own heads

Give them up to be plundered in a land where they are captives

Do not cover their guilt

Let not their sin be blotted out from your sight

For they have provoked you to anger in the presence of the builders.

This is key! Provoked- “to call forth a feeling of anger” It doesn’t cause it,

So we built the wall

All the wall was joined together to half its height

For the people had a mind to work- anger keeps us from doing what we ought to be doing. Instead of building up we seek to stop or discredit those that are doing the work.

Application

It is possible for people inside the body of Christ to disagree! But that doesn’t mean that we have to sin in the process of expressing that.

When you choose to get angry over something because of competing desires, who do you vent to? who do you plead your case with in an effort to gain their approval and build a following? Even if no one will listen, we often do this with ourselves and for ourselves.

When some of us choose to be angry because our desires are different than someone elses we either try to seek control by overpowering them or by discrediting them. And you can control it. Some of your are controling it right now. You are angry because of the influence of circumstances or people that had a different desire than you did this week.

Transition: Competing desires can come from anywhere: where you live, what you drive, how you would like your spouse to treat you, a co-worker, friend, sibling, parent, etc. Mine this last week was wanting sleep! In Nehemiah’s case, it was building a wall around Jerusalem. What does it look like when competing desires become controlling differences?

Controling Differences: “Going Forward” (vs. 7-9)

People- thses things always invovle people...

When Sandballat and (the Samaritans from the north)

Tobiah (the one seeks to actively intimidate, the other passively discredit

Arabs (south)

Ammonites (from the east)

Ashdodites- (west) the list is growing and now they are surrounding Israel

Heard

the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem (competing desire)

Was going forward

That the breaches were begining to be closed

They were very angry- same word as before, the circumstances or competing desires provoked the hot emotion of anger. It doesn’t cause it, it provokes it or allows an opportunity for the desires to come out.

Plot (Controling Differences)

They plotted together

come

and fight against Jerusalem

To cause confusion (disturbance) in it- “mistake, error”

Those who struggle with anger also struggle with control

Prayer

We prayed to our God- first reaction, the one who is in charge of all things, whose will (desire) is most important.

set a guard as a protection against them- they prepare for their circumstances instead of try to control them

Day and night- second reaction- they continue doing what they know is right, what God has called them to do.

Application

James 4:1-3 “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.”

This process happens pretty quickly

Prayer releases control of competing desires because we are seeking to submit to God’s authority and divine judgement when we pray. The problem is that in that moment, I don’t want to pray, I do no want to show self control, I do not want to do what is right. So, I guess we are doomed to continue the cycle, I guess others will have to learn to cope with my sin and love me for who I am…These statements might be true if we did not serve a God who is capable of creating something out of nothing. If you don’t believe this than why are you here? Is there another power source or saviour that is stronger than our God? Is there a better source of self-control and motivation than the Holy Spirit? Is there a better picture of god glorifying human emotions than Jesus?

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Transition: Controlling differences can be the differences that control us or are the focal point of why we have competing desires. It can also mean we seek to control the differences that are contrary to what I want. Some of us will actively seek controll differences by intimidate others while others of us will passively seek to control differences by discrediting people and causing doubt about what they want.

Complete Distruction: “Kill Them and Stop the Work” (vs. 10-14)

Within

In Judah it was said

The strength of those who bear the burdens is failing- our strength isn’t enough

There is too much rubble- our circumstances are too burdensom

By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall- our resources aren’t enough

Our enemies said

They will not know or see till we

come among them

and kill them

and stop the work

Without

At the time

the Jews who lived near them

Came from all directions

and said to us

10x

“You must return to us”- to change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense.

Willfully

So

In the lowest parts of the space behind the wall

In open places

I stationed the people by their clans- their whole families are there!

with their swords, their spears, their bows

I looked and rose and said- Nehemiah recognizes that a word needs to be said

to the nobles

and to the officials

rest of the people

Do not be afraid of them

Remember the Lord

who is great

Awesome

Fight

For your borthers

Your sons

Your daughters

Your wives

Your homes

Application

What fears have led you down the path of anger? It is no coincident that anger is connected to worry, anxiety, depression because they are all connected to fear.

Instead of fighting against your brothers, sons, daughters, wives, and homes what would it look like to fight for them this week?

We all believe that the gospel has the power to pay my penalty for sin, but not all of us believe it has the power to transform me in the presence of sin.

Anger and fear are a devestating combination. If we are not careful to humble ourselves before the Lord, these two things could tear God’s people apart. Covid it provoking all of us. What emotions are coming out of you?

Do not be afraid

Remember the Lord

Fight for the gospel, and not against each other.

Summary: