Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro:

I would like to invite you to join me as we look at facing opposition and Discouragement today…I understand this is going to be more one way in the communication style, but that does not mean that I don’t want you to interact with what is being said from God’s word.

All three sections are connected by the topic of fear, vers 9, 13-14, and 16.

Fear has a tendency to stop us from doing what we know is right or provokes us to respond to our circumstances in a sinful way.

“In any great work of God the leaders are strategic; the enemy, whether human or satanic, will try to cause the leader to fall, lose credibility, or disappear altogether.

Leadership always involves stress.

Here Nehemiah’s personal danger added to his stress, but he was able to confront it, trusting the Lord and continuing to work toward the God-given goal.”

Breneman, Mervin.

1993.

Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther.

Electronic ed.

Vol. 10.

The New American Commentary.

Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Outline:

Public Slander: “An Open Letter” (vs.

1-9)

Personal Safety: “They are Coming to Kill You” (vs.

10-14)

Perpetuating Situations: “The Help of Our God” (vs.

15-19)

Summary: Threats of fear seek to keep me from doing the work that God has given me to do in obedience to His word.

Prayer:

Public Slander: “An Open Letter” (vs.

1-9)

Actual Moments (v. 1)

Now When- time has gone by since the last couple of chapters

Sanballat

Tobiah

Geshem the Arab

The rest of our enemies- blanket statement, it would seem that this group of people is growing.

Growing from Ezra’s day, Solomon’s day, David’s day, etc. Enemies of Israel is not a new concept, they did not pop up overnight

Heard

I had built the wall- this is a fact!

That there was no breach left in it (althought up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates

Address Meeting (vs.

2-4)

Sandballat and Geshem sent to me saying- this is only addressed to Nehemiah.

The odds are not in Nehemiah’s favour.

They couldn’t stop the people from working so now they turn to the leader.

Come and let us meet together at Hakkephirim- only mentioned once in the Bible

In the plain of Ono: “Work” SLIDE about 40 km northwest of Jerusalem (Port Dover) 6.5 hours, on the boarder of Samaria

But they intended to do me harm- they are not asking him to come for coffee and a chat, they are looking to get rid of him!

I sent messengers to them saying: it would have taken time for the messages to get back and forth

I am doing a great work

And I cannot come down

Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down (elevation) to you?

They sents to me 4x in this way- they were not willing to make peace, they were entrenched.

If they really wanted to work towards peace they could have met him in Jerusalem.

“Repeated temptation can also weaken one’s resistance.”

Breneman, Mervin.

1993.

Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther.

Electronic ed.

Vol. 10.

The New American Commentary.

Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

I answered them in the same manner

Assumed Motives- slander (vs.

5-9)

In the same way Sanballat for the 5th time

sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand- equivalent to a vague post on social media that everyone knows who you are talking about.

spreading rumours

In it was written SLIDE

It is reported among the nations

And Geshem also says it

That you and the Jews intend to rebel

That is why you are building the wall

According to these reports you wish to become their king

And you have also set up prophets to proclaim concerning you in Jerusalem

There is a king in Judah- Wow, where does this come from?

Well there might have been a religious leader among the people that “interpreted Nehemiah’s presence as a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies regarding the coming Messiah-King.”

Getz, G. A. (1985).

Nehemiah.

In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.),

The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 686).

Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

Now the King will hear of these reports- this is sneaky, this actually happened in Ezra 4 when reports got back to the Persian king he stop the work.

Sanballat is trying an old trick in the bag that worked before.

So how far do you go in order to stop the comments in the wind?

So now come and let us take counsel together- He tries to blackmail him into getting together

It would seem that they are concerned about Nehemiah and wanted to protect him

They want him to respond out of fear