Because Of Fearing God

“Now when Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it (although up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates), Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, ‘Come and let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono.’ But they intended to do me harm. And I sent messengers to them, saying, ‘I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?’ And they sent to me four times in this way, and I answered them in the same manner. In the same way Sanballat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand. In it was written, ‘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. And 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.” And now the king will hear of these reports. So now come and let us take counsel together.’ Then I sent to him, saying, ‘No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind.’ For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, ‘Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.’ But now, O God, strengthen my hands. Now when I went into the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his home, he said, ‘Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple. Let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you. They are coming to kill you by night.’ But I said, ‘Should such a man as I run away? And what man such as I could go into the temple and live? I will not go in.’ And I understood and saw that God had not sent him, but he had pronounced the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. For this purpose he was hired, that I should be afraid and act in this way and sin, and so they could give me a bad name in order to taunt me. Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, according to these things that they did, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who wanted to make me afraid. So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days" (Nehemiah 6:1-15, ESV).

Fear struck the people in an area where earthquake hit!

Fear could also hit us not just by powerful earthquakes, but tremors of problems, trauma, stress due to an illness, or whatever negative things we imagine to happen.

We could suffer fear, because of bad news, or bad things that bad people could inflict on us.

But Jesus told His disciples who would suffer persecution: “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:28-31, ESV).

According to Him, His followers should not fear from anything or even from evil person who could kill them. Why? Because the sparrow that is of little value could not even fall to the ground without the permission of God the Father. And His disciples are more valuable than many sparrows. Even the hairs of their head are accounted for. So an attempt even to kill them will not triumph apart from God.

Instead fear God for He can destroy, not only the body but also the soul in hell.

So today, we have our topic… BECAUSE OF FEARING GOD…, as we focus on our text (Nehemiah 6:1-15).

If we really fear God, if we have great respect for Him, if we regard Him highly, if we are in awe of Him, if we revere Him, our attitude or behavior will be so different. For instance, if there are those who would oppose us, or would want to harm us, how would we react?

As Nehemiah led the building of the wall of Jerusalem, difficulties came. There was opposition from the outside. There was also problem in the inside. Yet, the building of the wall continued.

Because of Nehemiah’s fear of God (Nehemiah 5:15), one of the three things he did was to be generous (verses 17-18).