Dealing With Opposition Series

Introduction

- Nehemiah is a great study of leadership; also shows obedience to God

- Remember we saw Nehemiah’s assessing of the project before him, and,

-- He also revealed the mission God had given him to his team

-- We also noted that the job would be tough … and there would be distractors

- In all of these things one thing is clear: Nehemiah trusts God to be faithful

-- APP: He knows that God has called him, and so it is God that he will obey

-- Great encouragement of the faith today … pray you’ll see that as well

- Read Nehemiah 4:1-23 / Pray

- Returning to the chronological events the construction is underway …

Point 1 – Dealing with the Opposition

Sanballat, one of the chief detractors, flies into a rage and mocks the workers

Remember, he is the governor of Samaria; has marriage ties to the high priest

His anger comes from one place: this is a threat to MY power and position

Interesting enough, he is using a very common form of attacking

First, he does so in private with sniping comments (Ch 2), to public ridicule

Even turning it into a person attack (v2) he attacks everything they hold dear

Look: “do they think … will they offer sacrifices to finish quicker”? (sarcasm)

APP: If you want to hurt someone, go for their inner core, what hold sacred

Even Tobiah joins in mocking the poor construction methods (v3)

OK, look, this is the epitome of a puppet on a string … “let’s all join in”

“I mean, if the governor of the region is complaining, I should pile on!”

APP: Lots to be gleaned here about having power and what you say …

Lots of opportunities for response … I love the approach Nehemiah takes

Nehemiah, very publicly, does one thing: Goes to God in prayer!

His focus is on the honor and protection of his people doing the right thing

Re: It is because of the shame of the state of Jerusalem that he went there

So, with the annoyance of the complainers, Nehemiah fights back WELL

He is convinced that God has led him and these people to restore the wall

Why? For the pride of Jerusalem, their ancestors, and their God

Sanballat and his cronies were (absolutely) their opposition in this

Re: A rising Jerusalem could pose a threat to the region / balance of power

Now, notice the approach Nehemiah takes in prayer here … very specific

He is not asking for God to smite them, not even that they would be silenced

No, instead he is using a simple biblical approach: “you reap what you sow”

(v4) “May the scoffing fall back on their heads …”

What Nehemiah is asking is for them to experience what the Jews have

Removed from their land, held captive in foreign places, shunned in life

Understanding what the people had gone through, he cries out to God for help

TJ: “Lord, let them feel what we have, and perhaps it might hush them up”

And after he prayed, look at v6 … nothing else is said about it

APP: The results are in God’s hands, and I’m not going to worry about it

I have work to do, here in front of me, and this noise is not going to undo it

BIG: Imagine if we did that same thing in our church / work / life?

“God, you are bigger than this, so to you I will put my trust ?

? and after that … because of who you are … I will get back to work!”

What the faith does not need is more Eeyore’s … we need Nehemiah’s!

- TR: We need men and women who are willing to …

Point 2 – Be Prepared for War

Right on cue, Sanballat and his folks are annoyed / furious with the progress

Their meeting of the minds is simple: we must stop this at all costs

They devise a war plan, a strategy to stop this progress from moving forward

It is their desire to overthrow this progress, and stop Jerusalem’s restoration

So, what does Nehemiah do? (v9) He prays to God for protection (theme)

Even considering the people complaining about the work, they have a mission

Re: One of the enemy’s greatest weapons is the spirit of Discouragement

“There’s too much to do, we are so tired, how will we ever do this ….”

APP: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time (i.e., rebuilding)

Discouragement gets you thinking about “you” and how hard things seem

It does not have any room for trusting God, so your emotions take over

And what does the enemy do when you are feeling this way? He attacks!