Introduction:
A. I like the story told of a hunter who one day raised his rifle and took careful aim at a large bear.
1. When he was about to pull the trigger, the bear spoke in a soft soothing voice, “Isn’t it better to talk than to shoot? What do you want? Let's negotiate the matter.”
2. Lowering his rifle, the hunter replied, “I want a fur coat.”
3. “Very good,” said the bear, “that’s a negotiable item. I only want a full stomach, so let us sit down and negotiate a compromise.”
4. They sat down to negotiate and after a time the bear walked away, alone. The negotiations had been successful.
5. The bear ate the hunter thus giving himself a full stomach, and giving the hunter a fur coat!
B. Compromising with our enemy rarely leads to something good – that is especially true when the enemy in question is Satan himself.
1. Today we are continuing our study of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.
2. As we have learned so far, God’s people have returned to Jerusalem and Judea after being punished by God with captivity.
3. God’s people have rebuilt the temple and restored the practice of the Old Testament Law.
4. Nehemiah came to Jerusalem years after those things were accomplished and had it on his heart to help his people rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
5. Last week we examined chapter 3 and were treated to a description of the way all kinds of people from all kinds of backgrounds and localities came together to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls.
C. What we will see today as we look at chapters 4 and 6 is that the minute God’s people began rebuilding the walls, they faced opposition.
1. Certainly, that should not come as a surprise to us.
2. We will also see how Nehemiah was invited to compromise and negotiate with his enemies.
3. As we study these two chapters of Nehemiah, we will be given a good analysis of how opposition is shaped and how we are to overcome to it.
4. Let’s see how Nehemiah and God’s people were able to overcome the opposition they faced, so that we can overcome the opposition we face.
I. The Story
A. In order for us to learn from the story, we are going to read all of chapter 4 and part of chapter 6, but neither of them are very long.
1. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God, that’s why I love for us to read God’s Word together!
B. Chapter 4: 1 When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, 2 and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble--burned as they are?” 3 Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building--if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!” 4 Hear us, O our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. 5 Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders. 6 So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart. 7 But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the men of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem's walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. 8 They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. 9 But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat. 10 Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.” 11 Also our enemies said, “Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.” 12 Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.” 13 Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. 14 After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.” 15 When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to his own work. 16 From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah 17 who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, 18 and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me. 19 Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. 20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!” 21 So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out. 22 At that time I also said to the people, “Have every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night, so they can serve us as guards by night and workmen by day.” 23 Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me took off our clothes; each had his weapon, even when he went for water.
C. Chapter 6: 1 When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it - though up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates - 2 Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.” But they were scheming to harm me; 3 so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” 4 Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer. 5 Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter 6 in which was written: “It is reported among the nations - and Geshem says it is true--that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports you are about to become their king 7 and have even appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you in Jerusalem: ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now this report will get back to the king; so come, let us confer together.” 8 I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.” 9 They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.” [But I prayed,] “Now strengthen my hands.” 10 One day I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home. He said, “Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you - by night they are coming to kill you.” 11 But I said, “Should a man like me run away? Or should one like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!” 12 I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13 He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me. 14 Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who have been trying to intimidate me.
15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. 16 When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.
II. The Shape of Opposition
A. Opposition does not come in only one-sized package.
1. Opposition takes on a variety of shapes, intensities, pressures, threats, and powers to thwart our progress in kingdom work.
2. Three different shapes of opposition are present in this passage.
3. Certainly, this is not an exhaustive list, but these three constitute the major ways we face oppositions.
B. First, there was psychological attacks
1. One commentator wrote: “To open the attack with a barrage of words was worth trying. It is the enemy’s oldest weapon [just look at the Garden] and in the form of ridicule it needs no factual ammunition; not even an argument.” (Kidner, pg. 90)
2. Notice the nature of the taunts and ridicule:
a. They were called “feeble Jews” – Which suggests that they were very weak: not good enough: not successful or effective, impotent.
b. “Will they offer sacrifices?” – probably implies, “Are these fanatics going to pray the wall up?” or, “do they imagine that some extra devotional exercises will cause the walls to rise as if by magic?”
c. “Will they finish in a day?” – do they realize how big the task they’re under taking? They’re unrealistic!
d. Their workmanship and know how was questioned – “even if a fox jumps on it will fall apart.”
e. Their motives were questioned – they were accused of having ulterior motives – will they restore it for themselves – will they rebel against the Persian kingdom?
3. How does psychological opposition come in our day?
a. People say, “So I hear you’ve got religion!” Followed by smirks and laughter.
b. They say things like, “Don’t you know that you will toss all this religious stuff when the going gets tough?”
c. They say, “The people you are with are no better than the rest of us, they’re just a bunch of hypocrites.”
d. They might say, “You’re just not any fun anymore, and if you don’t give up this Jesus stuff, then we can’t be friends.”
e. Or they might say, “Who are you trying to fool, you will never make it as a Christian.”
4. Psychological opposition can hit us very hard. It can be very hard to overcome.
C. Second, there were physical threats.
1. Chapter 4, verse 8 says: they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it.
a. Chapter 4, verse 11 says: 11 Also our enemies said, “Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.”
b. These threats kept the Jews wondering…Would it be open assault? Would it be the terrorist’s knife in the night? Would there be a coalition army that surrounded and choked them off?
c. The reports kept streaming in of the threats.
d. As it turned out, they were idle threats, because as you will remember, King Artaxerxes had ordered the people of that region not to interfere with this project.
2. But in our world today, these are not just lame threats in many places.
a. Maybe you heard the recent story about Mariam Ibrahim, the Sudanese Christian woman who was sentenced to death in Sudan because of her faith. Sudanese authorities had said Ibrahim was guilty of rejecting Islam in favor of Christianity. Thankfully, she was freed and safely arrived in Italy on her way to our country.
b. Are you aware of another current story that has not yet had a happy ending? The children of the American minister, Saeed Abedini, who is imprisoned in Iran have appeared in an online video plea to President Obama, asking that he “help bring [their] daddy home.” Saeed Abedini, a former Muslim turned Christian, left Iran in 2005 and moved to the United States with his wife and children to find religious freedom. Last fall, he traveled back to Iran to build an orphanage and visit his parents—and was about to return to the states—when he was taken into custody. Abedini was later charged with threatening the national security of Iran, and for attempting to turn youth in the nation away from Islam and toward Christianity. He was then sentenced to eight years in Iran’s notorious Evin Prison, where he has spent nearly two years behind bars.
3. Threats of violence or attacks or persecution often stop us in our tracks. That’s the enemy’s plan.
a. It may keep us from witnessing, or missions or speaking openly as a Christian.
b. Physical threats are a reminder that this world is not our home, that we are citizens of a kingdom that has no death or sorrow.
D. Third, there were attempts at side-tracking distraction.
1. Sanballet and Geshem sent an invitation to Nehemiah to come down to the plain of Ono and have a meeting with them.
a. They sent that same invitation 4 times, and every time Nehemiah replied, “I’m too busy doing God’s work to drop everything and come visit with you.”
2. When that didn’t work, they tried to get a man who was a prophet to pretend he had a message from God for Nehemiah.
a. The prophet told him that God wanted Nehemiah to hide in the temple to save his life.
b. But Nehemiah knew that that man must be a false prophet who had been hired to ruin Nehemiah’s reputation.
c. They wanted Nehemiah to appear fearful and self-centered.
3. There will be many invitations and opportunities for us to get side tracked, but we must, like Nehemiah, stay away from the plain of Ono.
a. Satan is going to do everything he can to get us side-tracked and distracted from our mission.
b. If we are not careful, we can spend hours, days, and even years side tracked on some issue or problem that is not worth our time.
c. As individual Christians and as a congregation our singular goal must be to glorify God and our mission must be the saving of the lost and the growing of the saved.
III. The Strategy for Overcoming Opposition
A. How did Nehemiah and God’s people overcome the opposition they experienced?
1. They employed 4 strategies.
B. First, They had hearts that prayed.
1. Did you notice that every time they faced opposition, they prayed?
2. In 4:4, after the ridicule, Nehemiah prayed, “Hear us, Oh our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on them.”
3. In 4:8, we are told that their enemies plotted, but in 4:9, we learn that Nehemiah prayed and posted guards.
4. In 6:9, Nehemiah’s enemies were trying to frighten him, but in 6:9, Nehemiah prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.”
5. To overcome opposition, we must have hearts that pray!
C. Second, They had hands that worked.
1. Did you notice as we read from chapters 4 and 6 that they never stopped working?
2. They got tired, and frustrated, and scared, but they never stopped working.
3. At times they did the work with one hand and held a sword in the other!
4. The only way to let opposition stop God’s work is to let it stop God’s work.
5. If we keep on working, no matter what, then opposition can’t stop us.
D. Third, They had eyes that watched.
1. Nehemiah and God’s people were constantly on the lookout for the enemy.
2. They never let their guard down.
3. Some times when things are going well, we let our guard down and stop watching for the enemy.
4. Whether things are good or bad, we had better keep watch for the attacks of the enemy.
E. Finally, they had souls that trusted.
1. As Nehemiah and God’s people faced opposition, it was their trust in God that kept them going.
2. Nehemiah often reminded them to trust God.
a. In 4:14, he said, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome.”
b. In 4:20, Nehemiah declared, “Our God will fight for us.”
c. In 2:20, Nehemiah boasted, “The God of Heaven will give us success.”
3. Our God is so powerful and trustworthy. We must put all our trust in Him.
Conclusion:
A. As I bring this sermon to a close, I want to remind us of two truths.
1. First, If we are doing God’s will, we must expect opposition.
a. Satan doesn’t’ bother lukewarm Christians or dead churches, but any Christian or church that are trying to accomplish great things for God are going to face opposition.
b. That’s why Paul wrote: “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God…” (Acts14:22). And, “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (2 Tim 3:12).
c. That’s why Jesus said, “Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.” (John 15:20).
d. That’s why Peter warned us, “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8).
2. The second truth we must remember is: If we are doing God’s will, we must look forward to our reward.
a. We must be encouraged to hang in there, because God’s rewards will be worth any opposition or persecution we might face.
b. That’s why Paul wrote: “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (1 Cor. 15:58)
c. That’s why Paul also wrote: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Gal. 6:9)
d. The Hebrew writer encourages us with these words: “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.” (Heb. 6:10).
B. We must never allow opposition or persecution to discourage us and cause us to quit serving God.
1. Allow me to end with this illustration: One day the Devil decided to put up for sale all of his tools.
a. On that date all his tools were laid out on tables.
b. They had prices marked on them for public inspection.
c. There were a lot of treacherous instruments: hatred, envy, jealousy, deceit, pride, lying, and so on.
d. However, laid apart from the rest of the Devil's tools was another tool.
e. It was worn more than any of the others and was priced very high.
2. One of the customers asked, “What's the name of this tool?”
a. “That,” the Devil replied, “is discouragement.”
b. “Why have you priced it so high?” asked the customer.
3. The devil answered, “It is priced so high because discouragement is more useful to me than all the other tools. I can pry open and get inside a man's heart with the tool of discouragement, when I cannot get near him with any other tools. It's badly worn because I use it on almost everyone, since so few people know it belongs to me.”
C. Remember:
1. Opposition can come in many forms…psychological attacks, physical threats, and side-tracking distractions.
2. Opposition can be overcome with:
a. Hearts that pray.
b. Hands that work.
c. Eyes that watch.
d. Souls that trust.
3. We must remember two expected things – the enemy’s opposition and God’s rewards.
D. Let’s cling tightly to the words of our Scripture Reading from 2 Chronicles 20:17: “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.”
1. Stand firm…do not be afraid…do not be discouraged…look for God’s deliverance…God will be with you! Who needs any more than that?
Resources:
Ezra & Nehemiah, by Derek Kidner, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, 1979
How Do You Handle Opposition? Sermon by Dr. Phil Newton. http://archive.southwoodsbc.org/ sermons/nehemiah_04.01-23.php
