Building a Firm Foundation
"For they all were trying to make us afraid, saying, their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will not be done." Now therefore, O God strengthen my hands." (Nehemiah 6:9)
We have heard this parable from Jesus. “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” Matthew 7:24-27
The wise man built his house on the rock, and the foolish man built his house on the sand. When the winds and rain came down on the house, only the house that stood on the rock stood firm. “The word of God is our rock, and His name is our stronghold” (Proverb 18:10). When we stand firm in the word of God, no adversity or opposition can shake us or make us stumble. But we must hear His saying and put them into action.
Nehemiah faced many adversities and enemies while rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah was called by God to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, which was 2½ miles in circumference and took 52 days to complete.
For the last 5 chapters and even in chapter 6, Nehemiah has seen opposition from all sides. Before, the opposition was directed at the people of Jerusalem, but now, in chapter 6, it is directly focused on Nehemiah as a leader. Sooner or later, all opposition will go towards the leader, because everything rises and falls on leadership. For example, in war, enemy troops are often told to shoot at the commanding officer. But in this chapter, you will also see how even though every attack was aimed at Nehemiah, he was not shaken. He did not crumble or fall, because his foundation was built on the word of God.
Therefore, dear children of God, when you have opposition coming at you from all sides, listen to these three lessons from Nehemiah: Stay focused on God, Stay faithful to God, and Stay firm in the Word of God.
I. Stay Focused
"Now it happened when Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall, and that there were no breaks left in it (though at that time I had not hung the doors in the gates). That Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, "Come, let us meet together among the villages in the plain of Ono." But they thought to do me harm." (Nehemiah, 6:1-2)
Up until now, Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem have tried everything they knew to sabotage the work on the wall. They tried to divert the people of Israel, endanger them, and discredit them. Therefore, now they decided to try diplomacy. They ask Nehemiah to stop what he is doing, and come talk to them.
Some may ask, "What harm might talking cause?" There is only one problem about Nehemiah stopping what he was doing, and taking time to talk to the enemy - the job was not yet finished. Even though the walls had been built, the doors and the gates had not been hung. There was still a lot of work to do. But now the enemies were trying to attack Nehemiah. Do you think they wanted to congratulate Nehemiah? Do you think that they were going to help or say anything positive to Nehemiah? No. Your enemy and adversities only want to drag you down. And their negative word can distract you from the mighty power of God.
Nehemiah knew that he could not be side-tracked from what God had called him to do. He did not change his focus, but kept his feet firmly planted in the word of God. "Hard work always pays off; mere talk puts no bread on the table." (Proverbs 14:23, MSG). Nehemiah showed his focus on God through his actions and hard work. He did not give any time to his enemies to pollute his focus.
But his enemies did not stop trying to side-track him. Nehemiah says in Chapter 6:4 "But they sent me this message four times, and I answered them in the same manner." This is the moment in the parable where the wind and the rains start to test the foundation of our homes. Have you built your foundation on the word of God? No matter how many times your opposition tries to belittle you or distract you, your foundation in God will help you to only focus on Him. Nehemiah states, "So I sent messengers to them, saying, "I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?' " (Nehemiah 6:3)
Nehemiah was doing a great work. Four times, Nehemiah says I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Building a simple wall may not seem like a big task, but because this was the work that God had called Nehemiah to do, it was great. All of God's work is a great work. If you work in Sunday School and you teach children Bible stories, you are doing great work. If you work with the sound and check all the microphones, you are doing a great job. If you work with cleaning and maintaining our church, you are doing great work. If your work is for God, your work is great. But when you do these great works, remember not to get side-tracked and lose your focus on God. God is our first priority and our foundation. All good works begin with God. All miracles begin with God. Therefore, he should be our only focus.
II. Stay Faithful
"Then Sanballat sent his servant to me as before, the fifth time, with an open letter in his hand. In it was written: It is reported among the nations, and Geshem says that you and the Jews plan to rebel; therefore, according to these rumors, you are rebuilding the wall, that you may be their king." (Nehemiah 6:5-6)
His enemies could not side-track Nehemiah, so they tried a different tactic. They tried to slander Nehemiah. They wrote an open letter, and they wanted everybody to read it, especially the king who had given Nehemiah the permission to rebuild the wall. Because if this rumor began to spread, it could cost Nehemiah not only the wall, but it could also cost Nehemiah his life. The enemy wanted to destroy Nehemiah, his integrity, and his work.
This was nothing but pure slander. Did you know the word, "Satan" means slanderer? Whenever you slander someone, you are doing the devil's work. Lets notice that whenever your opposition tries to slander you, there will never be any source for these accusations. The letter simply said, "It is reported among the nations." Something similar to, "I heard…." or "Somebody said…"
But not even slander could keep Nehemiah from doing the work of God. Nehemiah replies to these accusations saying, "No such things as you say are being done, but you invent them in your own heart." (Nehemiah 6:8)
Nehemiah knew what his enemies were doing and he knew that his enemies could hurt him. But rather than falling into the snare of his enemies, Nehemiah calls upon the Lord. "For they all were trying to make us afraid, saying, their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will not be done." Now therefore, O God strengthen my hands." (Nehemiah 6:9) He did the one thing and the most powerful action you can take against the forces of adversity and opposition - Nehemiah took his troubles to God. Dwight L. Moody once said, "If I take care of my character, God will take care of my reputation."
Nehemiah was always faithful to God and to others. He did not let the slander of his enemies shake his faith. On the contrary, he trusted in God because his faithfulness was built on the foundation of God’s word. When other people try to slander you, stay faithful. Stay strong in the word of God and leave your troubles to him.
III. Stay Firm
As one last final attempt to take Nehemiah away from working on the wall, a man named Shemaiah came to Nehemiah. "Afterward I came to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was a secret informer; and he said, 'Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple for they are coming to kill you; indeed, at night they will come to kill you.'" (Nehemiah 6:10)
Shemaiah was a priest, and he was once a friend of Nehemiah. But sadly, he had allowed the enemy to talk him into taking their side. And now, Shemaiah was trying to get Nehemiah to compromise his integrity. Nehemiah knew that the Lord our God would protect him from the hands of the enemy. But Shemaiah wanted to strike fear into the strong heart of Nehemiah. He wanted to make Nehemiah look like a coward, if Nehemiah dropped his work and ran. If he ran away, he would lose all credibility before his people.
However, Nehemiah was devoted to doing what God had called him to do, even if indeed it did cost him his life. His foundation was built on the Word of God. Nehemiah knew that God would protect him and that God would not let the wind and rain of the adversity trouble Nehemiah. Therefore, Nehemiah was not leaving his work at the wall until the wall was finished. He stayed firm in the word of God.
Conclusion
You've seen tall buildings under construction. For the first few months, all the workmen dig a great big hole in the ground. To build a tall building, but starting far below the surface level seems a counter to its purpose. But did you know, there's a good reason for the large hole. To build tall, it is first necessary to dig down until a strong foundation can be built, one that is capable of supporting the skyscraper. A small doghouse needs no foundation, and an ordinary house can be built on a simple concrete slab. But a skyscraper, that is different. It requires a deep and solid foundation. This is similar to our Christian life. Our upward potential is totally dependent on the foundation below.
As Christians, you will face the winds and rain of adversity quite often. But when your foundation is built on the word of God, you can rise up like mighty skyscrapers. But you must put God’s sayings into action by staying focused on God, staying faithful to God, and staying firm in your faith.
You might be going through the most intense period of opposition in your life right now. There might be heavy winds in your job situation, marriage life, business, family life, or personal life - but God will build you up. God will protect you from your adversities. Let the foundation and primary importance in your life be God, and He will carry your burdens. Arise and build your life in the name of God. Amen.
