Nehemiah 4-7 (Jan.14)
Nehemiah 4-7
Responses to Attack
(January 14, 2007)
“So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two days.
When all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations surrounding us saw it, they lost their confidence; for they recognized that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.”
- Nehemiah 6:15-16 (NASB)
Does God have a plan for your life?
How will you respond when people question and mock you for following God's plan?
How will you respond when you're actually attacked for following God's plan?
How will you stay focused on God's plan (avoid distraction)?
How will you avoid the enemy's manipulation of your circumstances?
God has placed breath in you today for a reason. You are in this room as part of His plan for you. Our church and our class has been called to a strategic mission to reach, teach, and minister to people that are desperate to discover God and His purpose for their lives. Just like Nehemiah and the Jews were called to build according to God's strength and purpose, so are we called. The completed goal will be glorious and we will experience joy throughout the journey, but we will face opposition. How will we respond?
How will we respond to questions and mockery? (4:1-5)
“When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall he exploded in anger, vilifying the Jews. In the company of his Samaritan cronies and military he let loose:
'What are these miserable Jews doing?
Do they think they can get everything back to normal overnight?
Make building stones out of make-believe?'”
- Nehemiah 4:1-2 (MSG)
Who was Sanballat? He was a compromised Jew whose daughter was married to one of the high priest's grandsons. He was also a district governor in Samaria. Nehemiah's appointment as governor of Jerusalem was at least a perceived overlap of jurisdiction.
Sanballat's initial approach was to mock Nehemiah and the Jews. He didn't think the wall could really be rebuilt, but he didn't want anyone getting any big ideas either.
How did Nehemiah respond?
“But I prayed,
'Our God, these people hate us and have wished horrible things for us.
Please answer our prayers and make their insults fall on them!
Let them be the ones to be dragged away as prisoners of war.
Don't forgive the mean and evil way they have insulted the builders.'”
- Nehmiah 4:4-5 (CEV)
He prayed.
He recognized its source... sinfulness. He asked God to deal with their sin justly (according to His plan).
How will we respond to actual attacks? (4:10-23)
- “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.'
Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over,
'Wherever you turn, they will attack us.'
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.”
- Nehemiah 4:11-13 (NIV)
If we are not deterred by verbal ammunition, our opposition will up the ante.
What should we do as the attacks escalate?
We must seek God's guidance and provision for our defense.
We need a plan. We need to be prepared.
“And I said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people,
'The work is great and widely spread,
and we are separated on the wall, far from one another.
In the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there.
Our God will fight for us.'
So we labored at the work,
and half of them held the spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out.
I also said to the people at that time,
'Let every man and his servant pass the night within Jerusalem,
that they may be a guard for us by night and may labor by day.'”
- Nehemiah 4:19-22 (ESV)
They kept working, despite the fact they were, no doubt, afraid.
Ref: Hebrews 13:6/Psalm 118:6 (NKJV)
“So we may boldly say:
'The LORD is my helper;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?'”
“I sought the LORD, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears.”
They remained vigilant and prepared, but faithful that “God will fight for us”.
Ref: Psalm 46:1 (NLT)
“God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.”
They stayed together (day and night).
Ref: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (TNIV)
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:
If they fall down, they can help each other up.
But pity those who fall and have no one to help them up!
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
How will you stay focused on God's plan (avoiding distraction)? (6:2-3)
“Then Sanballat and Geshem sent a message,
asking me to meet with them in one of the villages in Ono Valley.
I knew they were planning to harm me in some way.
So I sent messengers to tell them,
'My work is too important to stop now and go there.
I can't afford to slow down the work just to visit with you.'”
- Nehemiah 6:2-3 (CEV)
Your defenses are solid. The enemy has failed to attack you successfully.
Distraction is the next tactic. Once distracted, we're open to renewed attack.
Nehemiah kept his focus on God's plan, despite repeated attempts at distracting him,
and was able to keep moving forward.
How will you avoid the enemy's manipulation of your circumstances? (6:10-13)
“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.'
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!'
I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me
because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
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.” - Nehemiah 6:10-13 (NIV)
Mockery has failed. Attacks have failed. Distraction has failed. What's next?
Manipulation. This will often come from people who you thought you could trust.
The betrayal alone can be very discouraging.
Nehemiah wisely discerned Shemaiah's manipulation as a man whose heart was turned to God's purposes and God's Word.
Ref: Hebrews 4:12 (NASB)
“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword,
and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow,
and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
Conclusion-
“So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two days.
When all our enemies heard of it,
and all the nations surrounding us saw it,
they lost their confidence;
for they recognized that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.”
- Nehemiah 6:15-16 (NASB)
Mission accomplished! Victory awaits us at the end of our trials.
