Finishing the Task
May 18
NEH. 4:1 But it came to pass, that when San-bal'lat heard that we
builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and
mocked the Jews.
2 And he spake before his brethren and the army of Sa-ma'ri-a, and
said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will
they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the
stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?
3 Now To-bi'ah the Am'mon-ite was by him, and he said, Even that
which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their
stone wall.
6 So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto
the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.
7 But it came to pass, that when San-bal'lat, and To-bi'ah, and the
A-ra'bi-ans, and the Am'mon-ites, and the Ash'dod-ites, heard that
the walls of Je-ru'sa-lem were made up, and that the breaches began
to be stopped, then they were very wroth,
8 And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against
Je-ru'sa-lem, and to hinder it.
9 Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch
against them day and night, because of them.
13 Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the
higher places, I even set the people after their families with their
swords, their spears, and their bows.
14 And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the
rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them:
remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your
brethren, your' sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your
houses.
15 And it came to pass, whe our enemies heard that it wa known unto
us, and God ha brought their counsel to nough that we returned all
of us to th wall, every one unto his work.
6:15 So the wall was finished i the twenty and fifth day of the mont
E'lul, in fifty and two days.
TIME: 445 b.c. PLACE: Jerusalem
Introduction
"We have all probably heard (and perhaps even invoked) that ageless
childhood rhyme, 'Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words
will never hurt me.' Wrong! It is because words do have such
profound effect that we devise defenses against them. If words truly
did not matter, we wouldn't bother denying their power. But words
can carry destruction or security, trust or suspicion. They can
exonerate or condemn, bring hope or despair, truth or deceit, hatred
or kindness, clarity or confusion.... When Nehemiah and the Jews
were working on the wall around Jerusalem, Sanballat and Tobiah
launched a war of words. They hurled insults, ridicule, taunts, and
threats in the hope that these words would demoralize the people"
(Larson and Dahlen, Holman Old Testament Commentary: Ezra, Nehemiah,
Esther, Broadman & Holman). Nehemiah knew God had prepared the way
for him to return and help the people in rebuilding the wall; so he
knew it was God's will for the wall to be completed.
LESSON OUTLINE
I. THREATENED BY A STRONG ENEMY-Neh. 4:1-3,6-9
II. BELIEVING IN A MIGHTY GOD-Neh. 4:13-15; 6:15
THREATENED BY A STRONG ENEMY
Mocked by the enemy (Neh. 4:1-3). In the commentary quoted
above, this supporting idea is presented prior to discussion of
these three verses: "Mockery is a means of masquerading one's
insecurity, of feigning confidence, as the suspicion of one's
weakness grows more apparent. It is the language of the bully"
(Larson and Dahlen). Sanballat was the governor of Samaria
(confirmed in secular literature), and Tobiah was probably one of
his closest advisers. They felt very threatened by Nehemiah's
presence and the project he was undertaking. Their opposition grew
over a period of time. In Nehemiah 2:10 they are said to have been
grieved, or deeply disturbed, when they heard a man had come to help
the Jews. In verse 19 we read that they laughed and scorned, saying,
"What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?" Now
when they heard that the wall was progressing, they (especially
Sanballat) became furious and filled with rage and mocked with
increased intensity. Sanballat expressed his disdain through a
series of questions (4:2). Sanballat's address was a public one 1
probably given to the political group sur-1 rounding him, as well as
to the army of 1 Samaria. He obviously wielded a large 1 amount of
influence in the area and was 1 determined to get everyone on his
side 1 in this situation. Mockery always seems to draw a following,
and Sanballat proceeded with his questions. He referred to 1 the
Jews as feeble and implied they 1 would never succeed in fortifying
them-1 selves. He mocked the idea that they would redevelop their
worship system. He then made fun of the fact that the Jews were
trying to revive something meaningful out of a pile of burned
rubbish. He implied that the Jews were to- j tally naive if they
felt for one moment j that they could bring something good out of
the mess they faced. His entire j attitude was one of contempt, and
it was echoed by his sidekick, Tobiah, who sounded much like a
puppet figure instead of a man capable of independent thinking. He
jeered that if even j a little fox jumped up onto the wall, it would
crumble back to the ground.
Working in spite of the enemy (Neh. 4:6-7). Upon hearing of the increased opposition, Nehemiah prayed immediately, asking God to bring their own words back onto their own heads (vss. 4- j 5). It was an imprecatory prayer that grew from Nehemiah's concern for God's reputation and glory. He viewed those of the opposition as God's enemies, not merely his own. They did not deserve to get away with such an affront. Rather, they needed to experience some of the difficulties the Jews had been experiencing in the past years. Having expressed his heart and mind I to God, Nehemiah returned to the task at ! hand. With everyone busy working on I the wall, it was not long before it was I connected all the way around the city and up to half its designated height. Nehemiah 4:6 includes a pertinent reason for such success: "the people had a mind to work." The word translated "mind" means "heart." The hearts of the people were into this project, so they worked wholeheartedly. It is commendable of Nehemiah that once he prayed, he continued to do what he could with the work at hand. Sometimes after we pray, all we can do is wait for God to answer. At other times, after we pray we should continue to do whatever we can and trust God to take care of what is beyond our capabilities. For Nehemiah it was not a time for waiting but a time for continued activity. This kind of progress increased both the intensity and the numbers of the opposition. The progress was very rapid, and in the minds of the enemies, the threat escalated at an alarming rate. The large multitude of people mentioned here surrounded the city of Jerusalem. Samaria, Sanballat's territory, was to the north. The Arabs were to the south. The Ammonites were east, and the Ashdodites were west. Ashdod was one of the five Philistine cities near the coast of the Mediterranean. Jerusalem was certainly in a vulnerable place! Without the help of God, it was surely doomed for further destruction. What we must remember is the sincerity with which Nehemiah had prayed; God will certainly come to the aid of His endangered people.
Preparing for the enemy (Neh. 4:8-9). The plan within this
large confederacy was to carry out a direct attack on Jerusalem. The
closing of the gaps in the wall indicated that the restoration
process was moving along well. The anger level of the opposition
grew immensely, and determination to put a stop to the project
propelled these groups to action. Since Sanballat had failed in his
attempts to verbally intimidate the Jews, he now had to call on his
allies for assistance. The growing threat needed further attention.
Instead of reacting in fear, the Jews turned to prayer again. We
cannot help reflecting on the fact that while Nehemiah and the Jews
kept praying, the situation kept getting worse instead of better. We
are also reminded that Joseph's situation progressed from bad to
worse over the course of many years before God finally revealed His
plan for his life. In Joseph we have an example of one whose simple
trust in God was so steady that he never developed a bitter attitude
or complaining spirit. He trusted and waited. We should let these
situations be an encouragement to us to never give up on God—even
when circumstances appear to grow worse day by day. God does have a
plan for us, but we cannot always see how it is developing until we
reach the point where He is able to unfold it to us. In this case,
He intended to give the Jews a successful completion of the
rebuilding project, but along the way He allowed their faith to be
tested repeatedly. They just kept praying while they worked, without
thought of giving up on what God was doing. Nehemiah posted a
twenty-four-hour guard so that they would not be taken by surprise
if an attack came. Once again he did what he was able to do while
trusting God to take care of them. The verses that follow say that
the people began to get very discouraged and the enemy's threats
increased. They used fear as their threat and evidently were able to
send bad rumors among the Jewish people about their growing
intentions against them. The situation continued to present immense
obstacles.
BELIEVING IN A MIGHTY GOD
Trusting the Lord for protection (Neh. 4:13-14). "Nehemiah
had to contend with the same kind of pest that plagues most true
leaders today: dis-tractors who torment and do everything possible
to interfere in the work of the kingdom.... The contrast between
Nehemiah and Sanballat could hardly be more pronounced. Nehemiah's
leadership and character countered every assault of Sanballat and
provided the impetus for his godly vision to be completed".
In the absence of an organized army, Nehemiah had to use the people
in the most effective way possible to protect themselves. He
stationed armed men at all the lowest places in the wall and had
them stand behind the wall for protection. He had others positioned
behind the higher places, where the building had progressed a little
further. He also grouped the defenders according to family, which
was a normal thing in ancient cultures. It was also an added
incentive to fight hard should the need arise. Everyone was armed
with swords, spears, and bows. Should the enemy appear and prepare
to attack, they would suddenly be faced with a ready and formidable
accumulation of defenders. They would realize that the challenge was
going to be much more difficult than they had anticipated; hopefully
this would serve as a deterrent and keep them from carrying out
their plan. If it became necessary to fight, however, the people
were ready and were not afraid to do whatever was required of them.
Nehemiah then issued a stirring challenge intended to inspire faith
and courage in the face of possible danger. They did not need to
fear but only to remember their God, who was great and awesome. They
were to courageously fight in order to protect the ones they loved
the most, including their brothers (probably all fellow Jews), sons,
daughters, and wives. Nehemiah was confident that as they fought,
God would be the real Protector.
Returning to the task at hand (Neh. 4:15). The best part of
this military strategy is that it worked perfectly. When the enemies
heard that the Jews were prepared for them, they decided to forgo
their attack. That did not mean the Jews were entirely free, though,
because the enemies would watch for another opportunity. Is there
not a spiritual truth in this? With the immediate threat lessened,
the people returned to their work. God had seen to it that the plot
of the enemies was discovered, so the Jews could now proceed with
building. Nehemiah kept armed people in place, however, and he did
this by having half the people work at construction while the other
half stood by fully armed (Neh. 4:16). Even those doing construction
were prepared, though, because Nehemiah had them work with one hand
while holding weapons in the other and with swords at their sides (vss.
17-18). Nehemiah also had a trumpeter nearby to sound the alarm
should it be needed. This was necessary because the area over which
the people worked was extensive, causing them to spread out. Should
they be needed in one place to face the enemy, they could be called
together by the blowing of the trumpet. If this should happen,
Nehemiah still wanted the people to think about their God. "In what
place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither
unto us: our God shall fight for us" (vs. 20). Nehemiah is a
sterling example of one who implicitly trusted God. He faced
enormous odds against "success. He proved himself to be a true
leader by the way he repeatedly directed the thoughts of the people
to God instead of letting them dwell on the circumstances. Once
again we need to remember that "God is our refuge and strength, a
very present help in trouble" (Ps. 46:1).
Completing the job (Neh. 6:15). As is often the case among
God's people, when outside forces cannot effectively destroy or at
least hinder the work believers are doing for Him, inside forces
pose a threat. How many churches have divided or had to close their
doors because of division among the members? This should never
happen, of course, but Satan knows how to accomplish his desires.
Nehemiah 5 is all about internal dissension. The problems were
eventually resolved, after which Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem, and
others tried the tactic of supposed cooperation with the Jews
(6:1-2). God gave Nehemiah the insight to realize that this was a
cover masking their intention to physically harm him. This too was
dealt with effectively, and finally the wall was finished in an
amazingly short time. From start to finish, the entire project took
just fifty-two days. When we realize all the obstacles that arose
during that time, we discover it was amazing. The completion of this
project in such a short time must be attributed to three factors.
First is the reality of God's favor upon the Jews and His protection
of them even in threatening circumstances. Sometimes God opposes the
undertakings of His people, with few things going the way we think
they should. But when God is blessing instead, it is possible to see
one thing after another fall into place. The rebuilding of the wall
was clearly His will, and He approved and blessed those who worked
on it. Second is the leadership ability of Nehemiah. He was able to
keep the people focused on God and to repeatedly inspire them to
keep going. Third is the fact that God's people worked hard so
willingly. Even when they became discouraged, they rallied to
Nehemiah's call to continue and got the job done in record time.
QUESTIONS
1. Why did Sanballat and Tobiah act with so much opposition to what
Nehemiah and the Jews were doing?
2. In what ways did Sanballat mock the Jews publicly when he heard
of their progress on the wall?
3. How did Nehemiah respond when he heard of this mockery?
4. What did Nehemiah do after he expressed himself to God in prayer,
and what can this teach us?
5. To what human reason did Nehemiah attribute the wall's progress?
6. Where did the allied forces getting ready to attack Jerusalem
come from?
7. What did Nehemiah do with the people when he discovered the plan
of the enemies to attack?
8. Since the Jews did not have a standing army, how did Nehemiah
arrange for their protection?
9. What challenge did Nehemiah offer after he organized the people
to be ready to defend themselves?
10. How long did it take to complete the wall, and what were the
important factors behind such success?
Preparing to Teach the Lesson
Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite were continual
opponents of Nehemiah's plan to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem (Neh.
2:10,19; 4:1-3, 7-8). Ridicule from these pagans pulled at Nehemiah
from one side, while the Jews' fear and weariness pulled at him from
the other. His response was to go to God in prayer. It was divine
encouragement that kept him going.
TODAY'S AIM
Facts: to show that the scorn and anger from heathen
opponents did not keep Nehemiah from pursuing his goal of rebuilding
the wall of Jerusalem.
Principle: to emphasize that prayer to God sustains believers
who face crises.
Application: to help believers today use the resource of
prayer to seek guidance in all situations.
INTRODUCING THE LESSON
Sometimes even Christians fail to lay blame on the underlying source
of opposition to their projects for God. They start with great
enthusiasm and optimism but then get bogged down in problems that
occur. We should remind ourselves that Satan is the one who
motivates his demons and wicked people to be involved in these
hindrances. James 4:7 says, "Resist the devil, and he will flee from
you." We need to be constantly on guard against his oppression.
DEVELOPING THE LESSON
1. Derision (Neh. 4:1-3). When Sanballat heard that the Jews
under Nehemiah's leadership had begun to rebuild the wall of
Jerusalem, he was very angry, and he ridiculed them. He addressed
his people and the wealthy Samaritans and their army. He derided the
Jews using a series of scornful questions: What are these feeble
Jews doing? Do they think they can fortify themselves? Will they
sacrifice, as if their God will help them? Will they try to rebuild
in a day? Will they try to revive stones that now lie in heaps of
rubbish? Tobiah added that a stone wall built by the Jews could be
broken down by a fox. How would your students counteract similar
derision? Sometimes we say that we consider the source of such
remarks and thus discount them. Notice, however, that Nehemiah took
them seriously and went to God in prayer. He considered their
remarks blasphemy against Jehovah and called on Him to punish them
for their sin (Neh. 4:4-5).
2. Decision (Neh. 4:6-9). The Jews went to work on the gaps,
or breaches, in the wall and made good progress. The wall was built
to half its height, because they "had a mind to work." This
important point cannot be avoided in projects that we take on
ourselves. Supplies, equipment, administrators, engineers, and
laborers may be present, but a project will go nowhere without a
will to work. Sanballat and Tobiah, heading up a force of Arabs,
Ammonites, and Ash-dodites, heard about improvements on the wall and
became filled with wrath. This led to the formation of a conspiracy
to fight against Jerusalem and hinder the repairs. The Jews
countered by praying to God and keeping watch against their enemies
night and day. While waiting in this apprehensive state, Nehemiah
heard reports from his Jewish compatriots that certain problems were
present. Those assigned to clear away the rubbish in the wall gaps
were becoming weak and unable to rebuild the wall. They were under
the repeated threat of being attacked by their enemies. This
happened ten times (Neh. 4:10-12). The decision by the heathen to
develop a conspiracy to fight with the Jews led to a decision on the
part of Nehemiah to prepare his people for defense.
3. Determination (Neh. 4:13-15; 6:15). Various Jews were
instructed to maintain guard posts both behind the wall and on the
high points of the wall. Whole families were positioned with their
swords, spears, and bows. This pointed out the fact that
self-defense in the face of danger is sometimes required from God's
people. They have the right and the responsibility to defend
themselves and others who depend on their protection. Paul wrote,
"If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all
men" (Rom. 12:18). That statement implies that this will not always
be possible and that defense will be necessary.
Having put his defensive tactics in place, Nehemiah told the nobles,
rulers, and common people not to be afraid of their enemies. He said
that the Lord was great and terrible and that He would help them
fight for their families and houses if they were attacked. When the
Jews' enemies heard that their conspiracy was known and that God had
brought their plan to naught, all those involved in rebuilding the
wall returned to the work to be done. Nehemiah 6:1-15 tells us the
devices of compromise, fear, and treachery failed to stop the work.
The wall was finished in fifty-two days.
ILLUSTRATING
THE LESSON
When God's people attempt to build anything for God, they can expect
op-Position. When God's enemies threaten them, they may have to hold
a tool in one hand and a weapon in the other. Once the project is
finished, God should get the glory for supporting His people.
CONCLUDING THE LESSON
There is nothing so validating as accomplishing something in the
face of opposition. The proof that God is present with His children
in reaching their sacred goals cannot be denied. Survey your
students to see whether they have personal goals in life. You may be
surprised to learn that some are heavily goal oriented, others do
not think about it, and still others are somewhere in-between.
Hopefully, a discussion will lead to serious thinking on this
subject and the formation of worthy goals.
ANTICIPATING THE NEXT LESSON
It was a wonderful thing for the Jews to rebuild their temple and
the wall around Jerusalem, but the ceremony that followed was even
better. The people assembled and heard the law of God read to them.
This resulted in a revival of the Festival of Booths, which was
started in Moses' time.
ILLUSTRATED HIGH POINTS
1. Discouragement is one of our greatest enemies; we are wise not to
listen to naysayers (Neh. 4:1-3).
2. Persistence in our service for God will take us farther than
ability (vs. 6).
3. We should expect opposition whenever we begin to do God's work (vss.
7-8).
4. Prayer must accompany all our efforts for God (vs. 9).
5. We will not fear our spiritual enemies when we properly fear our
God (vss. 13-14).
6. Preparation, prayer, and vigilance will overcome the efforts of
our enemies (4:15; 6:15).
RESEARCH AND DISCUSSION
1. What forms did opposition to the Jews' work take (Neh. 4:1-3,
7-8; cf. vss. 11 -12)? What does this tell us about the enemies of
God?
2. What do you think motivates unbelievers to oppose the work of
God? How can we best deal with them?
3. How do the actions of Nehemiah and his people illustrate the
proper balance between dependence on God and prudent planning (vss.
9, 13-15)?
4. What do you think motivated the Jews to continue their work in
the face of opposition and threats?
5. In what sense was the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls a
"spiritual" work? Could it have been accomplished without a
spiritual leader?
PRACTICAL POINTS
And mocked the Jews
Most of us learned the following saying at an early age: "Sticks and
stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me." The truth
of the matter was that although names did hurt, we learned to "grow
up" and not allow them to bother us. Well, they laughed at Fulton
and his steamboat, Edison and the electric light, Ford and the mass
production of motorcars, and the Wright brothers and the airplane;
but where would we be today without them? It is good to laugh, but
ridicule is uncalled for.
We made our prayer
Someone said, "You can do more than pray after you have prayed;
however, you cannot do more than pray un-til you have prayed."
Nehemiah prayed, but he also worked. The classic illustration that
bears repeating has to do with D. L. Moody on a ship going across
the Atlantic. There was a fire on board, and the crew and some
volunteers stood in line to pass buckets of water. A friend
suggested, "Mr. Moody, let us go to the other end of the ship and
pray." Moody replied, "Not so; we will stand right here and pass
buckets and pray hard all the time we are doing so."
And set a watch
Augustine said many centuries ago, "Without God, we cannot. Without
us, God will not." There were times in Israel's history when God
delivered the people super-naturally (cf. II Chron. 20:20-25;
32:20-22). Most of the time, however, God used more ordinary means.
It is up to His people to recognize His working on their behalf.
Golden Text Illuminated
"So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto
the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work" (Nehemiah 4:6).
In last week's golden text we read about the resolve of the
people to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. This week we see that they
persevered in the work—a sure sign of God's empowerment. They did
not let the mocking of their enemies hold them back. They left the
enemies in God's hands and stuck to their own business.
At this point the work had progressed to about the halfway point.
"Unto the half thereof" probably means that the entire wall had been
built to half its projected height. The degree of progress, achieved
in a fairly short amount of time, would arouse the wrath of
Sanballat, described in the following verses.
The last part of the golden text is one of the book's best-known
statements: "for the people had a mind to work." Many an exhortation
to diligent work for God's kingdom has been based on this
passage—and rightly so. This phrase means that the people were not
just working; they were working with their whole hearts ("mind" is
basically equivalent to "heart" here). Such devotion is not
something that can be worked up by mere willpower. As stated last
week, it is instead the sign of God's grace at work in the lives of
His people. There is certainly nothing wrong with exhorting people
to get involved in work for the Lord. But it is important that the
work is being done willingly and grateful-!y- Too often church
leaders, in understandable frustration over the inactivity they
observe, try to motivate people through guilt and manipulation. As a
result, people may work for a while, but it is not likely to last,
and the work is performed with a sour spirit that does not offer a
good testimony for the Lord. One way to tell whether God's work is
being done—and in the right way-is by the intensity of the
opposition it engenders. The wholeheartedness of those rebuilding
Jerusalem was no doubt one of the chief reasons evil men like
Sanballat became so alarmed and angry. We must not think that we
will always receive the approval of man when we serve the Lord. If
we judge our work by such false criteria, we will become easily
discouraged when troubles and criticism come. The experience of
Nehemiah and the people of Israel can benefit us by reminding us of
how natural it is for sinful people to try to stand in the way of
God's work. Although opposition can sometimes discourage us in the
Lord's work, it is also true that the absence of hardship can be
dangerous. Although the re-builders of the wall certainly would not
have enjoyed the machinations of their enemies, the circumstances no
doubt kept them focused on their labors. Our natural, sinful
tendency is to relax and grow indolent when we have things too easy.
So even the hardships that God sends into our lives can be
blessings. Many have observed today that believers in countries
where Christians face persecution seem to be more serious and
committed in their faith. We who do not face such persecution need
to ask God to give us the grace to avoid the spiritual sloth that
can easily accompany outward prosperity. May God give us "a mind to
work."
Heart of the Lesson
Nehemiah rallied the people of Jerusalem to rebuild the city walls
that had been broken down. A city without walls was not much good to
its citizens.
1. Opposition to God's work (Neh. 4:1-3, 6-8). No sooner had
the people begun working on the wall than opposition arose.
Sanballat—who according to extrabiblical sources was governor of
Samaria, another Persian province —took exception to the
restoration. In this he was joined by To-biah the Ammonite, who had
ties to the Jerusalem nobility (6:17-19). Exactly why these two and
the parties they represented did not want the city walls
reestablished is not explained in the Bible, but it is likely that
they saw a reinvigorated Jerusalem as a threat to their own
positions of power. Additionally, their motives may have included
some of the anti-Jewish sentiment that, sadly, survives to this day.
In any case, Sanballat began by verbally attacking the builders,
posing five mocking questions. While the first two and the last two
ridiculed the people and their efforts, the third question, asking
whether they would offer sacrifices, scorned the community's
dependence on God. Tobiah joined this ridicule by attacking the
workmanship of the builders. He suggested that even a fox would be
able to knock over the repaired wall. Wisely, Nehemiah did not
respond to these taunts. He did pray, but he otherwise ignored the
opponents. In so doing, he kept his attention on the task at hand.
Soon the wall was joined together, up to half of its final height.
Nehemiah's behavior reminds us that scorners often have no real
powers. We give them no opportunity to gain any if we retain our
integrity, refuse to make counter taunts, and continue doing
faithfully what God has called us to do.
2. A response of prayer and vigilance (Neh. 4:9,13-15). Not
only did Nehemiah respond with prayer personally, but so too did the
people. Additionally, they set sentinels to watch for any signs of
interference, and the workers kept their weapons close at hand.
Nehemiah urged the builders on by reminding them that God Himself
would fight for them. Thus, the threats and noise of the enemies
neither halt- 1 ed the work nor intimidated the workers.
3. A finished task (Neh. 6:15). In only fifty-two days, the
work on the wall 1 was completed. The specific date of ] completion
given, "the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul," was about half
a year from the time Nehemiah had received his commission from the
Persian king to restore the wall. That period included not only the
lengthy trip from Persia to Jerusalem but also the planning,
recruiting, and organizing and the work itself. It was a remarkable
accomplishment.
We cannot take this account as a guarantee that every task we
undertake for God will succeed, especially when confronted by
opposition and threats. But we can be assured that God's will cannot
be ultimately stymied by any human effort against it. In the
long-term struggle between good and evil, God always wins!
Even in the short-term, God's will is often fulfilled by faithful
Christians. Thus, we should not hesitate to at-tempt great things
for God. Not every attempt will move to completion, but faithfulness
always serves God's purposes.
World Missions
It can be discouraging and disappointing to see a job not done. This
is true not only of little things but also of major things. I recall
seeing a partly built building that was part of an expansion program
for a Bible college. The complex was to be a women's dormitory. When
the funds did not come in as expected, the construction was stopped,
leaving an unfinished building. This did not look good in the
community. The college eventually closed. The task was never
finished.
The principle of not finishing a task was referred to by Jesus in a
test of dis-cipleship. He said, "No man, having put his hand to the
plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God" (Luke
9:62). Countless numbers of the Lord's people fail in the test of
keeping their hands on the plough. We cannot measure the importance
of finishing the task. Most of the time, one's ministry touches the
lives of many others. So failure to do the job right can have what
is called a domino effect. As a boy, I used to stand dominoes on end
and make a row of them. When all the dominoes were standing one
behind the other, I would push over the end domino. One by one they
would fall, knocking over the one in front until none were left
standing. Due to the domino effect, the failure of one individual to
carry out the task given to him by the Lord can be devastating. In
writing to the church at Thessa-lonica, the Apostle Paul spoke of
the Lord's faithfulness to those He calls to do specific tasks for
Him. The apostle wrote, "Faithful is he that calleth you, who also
will do it" (I Thess. 5:24).
God is always faithful in keeping His word and doing what He has
promised. Too many times, we do just the opposite when He gives us a
job to do. We do not think of the blessings that are in store for us
if we are faithful to Him. Can we possibly fully imagine what it
would be like if the Lord treated us in the same manner we often
treat Him? Completing a task is important not only because of the
results stemming from it but also because of what it does to the
person or persons responsible for the finished product. The task was
not finished without strong opposition from Sanballat, Tobiah, the
Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites. Tobiah, along with the
others, laughed at the Jews and mocked them. He even said, "If a fox
go up, he shall even break down their stone wall" (Neh. 4:3). It was
not a one-man job but a united effort by the Jews Nehemiah gathered
around him. Nehemiah knew well the opposition that faced him, but he
also knew the faithfulness of his God. The willingness of that
special group of workers shone forth like a beacon. Nehemiah's
prayer in response to the mocking and ridicule is outstanding. He
said to the Lord, "Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn
their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the
land of captivity: and cover not their iniquity, and let not their
sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to
anger before the builders" (Neh. 4:4-5). Determined describes the
group of workers as they worked on the wall. Their focus was right
in all that they faced. Nehemiah prayed, "So built we the wall; and
all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the
people had a mind to work" (Neh. 4:6). The same wonderful principle
can be our experience in our endeavors for the Lord. There is
nothing too great for the Lord to do through us, His people.
The Jewish Aspect
Enemies of the Jews attempted in various ways to stop Nehemiah from
rebuilding Jerusalem's walls. As Nehemiah 4 unfolds, the enemy
designed a secret plot against Jerusalem (vs. 8). Nehemiah recorded
that "our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till
we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work
to cease" (vs. 11). How did Nehemiah know what the enemy was
plotting? The enemy would not have sent him an advance notice of
their impending attack so that he could prepare a defense. Nothing
is in the text, likewise, to indicate that God miraculously revealed
the enemy's plan. Edwin Yamauchi wrote, "Nehemiah must have had good
sources of information to learn of these plots" (Gae-belein, gen.
ed., The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Zondervan). In other words,
Nehemiah had an espionage system that provided the secret
information he needed. Espionage in various forms was practiced
throughout Jewish history. Moses, at the Lord's command, sent twelve
spies to explore the land of Canaan (Num. 13:1-2,17). He also sent
spies to Jaazer before they went to battle against the Amorites
there (21:32). Another example is Joshua sending the spies into
Jericho. Joshua's personal leadership ability is an emphatic point
in the first chapter of Joshua. The second chapter "justifies the
character of Joshua as a leader concerning for his people, for he
gathers intelligence before leading them into hostile territory"
(Hess, Joshua, InterVarsity). The Hebrew word for "spy" (Josh. 2:1)
occurs elsewhere in the Old Testament with the emphasis of
espionage. Joseph said to his brothers, "Ye are spies; to see the
nakedness of the land ye are come" (Gen. 42:9). David sent out spies
to determine the location of King Saul, who was trying to kill him
(I Sam. 26:4). Absalom "sent spies throughout all the tribes of
Israel" as he tried to overthrow David as ruler of Israel (II Sam.
15:10). Elisha the prophet revealed to the king of Israel the secret
plans of the king of Syria to attack Israel (II Kings 6:8-12). It is
possible that God directly revealed that information to Elisha, but
it may be that Elisha had his own system of spies. In view of the
Israelite prisoners in Syria (5:2), "there might well have been a
leakage of secrets from the bedchamber, if not of the king, at least
of the leaders of the raid" (Gray, / & II Kings, Westminster).
From Old Testament times to the Zealots of Christ's day to modern
times, Jews have had spies. Israel today has one of the most
effective espionage organizations in the world, the Mossad. "Ha
Mossad" means "The Institute." Its full name is the The Institute
for Intelligence and Special Operations. It functions like the
American CIA and the British MI6. It was officially formed in
December 1949 and currently "oversees a staff estimated at
approximately 1200 personnel," with its largest section being
"Collections," which is "tasked with many aspects of conducting
espionage overseas" ("Mossad," en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Mossad,
December 12, 2006). Nations, including Israel of the past and
present, routinely conduct espionage to learn needed information
about their enemies. In His Word God has provided the information
Christians need about the spiritual enemies of their souls.
Guiding the Superintendent
One would think that after Nehemiah had challenged the people to
rebuild the broken walls of Jerusalem (see lesson 11), the hard part
was over. Wrong! It was only starting. It seems that every time
someone tries to do a noble task for God, there will arise those who
are strongly opposed. This principle has raised its ugly head many a
time in churches down through the ages. In our lesson this week, we
see that Nehemiah ran headlong into this principle. He had
challenged the people of Jerusalem to rebuild their city walls, and
the work was starting to progress. The walls were taking shape. It
was at this point that the enemies attacked. Our lesson will show us
how to get the task done even when opposition comes.
DEVOTIONAL OUTLINE
1. Ridicule (Neh. 4:1-3). No sooner had the walls started to
go up than Ne-hemiah's enemy, a man named San-ballat, appeared on
the scene. His first attack was rather benign. He mocked the
builders. Another enemy contended that their workmanship was so poor
that even a fox running over the wall would knock the stones out of
place.
2. Conspiracy (Neh. 4:6-9). The verbal attack did not work.
In fact, the wall had progressed to such a stage that it was half
completed.
Sanballat would have to ratchet up the pressure. He gathered
together some of his cronies and threatened to physically attack the
city.
3. Counterattack (Neh. 4:13-15). The threats never scared
Nehemiah. In fact, they emboldened him. His defense plan was rather
simple. The people would continue their work. Basically, he stayed
the course. He gave them an added responsibility. He stationed
different families to protect the workers at those places on the
walls that were still the most vulnerable. His leadership abilities
shone through when he assigned people to protect those working on
the open wall that was nearest their homes. Nehemiah encouraged all
the workers by reminding them that God was on their side. He also
told them to fight for their loved ones.
The plan worked, and the enemy was frustrated. The people were able
to return to their work.
4. Completion (Neh. 6:15). Unbelievable—the wall was
completed in only fifty-two days, just less than two months! From
the divine side, the success can be attributed to God's provident
care throughout this entire project. From the human side, the walls
were completed because of Nehemi-ah's leadership. He cajoled and
encouraged the people until the work was completed. He was aware of
his enemies but not paralyzed by them. In fact, he used their
actions to spur the people on to great victories.
AGE-GROUP EMPHASES
Children: Even for small children, daily problems tend to become
very large. This lesson will help them learn to look to God when
difficulties come.
Youths: Teens like to get involved in projects, especially
mission projects. This lesson will help them see the value of
finishing what they begin, even when the going gets tough.
Adults: Adults need to be reminded that life will have its
difficult moments. Like Nehemiah, encourage them to keep God as
their focus.