Nehemiah Overcomes Opposition

Sunday’s Service (1/25) was cancelled due to 14” of Snow, so this will probably be Pastor Shane’s posting ro next Sunday 2/1.

As we continue with this 7th message on Nehemiah, we see how Nehemiah and his fellow Hebrews respond to intense, further opposition, and how the Lord helps us in similar times.
Click XXX here for the recording of this XXX Service, and you can fast-forward to 29:32 to get to the start of the sermon.

Our text is from Nehemiah 4

7 Now when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repair of the walls of Jerusalem went on, and that the breaches began to be closed, they were very angry.

8 So all of them conspired together to come to fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it.

9 But we prayed to our God, and because of them we set up a guard against them day and night.

10 And so in Judah it was said: 
“The strength of the burden bearers is failing, 
Yet there is much rubble; 
And we ourselves are unable 
To rebuild the wall.”

Introduction

• Opposition sometimes crushes, or refines, a leader, and his/her people

• A leader is often defined by how they handle opposition- think Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, George HW Bush, Golda Meir

• In this text we see the heat turned up on Nehemiah and the Jews, and how they respond

Vv7-8

• It is telling that what set Sanballat off, again, was that he heard that the repair of the walls went on

• This tells us that Nehemiah did not give in to opposition

• As was his habit by now, he had allies- Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites

• They all were ”angry”- charah, incensed

• They conspired (qa.shar- to bind together in a league) to fight (lacham- do battle) and cause confusion

Vv9-10

• Again, notice Nehemiah’s first reaction

1. He prayed- his first reach was vertical

2. He set up a guard, brought on because of opposition

• Notice the narrative

1. The strength of the burden bearers is failing- fatigue

2. There is much rubble (the byproduct of building)

3. We can’t do this by ourselves

Vv11-14

• The opposition conspired to be lethal- “kill them, put a stop to the work” (think Lincoln, Dr. ML King)

• The negative narrative was repeated 10x (a life of its own)

• The opposition was 360- “from every place…”

• People were stationed at the lowest (most vulnerable)

• People were stationed by families

• Nehemiah speaks to their fear- “don’t fear them; remember the great and awesome Lord; fight for your families”

Vv15-20

• They return to their work after the opposition had been addressed and God had frustrated their plan

• Nehemiah’s team behavior changes- ½ workers, ½ defenders- they carried weapons in their hands and on their person- this slows them down; necessary

• They had a communication system- the trumpet

• They remembered that “the Lord would fight for us”

Vv21-23

• They worked from dawn until dark- 12 hr days

• They spent the night in the city- work by day, guard by night

• They slept in their clothes

• They took their weapons even to get water

What we learn from Nehemiah and the people’s response to fierce opposition

1. They did not give in to conspiratorial, coordinated, opposition, to the point of battle

2. Again, Nehemiah’s first move is to God in prayer

3. Sooner or later, fatigue appears in the best of leaders and workers- this must be addressed

4. Nehemiah had a plan, and worked it- fill the gaps; protect by families; address the fear; stay focused on the mission; defend; communicate well

5. They stayed focused on the Lord fighting their battle

6. They remained vigilant- 12 hr days; workers by day, guards by night; slept in their clothes; kept their weapons on them