The first chapter in the book of Nehemiah begins with his receiving the news that “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire” (Nehemiah 1:3 ESV).
After a time of mourning, praying, and fasting, Nehemiah approaches the king hoping he will grant his request of returning to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall.
Nehemiah’s request was granted and so with a team of like-minded individuals, he set out to accomplish the task of repairing and rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Of course, if you have read the book of Nehemiah before, you are acquainted with Sanballat and Tobiah who were distraught enough over the rebuilding to heckle, taunt, and mock Nehemiah and his dedicated crew.
As you read through the following chapters, Sanballat and Tobiah added Geshem to the mix and continued to mercilessly torment Nehemiah. As we read in verse 7 of chapter 4, the group of three quickly becomes a mob, and this mob was angry. What began as two disgruntled men quickly became a zealous group who came together to plot against the repairing of the walls and to cause confusion in it (Nehemiah 4:8).
What began as two disgruntled men quickly became a zealous group who came together to plot against the repairing of the walls and to cause confusion in it
Caitlin Walker
Nehemiah is an excellent example of how we, as children of God, can stay committed to the task given to us by God, even amid confusion, chaos, and lies. At every turn, Nehemiah knew the next step to take. When Sanballat and Tobiah and their group purposefully tried to sow and cause confusion, Nehemiah turned to God in prayer and set a guard in place for protection against them.
Half of Nehemiah’s team stood guard while the other half continued their work on the wall. Nehemiah encouraged these men “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes” (Nehemiah 4:14 ESV).
Nehemiah proved that it is possible to remain dedicated and unaffected by the lies of the enemy and to not only survive but thrive. With every verbal attack, Nehemiah turned to God and then provided his people with the proper weapon to protect against the plan of the enemy.
Nehemiah proved that it is possible to remain dedicated and unaffected by the lies of the enemy and to not only survive but thrive.
Caitlin Walker
For many of us, the greatest war that we fight is in our minds, and we have our own versions of Sanballat and Tobiah. It’s critical to our spiritual survival that we regularly take stock of whom we have allowed to sit at our table. Have you surrounded yourself with those who support you in your pursuit of God and His plan for your life, or have you allowed those with a spirit of apathy and confusion to influence you and how you live for God?
Have you surrounded yourself with those who support you in your pursuit of God and His plan for your life, or have you allowed those with a spirit of apathy and confusion to influence you and how you live for God?
Caitlin Walker
Nehemiah 4:6 tells us “So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.” With a mind that is intently focused on God and His Word, you can accomplish what God has tasked you with, regardless of any lie or taunt from the enemy.
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