Laying the Foundation
Tonight, we look at some of the problems that arose during the building project and how Nehemiah handled them. The opposition from conflict with those outside the will of God; this shouldn’t surprise you, but it should not discourage you either. Tonight, we’ll see the evil ones, schemes to discourage, distract and destroy-Hope!
Demolishing Discouragement________________________________
When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious. He mocked the Jews
2 before his colleagues and the powerful men of Samaria, and said, "What are these pathetic Jews doing? Can they restore it by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they ever finish it? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?" 3 Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, "Indeed, even if a fox climbed up what they are building, he would break down their stone wall!" 4 Listen, our God, for we are despised. Make their insults return on their own heads and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity. 5 Do not cover their guilt or let their sin be erased from Your sight, because they have provoked the builders. 6 So we rebuilt the wall until the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had the will to keep working. [Nehemiah 4:1-6]
Biblical Foundation_________________________________________________
If we only read the first three chapters of Nehemiah, we might get the impression that once everyone had been carefully and wisely assigned a particular section of the wall, everything else is smooth sailing…Not so! From the moment the reconstruction began, Nehemiah and the Jews faced incredible opposition from their enemies. God’s work never goes forward without opposition. Satan sees to that, and Nehemiah’s experience in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem certainly illustrates this point graphically and dramatically.
Principles to Live By_______________________________________________
Discouragement is one of Satan’s most common methods for hindering God’s work in our lives. When our morale is low, we are vulnerable to his lies, his slander, and his temptations. For years before Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem, the Jews in and around the capital city had led a discouraged and demoralized existence. God used Nehemiah to help them rise above their negative circumstances and get a positive path. His leadership formula can work for us today as well.
Principle 1
We must Focus: First
At first Sanballat ignored Nehemiah as just an annoyance. Soon he realized Nehemiah had succeeded in elevating the Jewish morale and organized an effective building campaign. He was now viewed as a threat in Samaria. Threatened people usually act in one of three ways: (1) extremely fearful and retreat; (2) angry and aggressive; (3) or blend fear and anger. The latter is Sanballat. He first hesitated due to fear then became angry and aggressive. Initially he tried psychological attacks (v2-3). Nehemiah continued to seek God earnestly, speaking about Him and persevered with the wall until it reached ½ its proposed height.(v6)
Do not ever forget that God is interested in every detail of your life; including the hurts, discouragement and disappointments. We all face times of trial like Nehemiah, it is during these times, and we need to pray for encouragement rather than removal or withdraw. Just turn to Philippians 4:6 when troubled!
Principle 2
Pray Focused on God’s Will
In this chapter we see Nehemiah praying for God to give the enemy their own medicine. 4:4-5. He prayed God would punish the tormentors harshly for their sins. These enemies had rejected God’s grace.
Conversely Jesus taught us to love our enemies and to pray for them. The apostle Paul forbade us to seek revenge against our enemies. Instead, he urged Israel, “Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good”. Romans 12:21. We should follow the rule God set for His bride today. We should not follow Nehemiah’s prayer but learn from his determination to pray in accordance with the will of God.-KEY!
Principle 3
Feet to Our Prayers
Some people pray and wait, but not Nehemiah! He prayed, and at the same time continued to build (carrying out the will of God). He put feet to his prayers or made the rubber meet the road. He faced the attacks with both spiritual and natural resources. He asked the Lord to handle the problem, meanwhile asking his foreman for another brick. It was Nehemiah’s spirit of diligence, perseverance, determination and enthusiasm which encouraged the Jews. Since their spirits and attitudes were positive, this enabled Nehemiah also to remain positive.
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