READ: Nehemiah 4
Nehemiah 4 describes the intense opposition that
the builders faced as they began their work on the walls. Sanballat and his
accomplices begin with mockery, trying to discourage the builders. When that
doesn’t work, they come together to plot how they will thwart the building
plans. They plan to catch the builders unaware and kill them. But Nehemiah and
the workers do not lose heart. We see that they have a firm trust in the Lord;
they know that He has commissioned them to do what they are doing, and because
of this, they forge on ahead. We are shown another of Nehemiah’s bold prayers
in verses 4-5 when he prays for God’s judgment on his enemies. Yahweh is the God
of all who serve Him; Nehemiah knew this. He embraced Yahweh as his God, and this allowed Him to pray
boldly, knowing that His God would fight for Him in the same way that He fought
for the Israelite forefathers.
We see Nehemiah make prudent decisions as the
leader of the builders, placing guards where necessary and dividing the workers
into groups of builders and defenders, urging them to trust the Lord and fight
for their families. We’re given an incredible picture of determination in the
final verses: tireless labourers with bricks in one hand and weapons in the
other.
This chapter provides us with many principles for when
we are faced with opposition. First, when we are doing what God has called us
to, we can expect opposition from our enemies and from well-meaning people
around us; we ourselves may even be tempted to give up (v 2, 8, 12). Given
this, we MUST pray in the face of
opposition, just as Nehemiah did; this will strengthen and encourage us,
helping us to see things through God’s eyes and rely on His abilities (v 4-5,
9). Third, we must be on guard and continue on; be aware of opposition and keep
going in what we’ve been called to (v 6, 9, 15). Fourth, we must be prepared to
fight while we work; obedience is not necessarily easy, and things don’t always
get easier after we’ve won the first battle – we must be prepared to battle the
enemy as we continue God’s work (v 16-23). Finally, we must trust that God is
sovereign, that He is with us and will fight for us (v 14, 20). It is not
always easy to follow the Lord, but He will always provide us with what we need
to carry out what He has called us to.
JOURNALING
AND PRAYER
1. Where are you feeling opposition, either
individually in your life, or corporately in the church? Go through the five principles
discussed above, and for each one listen in prayer about how it applies to your
situation.
2. Nehemiah 4:14 says And I looked and arose and said to the nobles and to the officials and
to the rest of the people, “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 spurred the workers on by reminding them
of their families.
a. We need to fight for unity in our families. Do
you fight for your marriage when things get tough? Do you fight for your
children when parenting is difficult? Listen in prayer for any strategies God
has for how He wants you to to fight for your family.
