Nehemiah 4:1-6
Wherever God’s
work is taking place there will be opposition. A worker who is weak in faith, lacking
in character and short on purpose will quit; but a person of resolve and
confidence will overcome opposition and finish the task. Nehemiah
was that kind of person.
Matthew 5:11-12. Jesus said, Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
John 15:18-20 If the world hate you, ye
know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world
would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you
out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said
unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me,
they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours
also.
When faced with opposition, while attempting to do the work of God, we should consider…
1. THE NATURE OF
OPPOSERS. In Chapter 4 our enemy attempts to stop the
work of God using three strategies.
They Ridicule (v 1-6). What do these feeble Jews?
British author, Thomas
Carlyle, called ridicule "the language of the devil." Some
people can stand bravely when shot at, but collapse when laughed at.
Shakespeare called ridicule "paper
bullets of the brain," that have slain many a warrior.
Goliath ridiculed David (1Samuel 17). Many heroes of the faith have
endured cruel mockings (Heb 11:36).
·
Sanballat [hater]: ridiculed the workers
and the work (4:2).
·
Tobiah [goodness of Jehovah]: ridiculed
the results (4:3).
These are the criticisms that all faithful workers of God face. We may not be able to stop the
enemy from wounding us with words, but we can certainly stop wounding one
another.
It is surprisingly
difficult to get God’s people to unite, but it never seems to be a problem for
our enemies to.
1Peter 2:1 Wherefore laying aside all
malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings.
Colossians 3:8 Put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
They Conspire with others (v 7-9).
Our enemies are many; we must be ready for battle.
Ephesians 6:10-13 Finally, my brethren, be
strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. [11] Put on the whole armour
of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. [12] For
we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual
wickedness in high places. [13] Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of
God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to
stand.
Romans 13:11-12 It is high time to awake
out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night
is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of
darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
They Discourage with “paper bullets” (v 10). Pressures from without often create problems within. Discouragement nurtures…
Faithlessness. We find an example of this in Numbers 13:31. We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than
we. (32:9) When they went up unto the valley
of Eshcol, and saw the land, they
discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go
into the land which the LORD had given them.
Fear (v 11-12). President Roosevelt said to a nation in the grip of an economic depression, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us
the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Hebrews 13:5-6 He hath said, I will never leave
thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I
will not fear what man shall do unto me.
Frightened people
discourage others and often bring defeat (Judges 7).
2. THE NATURE OF
WORKERS (v 6-9-20). They
had …
A Mind To Work (v 6).
Philippians 2:5-8 Let this mind be in you,
which was also in Christ Jesus: [6]
Who, being in the form of God, thought it
not robbery to be equal with God: [7]
But made himself of no reputation, and
took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: [8] And
being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto
death, even the death of the cross. Also Romans 12:1-2
A Heart to Pray (v 9). There’s
not a single example in the Bible of a successful work for God taking place without
prayer at the onset.
C. H. Spurgeon said, “The Christian should work as if it depended on him, and pray as
if it all depended on God. He who knows how to pray has his hand on the lever
which moves the universe.”
Psalm 145:19 He will fulfil the desire
of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.
Eyes To Watch (v 9). Watching and praying are often coupled together in the scripture.
Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye
enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Ephesians 6:18 Praying always with all
prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all
perseverance...
1Peter 4:7 But the end of all things
is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
Armed for Battle (v 15-16).
Ears To Hear (v 19-20).
Ready to Respond (v 22-23).
