“It came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth, and conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it” (Neh. 4:7-87But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth, 8And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it. (Nehemiah 4:7‑8)).
Nehemiah’s day was indeed a time of trouble, rebuke and blasphemy (Isa. 37:33And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth. (Isaiah 37:3)). His faith in and love for Jehovah and His people were often tested. He was “pressed out of measure, above strength,” so that he could have despaired of his life (2 Cor. 1:88For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: (2 Corinthians 1:8)).
Many Christians find it so today.
From the moment Nehemiah heard of the sad condition of the beloved people of God and Jerusalem, he set his heart on delivering them (Neh. 1). From that moment, he became a special target of ridicule, violence and the subtle deceit of the enemy.
Many Christians find similar opposition today.
Courage to Face the Enemy
The accounts given in Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther of God’s sovereign mercy and grace in stirring up His people and preserving them in such dark times present a striking picture of the day in which we live.
It is a day of felt weakness, breakdown and ruin in the professing Christian testimony—a time when Satan is making unprecedented assaults to destroy the divine institutions of God—marriage, family and assembly. Indeed, all that is of God is under constant attack—by physical violence or by the more deceptive (but equally destructive) attacks of evil doctrines and worldly lifestyles.
Faith and courage are needed for those who, like Nehemiah, weep and mourn (Neh. 1:44And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven, (Nehemiah 1:4)) for the condition of God’s beloved people. Strengthening “the things which remain, that are ready to die” in loving faithfulness to God will certainly result in unrelenting, vicious onslaughts of the devil.
Nehemiah’s faith, moral courage and love caused him to make an almost unthinkable request of the Gentile king he served. But God honored his faith and the desires of his heart just as He will for those who seek in sacrificial love to serve Him today.
Recognizing the Enemy
When Sanballat and Tobiah’s mocking failed to hinder Nehemiah’s work, a larger force committed to violence and warfare gathered against him. Five enemies are specially mentioned in Nehemiah 4:77But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth, (Nehemiah 4:7).
There are many today who profess to be brethren—they claim Christianity as their religion, but in reality are “enemies of the cross of Christ.” Whether real or professing, their ways turn the “grace of our God into lasciviousness,” thus destroying the separation we must have to protect our marriages, families and assemblies from their corrupting influences.
Arabians—Ishmael’s descendents—resulted from Abraham’s attempt to secure Jehovah’s promises through his own efforts, rather than waiting on the Lord in faith. How often we allow the flesh to war against our marriages, families and assemblies!
Today there is a pervasive spirit in Christianity which mocks and ridicules the sovereign grace of God and those messengers who walk in His reverence and fear—derisively calling them legalists or fundamentalists. Along with this, a terrible spirit of irreverent lightness increasingly characterizes Christianity. Oh! be careful about allowing such a spirit in marriages, homes and assemblies!
The Ashdodites resided in a Philistine city. It was the place where the ark of God was kept (see 1 Sam. 5) after the Philistines had conquered Israel and taken it as spoil. In much earlier days, the Philistines contended with Abraham and Isaac for wells of water in the land of Canaan.
We must ever war against anything that robs our sources of spiritual refreshment and our enjoyment of the Lord’s presence individually and collectively.
Defending Against the Enemy
Faithful Nehemiah did not give in to the various attacks of the enemy, nor was he discouraged by the faithlessness of his own people. (Read Nehemiah 4.)
Those engaged in spiritual conflict will find Nehemiah’s actions in protecting against their attack most instructive. “I set in the lower places behind the wall in exposed places, I even set the people, according to their families, with their swords, their spears and their bows” (Neh. 4:11But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews. (Nehemiah 4:1)3 JnD).
First, Nehemiah, realizing the critical importance of unity in Jerusalem’s defence, placed families who were united together in their hearts.
“United we stand, divided we fall” has recently become a popular expression in the world. But do we Christians believe the divine truth that a “house divided against itself shall not stand” ? How will our marriages, homes and assemblies stand if we aren’t united as one (families) against the enemy’s attacks?
Nehemiah also made sure that those who defended Jerusalem had three weapons at their disposal: swords, spears and bows. We too must have these same three weapons to use in our spiritual battle.
The sword morally suggests the Word of God— “quick [living], and powerful”—always our defense against Satan, even as it was the Lord’s (Matt. 4:1-111Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 5Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 8Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him. (Matthew 4:1‑11)).
The bow morally suggests the vital necessity of dependence on God expressed through prayer. How many spiritual battles have been won with the bow of prayer (James 5:1616Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (James 5:16))—and how many more have been lost where that weapon was not used!
Ed.