The volunteer helpers were hard at work rebuilding the broken wall and burned gates. They were lifting heavy stones and hoisting huge wooden gates into place. It was hard work, but it was made much harder by enemies who did not like what they were doing.
Sanballat, one of their enemies, mocked them, saying the builders were feeble, and one of Sanballat’s friends said the stone wall was so poor that a fox could break it down. If that were true, why did it bother them? They planned to make more trouble - to come down secretly to kill the builders.
But Nehemiah knew what to do with his problems: “Hear, O our God; for we are despised,” he prayed.
So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work. The wall was joined, but the work was not finished, and the enemy’s work was not finished either. In fact, they were furious and made evil plans!
Look, they said, the workers are tired. We’ll sneak in and kill them, and they’ll never know till it’s too late.
Ten times they tried these scary tactics, and it is true that the workers became discouraged. But Nehemiah said, Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord who is great and terrible.
We have far more reason than they had to remember the Lord. Yes, He is great and terrible, but we also know that the Son of God, Jesus our Savior, loves us and has died for us, and God sent the Holy Spirit to live within us. If it gave them courage to remember how great and terrible the Lord is, we have a much greater reason to trust Him and take courage!
Sanballat tried another trick since his first one didn’t work. The people are planning a rebellion, he said, because Nehemiah is trying to be their king! In fact, Sanballat even hired a man in Jerusalem to tell Nehemiah, Come and hide in the temple and shut the doors, to save your life!
No, said Nehemiah.
None of the enemies’ tricks really worked, because it was God’s work and could not be stopped. The wall was properly finished, and then their enemies admitted, This work was done by their God.
That was not the end of the problems for Jerusalem, and it is not the end of problems for you and me. It is good to remember that Jesus said, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:3333These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)). You see, God has promised us troubles, and He keeps His promises . . . all of them. His promise of everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Lord is unbreakable too. But remember, this promise and gift of everlasting life is only yours if you take it, through Jesus Christ our Lord! “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)).