After 140 years the wall was being re-built Sanballat and Tobiah had a vested interest is not seeing this happen, a weak defenceless Jerusalem ensured they could continue to rob and plunder it. To someone looking from the outside in re-building the walls from essentially burnt rubble was a monumental task that didn’t look acheiveable. However with God anything is possible. The Old Testament is Full of the improbable being achieved, Noah’s Ark, David defeating Goliath, The walls of Jericho falling, Gideon’s 300… the list could go on..
It is inevitable that we will face opposition especially if we stand up for God, we need to have the assurance of our conviction, a firm trust in God, often like the disciples in the boat in a storm in the middle of Galilee we can become fearful, are we prepared to step out of the boat and trust our God that he will do as he promises?
An old song I can’t get out of my head at the moment is … “This little light of mine, I’m going let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. Don’t let Satan blow it out, NO!
Let your light shine this week!
Nehemiah 4 vs. 1-3 – Opposition to Rebuilding The Wall
When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed
The Jews, and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, He said, “What are those feeble Jews doing?
When we step out for God the reality is often people will ridicule us, Noah got heaps of scorn, and he was ridiculed
Why build a monstrosity of a boat, it isn’t going to flood! Noah kept on going, he believed God, as a flood was coming
David was mocked by Goliath; the Jews have sent a boy to fight me! David trusted God and he Goliath defeated
Samson at the end in the court of the King of the Philistines was ridiculed, he was mocked what is your God doing?
They jeered, they laughed, but it was Samson who had the last laugh, calling on God he the Kings court destroyed
Nehemiah knew that he would face opposition from Sanballat, Sanballat said, “What are those feeble Jews doing?
Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day?
Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?”
Sanballat looking with human eyes couldn’t see past the rubble, he said, no way!
These Jews have mucked around for 140 years they are not going to get very far
But God has a different view to men; his plans are such that he will carry the day
He can overcome the plans of his enemies, and thwart their intentions whatever they are
Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building—
if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!”
We live in a world that is cynical of things of God, they are of him unbelieving
Tobiah didn’t see the complete picture, the wall was not finished, he didn’t atone
Or change his view, he wanted the Jews to remain as defenceless weaklings
He wanted control of Jerusalem, but God rebuilt the wall from a pile of stones
Mark Maffey, June 2009
(NIV)