We have all experienced anxiety-inducing hindrances to our plans. Such disruptions can produce hurt and bring uncertainty in our lives. Unexpected hurdles of accusations by others, discouraging words, and distractions can slow us down and even stop us in our tracks. How can we keep moving forward in faith in the face of such opposition? Today’s study from the book of Nehemiah will help us identify and overcome such fearful obstacles, keeping our eyes on Jesus, who not only strengthens us on the way but also makes our paths straight and smooth (Isaiah 40:3).
“When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews…3 Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!”… 2 Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.” But they were scheming to harm me; 3 so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” 4 Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.5 Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter 6 in which was written: “It is reported among the nations—and Geshem says it is true—that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports you are about to become their king 7 and have even appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you in Jerusalem: ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now this report will get back to the king; so come, let us meet together.”8 I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.”9 They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.” But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.” 10 One day I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home. He said, “Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you—by night they are coming to kill you.”11 But I said, “Should a man like me run away? Or should someone like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!”12 I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.13 He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me.. . 15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.16 When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.” Nehemiah 4:1,3; 6:2-13; 15-16 NIV
In the Old Testament, we read about a godly man named Nehemiah, who held the honored position of cupbearer to the Persian King Artaxerxes (Nehemiah 1:11).
Foreshadowing the work of Jesus, Nehemiah was trusted to guard and serve wine at the right hand of the king. Being the cupbearer meant, among other things, Nehemiah was willing to lay down his life to drink a poisoned cup for his king. Nehemiah went on to lead the rebuilding of Jerusalem in just 52 days (Nehemiah 6:15). Five hundred years later, Jesus would lower Himself to drink every drop of the cup of wrath for our sin (Matthew 26:39). Through His death and resurrection, over just three days, the Son of God would raise the spiritual walls of His church at His Father's right hand (Ephesians 1:20), and later the heavenly city of the new Jerusalem (Revelations 21:2-3).
Nehemiah's challenges began when he received news about the desolation of Jerusalem, the holy city of his nation - Israel. Jerusalem's external walls had crumbled, and the city was dangerously open to invaders. Nehemiah shared his concern with King Artaxerxes, who permitted Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the walls to protect the people of God (Nehemiah 2:2-5).
Three ruling governors from neighboring parts of Persia were opposed to this restoration work, namely, the Horonite Sanballat, the Ammonite Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab (Nehemiah 6:1), many of whose ancestors had been driven out of the Promised Land by the Israelites. Bitterness had passed through their generations, and now these descendants sought to disrupt Nehemiah's plans through tricks and threats.
What a difficult building task this turned out to be for Nehemiah and his people! Angry opponents fanned terror at every opportunity to stop the work of God. We recognize the deceitful character of the spiritual enemy of Satan, a slanderer, an accuser, and a liar in every one of these attempts to destroy faith and hinder the work of God (John 8:44).
How can we respond to similar fearful circumstances in our own lives? Do we include God in our dilemmas, trusting in the grace flowing from the finished work of Jesus on the cross? Or do we rely on ourselves, turning our back on Jesus' open arms at Calvary, and show disinterest in applying the Word and the promises of God? Let's observe what Nehemiah and our better leader, Jesus Christ Himself, did in the face of such difficulties.
Nehemiah was subjected to intense mockery by his opponents as he and his people rebuilt the stone walls of Jerusalem: “What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!” (Nehemiah 4:3 NIV)
In the past, we may have been tempted to respond to such abuse in our own lives with feelings of despair and humiliation: “I might as well give up! People have hurt me with their comments. I am filled with shame, and I feel weakened by what others think of me.” But by God’s mercy and the leading of His Holy Spirit, we can learn a new way.
Nehemiah responded to his mockers by turning immediately to God in prayer, remembering the Lord who is great and awesome, and reorganizing the building of the wall.
“But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.” … “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome,” Nehemiah 4:9,14 NIV
As we remember our Lord Jesus, we can see that He too knew the pain of scathing intimidation throughout His ministry and especially at His crucifixion:
“they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him saying, “Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?” Matthew 26:66-68
At the cross, the Lord bore our shame (Hebrews 12:2), naked, excluded by man and His Father God, and stripped of His honor. Jesus endured the mocking. He could not use His nailed hands to cover His face or body from the mountains of guilt and sin heaped onto Him. Jesus was condemned and expelled from man's slightest consideration by a sentence of death, weighed down with the toxic shame of the uncleanness of our sin, brokenness, and wounds. Jesus was made disgraceful by the deep stains of our sin so that we would be cleansed, fully forgiven, and approved. "When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly." 1 Peter 2:23
When others verbally attack us or try to discredit us, we don't need to cower in fear or attempt to retaliate; instead, we can look to Christ Crucified and Risen, remember what He has done for us on the cross, and entrust ourselves to Him. He is our Avenger (1 Thessalonians 4:6)!
At one point, Nehemiah received an invitation from his enemies, pretending to befriend him: "Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: "Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono;" (Nehemiah 6:2).
In our fear and desperation, we may be tempted to draw hope from the kindly counsel of others who may not be undergirded by gospel wisdom. We might think: "It is so nice to receive an invitation to be 'part of the group.' I need people who feel the same things as I do to tell me what to do with my fear. They 'get me!'". However, invitations of this nature are not ultimately for us because they do not point us to Christ and the power of His cross but rather the community.
Nehemiah saw through the underhand nature of the faux invitation he received, understanding: "For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?" (2 Corinthians 6:14).
Nehemiah replied to the invitation in wisdom: "But they were scheming to harm me, so I sent messengers to them with this reply: "I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?" (Nehemiah 6:2-4 NIV)
Similarly, Jesus rejected the call to "come down" from the cross and stop His work of salvation, the most critical work of all:
"And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, "You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross." "He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him." Matthew 27:39-40, 42
In our struggle with fear and anxiety, we have a true friend and faithful leader in Jesus who remained anchored to the cross for hours of excruciating hard labor bearing all our sins, sorrows, fears, and anxieties. Though not audibly, the Lion of Judah roared with courage even as the weight of His body dragged His shoulders from their sockets so that His breathing was greatly restricted. But Jesus stayed at His work, "saving others" and not "saving Himself" using His last breaths to speak and point to the once-and-for-all forgiveness of sin for all who would receive His selfless and priceless gift: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." "It is finished" (John 19:30) and "Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit" (Luke 23:46)
Obstacle of False Accusation
Seeking to weaken Nehemiah by slander and gossip, Sanballat sent this threatening message: “It is reported among the nations—and Geshem says it is true—that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports, you are about to become their king and have even appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you in Jerusalem: ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now, this report will get back to the king, so come, let us meet together.” (Nehemiah 6:6-7 NIV).
A natural reaction to such accusations and threats might be thoughts like: “Oh no! My reputation is in shreds! Look at what they have said about me! I cannot continue. Everything is lost.” But children of God like us have the indwelling Spirit of Christ (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), and we can respond to such threats and false accusations by faith.
Nehemiah responded in faith, dismissing the false accusations against him and praying for more of God’s strength to continue his work of rebuilding:
“I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.” They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.” But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.” (Nehemiah 6:8-9 NIV)
Jesus, too, was surrounded by false accusation and threats: “Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death,” (Matthew 27:59)
But Jesus remained silent (Matthew 27:63): “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7)
Jesus was shorn of everything in perfect obedience to the Father. He was fully surrendered to His God of justice in silence as the sacrifice that saved the world from sin, Satan, death, hell, and the grave.
Now when slander comes to our door, we know that we belong and are secure in God’s family because Jesus’ perfect righteousness has become ours. We run to the cross of Christ for strength to respond by faith, not fear.
Finally, a false prophet tried to trap Nehemiah in a plan to entice him to sin by entering the temple where only priests were allowed:
"One day I went to the house of Shemaiah, son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home. He said, "Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the temple doors because men are coming to kill you—by night, they are coming to kill you." (Nehemiah 6:10 NIV).
Someone, resting in self-reliance, might have been fooled by this trickery, led along by fear of the threatened danger of death; but God enabled Nehemiah to see through the deception:
"But I said, "Should a man like me run away? Or should someone like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!" 12 I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me. (Nehemiah 6:11-13 NIV)