Nehemiah Rebuilding the Walls of Jerusalem Painting by Jan Luyken National Museum
God Can Use Anyone To Fulfill His Purposes
In the Book of Nehemiah we see God using King Artaxerxes of Persia to allow Nehemiah to organize the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem after the Jews had been in exile for seventy years. But we also see the enemy's agents are furious when they see God blessing his people and engage in a series of attempts to thwart God's plans.
Lessons in Spiritual Warfare
The Book of Nehemiah shows us both the enemy's tactics and Nehemiah's response, which are an object lesson for us today.
Before he begins, Nehemiah conducts a secret survey at night of the situation in Jerusalem on his own, not even revealing his plans to the Jews who had already returned with Ezra. When he has surveyed the situation, he calls the Jewish officiais and priests together to discuss his plans, which meet with their unanimous approval and demonstrate the importance of unity in the situation.
Lesson #1: Every work of God attracts enemy opposition with mockery & false accusations
Nehemiah 2:10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.
Nehemiah 2:19 When Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. “What is this you are doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?”
Nehemiah's Response: Trusts God to give success (v20)
Lesson #2: The enemy is furious at Nehemiah's refusal to give up & ridicules the work
Nehemiah 4:1-3 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? 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?” 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!”
Nehemiah's Response (vv4-6):
(1) Prayed to God to deal with the enemy
(2) Continued rebuilding the walls
Lesson #3: The enemy threatens to attack the city to intimidate
Nehemiah 4:7-9 The enemy's forces threaten to attack the city and stir up trouble
Nehemiah's Response:
(1) Prays to God
(2) Posted guards day and night
Lesson #4: Nehemiah encourages the people: remember the LORD & your families (vv10-14)
(1) Don't be afraid: remember the LORD
(2) Remember you are fighting for your families
Lesson #5: Continuing the Work & Placing Guards day and night (vv16-18)
(1) Half the men did the work; the other half kept guard
(2)The trumpeter to sound the alarm stayed with Nehemiah
Lesson #6: God provides the Resources when we give him our Tithes (Nehemiah 5:1-13)
Lesson #7: Enemy anger, attacks & attempts to intimidate (Nehemiah 6:1-7)
(1) Invitation to a meeting designed to distract and a plot to kill Nehemiah
(2) Dysinformation and false reports that Nehemiah was plotting a rebellion against the king
(3) Nehemiah refuses to be distracted or intimidated
Lesson #8: Final attempt to intimidate & Nehemiah's refusal to be intimidated (Nehemiah 6:10)
(1) Come into the Temple for sanctuary against a plot to kill you
(2) Nehemiah's response (vv11-15)
(a) Refused to be intimidated
(b) Realised it was false prophecy to intimidate him to commit sin by his failure to trust God
(c) Prayed and asked God to take note of what his enemies were doing to intimidate him