So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together
unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.
Nehemiah 4:6
And it came to pass…
as the work progressed…
opposition arose…
Insulting. Scornful.
Indignant…
the enemies of God began to mock…
But it came to pass, that
when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and
took great indignation, and mocked the Jews. And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said…
What do these feeble Jews?
will they fortify themselves?
will they sacrifice?
will they make an end in a day?
will they revive the stones out of the heaps
of the rubbish which are burned?
Now Tobiah the Ammonite
was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox
go up, he shall even break down their stone wall. Nehemiah
4:1-3
And Nehemiah began to
pray…
Hear, O our God; for we are
despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey
in the land of captivity: And
cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before
thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders. Nehemiah
4:4-5
And the people continued
to build…
So built we the wall; and all the
wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to
work. Nehemiah 4:6
But the enemies of God
would not be silenced…
But 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
And they conspired to
prevent the work…
And conspired all of them together
to come and to fight against Jerusalem,
and to hinder it. Nehemiah 4:8
Determined. Resolved.
Focused…
Nehemiah
prayed…
Nevertheless we made our
prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of
them. Nehemiah 4:9
And the situation grew
worse…
because
the work was great…
and
their strength was diminished…
And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much
rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.
Nehemiah 4:10
Nehemiah 4:10
And the plot thickened
against them…
And our adversaries said, They
shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay
them, and cause the work to cease.
And it came to pass, that
when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times, From all
places whence ye shall return unto us they will be upon you.
Nehemiah 4:11-12
Nehemiah 4:11-12
So Nehemiah was moved to ACTION…
and set the battle in array…
Therefore set I in the lower
places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after
their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
And I looked, and rose up,
and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and
terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your
wives, and your houses. Nehemiah 4:13-14
Their enemies were
astonished…
And it came to pass, when
our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought
their counsel to nought, that we
returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work. Nehemiah 4:15
And it came to pass, that when all
our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these
things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that
this work was wrought of our God. Nehemiah 6:16
And the work continued!
And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the
work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the
bows, and the habergeons; and the
rulers were behind all the house of Judah.
They which builded on the wall,
and they that bare burdens,
with those that laded,
every one with one of his hands
wrought in the work,
and with the other
hand held a weapon.
For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his
side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.
Nehemiah 4:16-18
And Nehemiah exhorted the people…
and encouraged them…
And I said unto the
nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people…
The work is great and large,
and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another.
In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet,
resort ye thither unto us:
our God shall fight for us.
So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the
spears
from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.
Likewise at the same time
said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour on the day.
So neither I, nor my
brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of
us put off our clothes, saving that every one put them off for washing. Nehemiah 4:19-23
Through their combined
efforts…the wall was completed in just 52 days!
So the wall was finished
in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days. Nehemiah 6:15
As it was in the days of
Nehemiah…
So it continues unto this day…
The walls lay in ruinous
heaps…
for the corruption, sin
and rebellion of the people.
The work is great and
large…
there is MUCH rubbish to
overcome.
The enemies of the Living
God stand ready and alert…
to discourage, hinder and
completely stop the work of God.
Our strength and numbers
are small…
and we are separated upon
the wall, one far from another.
We must build with one
hand…
and fight with the other.
So I put the
question to you:
Do you have a mind
to work?
If so…
Are you laboring to
repair, restore and build up?
If not…
What exactly ARE you
doing?
