THE FOURTH PRAYER. Nehemiah 4:7-9 It was not by chance that Sanballat was angry and intimidating. His influence and political ambitions as "the authority" across the whole area were being challenged. 300 years earlier, the Assyrians had taken the northern tribes of Israel into captivity and settled people from many different places in the area to prevent unity in the population and potential rebellion. Now Sanballat was seeking control not only over Samaria but also over the Jews of Judah, who had retained their identity and, to a large extent, after the temple was built, a certain unity. A unified Jewry would threaten his position.
With an army of Samaritans and other leaders, the opposition united to halt the rebuilding of the walls. When Sanballat mocked the Jews as "feeble" to his henchmen gathered around him, he was saying the Jews were powerless against them. He scoffed at them for using the old stones, which had been mere piles of rubble for over 100 years. In his mockery, he cast a bad light on them and on God personally, implying they were incapable of finishing what they had started.
It is difficult to work in a place where open hostility is directed against you and where the enemies of God are determined to stop the work you are engaged in. We have to know that what we are doing is right and that we are doing it because we are sure it is God’s will. Preparation, dedication, ambition, courage, and commitment are important in situations like this. But even more important are the actions and attitudes of prayer, trust, and assurance that God is with us. We must be careful to ask God for guidance, protection, and boldness; otherwise, fear can cripple us. Animosity and opposition from enemies outside us are bad enough, but fear, trepidation, and lack of faith within are worse and far harder to deal with.
The plans of the god of this world and those who serve him are to defeat anything of God that interferes with their life of sin. Typical tactics of opposition include scorn, threats, and bluffs, signaling an "or else" attitude that suggests you are in danger of attack or death. This can be a problem for those who compare themselves with other people instead of putting faith in the Lord who has given us the task to complete.
Those involved in Gospel outreach will often encounter these same tactics worldwide. The god of this world is a powerful and dangerous foe. His threats and mockery have been successful far too often and continue today when we take our eyes off our Lord and the calling to which we have been called. Scorn for our small numbers compared with huge denominations is used to put down the work of the Gospel in places where Christendom reigns.
People say, "This is a Christian country. Take your Gospel to the heathen. We're all Christians here." These words are often used to oppose plain biblical preaching. Rallying around the "ecumenical movement" to "unify" so-called Christians is another tactic used to hinder the Gospel from reaching the unsaved. This is becoming effective against some assemblies, who, in the interest of being accepted in a community, become tolerant of sin and want the "modern smooth Gospel." Some assemblies even no longer hold meetings set apart for the preaching of the Gospel.
We may have spent a lot of time preparing for an anticipated crisis, but what we really need is the power of God working through us. His power is the ultimate factor in whether we win or lose, whether there is victory or failure, and whether people are saved or lost.
Nehemiah and the Jews took the right course. When threats of attack from their enemies became evident, their response was the fourth prayer Nehemiah offered. The prayer was essentially, “We are in your hands, O God. We will keep our weapons handy so that, if you want us to use them, we will not have to go looking for them.” Trusting in God and taking precautions are not contradictory; they coordinate responsibility with faith. Trust doesn’t mean we take everything for granted and don’t have to do anything. It means our trust in God and readiness to act according to His will are real and present.
Those who oppose the work of the kingdom of God do not give up after the first attempt to hinder it. Ridicule, fear, guile, false accusations, creating doubt, and even attempts to corrupt those who are in the work with us are all tactics used by the enemy to stop the work we have been given. Unified prayer on the part of all those involved, combined with careful thought and planning, is appropriate and consistent with meeting the present need. Preparation and concerted effort are also consistent with faith in God. The Jews joined with Nehemiah in prayer and set around-the-clock guards. To "watch and pray" was enjoined by our Lord Jesus Christ upon His disciples in view of the subtlety of temptation and the uncertainty of the future.
The right approach to any difficulty is prayer followed by action appropriate to the situation. Prayer and watchfulness blend faith and action, emphasizing God’s side of the work in which we are engaged. Prayer and preparation go together. Faith in God, watchfulness, discernment, and a readiness to take action are all essential to a successful work for the Lord. To pray without fulfilling our responsibility is not to take the work we have been given seriously. It is important to combine prayer with careful thought, planning, and preparation, and to put in whole-hearted effort.
Under Nehemiah's leadership and physical participation in the work, the opposition was ignored as the Jews returned to their work after turning the matter over to God. Nehemiah had called their bluff, and the enemies backed off. They all continued to work together on the wall until it was linked together and halfway up. "The people had a mind to work," and the work progressed well up to that point. Nehemiah's heart was in the work, and the people's hearts were as well, thanks to his wise leadership and willingness to work with them. Enthusiasm is a good thing to maintain momentum in a work, and it is especially evident at the beginning of a work. But a work is not done simply by being enthusiastic for the project. The ultimate goal has to be kept in mind, with our sights set on the finish of the work.