Nehemiah 4:1-6 TURN THEIR REPROACH There are a number of ways opposition against a work of God is mounted. From the enemy without in our day the same as in the time of Nehemiah there was grief, laughter, wrath, mockery conflict and subtlety directed at those engaged in the work. Sadly, there are times when discouragement and selfishness from the people of God themselves causes division and defeat in a work. Opposition to the work of God being done through His people is to be expected. In fact, if there was none there is likely something wrong. The god of this world will not oppose when nothing is being done that has an effect on his control of people. He will not bother those who have no impact on the ungodliness of his system. He will seek as best he can to have God's people assimilate into the lifestyle and occupation of the world, to the extent they just blend in with everyone else. When that happens there is no impact of holy living on the part of believers but they look and act just like they were not even Christians. How would you recognize a believer in a restaurant, on the job or in an airport? If they drink the same wine, beer or liquor as the unsaved people, laugh at the same jokes as ungodly sinners or dress the same as those who expose themselves in the same way as everyone else - there is no testimony to the grace of God at all. Likely there will only be derisive comments because one claims to be a child of God but there is no visible evidence.
Open opposition in a new work is a sign God is working because Satan is always determined to stop any interference with his domination over people. The life-changing Gospel is a work of God and opposition is a reason to be encouraged rather than be considered a serious hindrance, because it means something is happening of which the enemy is afraid. Opposition may be a testing time for believers in which when faced boldly, supported by earnest prayer to God and faith in Him, we are strengthened. "Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world." It is in times of opposition that spiritual leadership is required to give guidance and confidence to those who look to a leader for inspiration and enthusiasm.
It was not by chance that Sanballat was angry and intimidating. His influence and political ambitions were being challenged as "the authority" in the whole area. 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. 300 years earlier the Assyrians took captive the northern tribes of Israel, and moved into the area people from many different places to prevent unity in the population and potential rebellion. Now Sanballat was seeking control over not only Samaria but also the Jews of Judah who had retained their identity, and to a good measure 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 stop the rebuilding of the walls. Typical tactics of opposition are scorn, threats and bluffs by indicating an "or else" attitude that means you are in danger of attack and/or death. By mocking the Jews as being "feeble" when he spoke to his own henchmen gathered around him, he was saying the Jews were powerless against them. He scoffed at them for using the old stones that had been merely piles of rubbish for over 100 years. In his mockery he cast a bad reflection on them personally as being incapable of finishing what they had started. This can be a problem to 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 find these same tactics are used world-wide. The god of this world is a powerful and dangerous foe. His threats and mockery have been successful far too often and happens today when we take our eyes off our Lord and that to which we have been called. Scorn because of the smallness of our 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 are words often used in opposition to plain biblical preaching. Rallying around the "ecumenical movement" so that so-called Christians are "unified" is another tactic used to hinder the Gospel reaching to the unsaved people. 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 have meetings set apart for the preaching of the Gospel.
Ridicule seems to be really effective against some of God's people in that it embarrasses them and discourages them to the point of defeat. Nehemiah's spiritual leadership was very evident when these challenges came. he didn't trade insults with Sanballat and Tobiah. He ignored them publicly and prayed privately. The most effective way to confront and deal with opposition is to go to the highest possible authority available to us and get that Person to deal with the matter. "God is still on His throne, And He will remember His own. Though trials oppress us And burdens distress us, He never will leave us alone."
Nehemiah knew that those who opposed the Jews were actually opposing God. So in his prayer he turned to God with spiritual insight and understanding. "Vengeance belongeth unto Me. I will recompense, saith the Lord." His prayer was not that the Jews would get their revenge on those enemies but rather the enemies would not succeed in dishonoring God by dishonoring His people. Divine justice against sin has never been thrown out in an effort to make everyone "feel comfortable" by being tolerant of evil. In our day we are able to commit the whole matter to God in prayer; leave it there and go on with our own work. Our Lord, when "He was reviled, reviled not again. When He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously."
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 half way 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 hearts of the people were also because of his wise leadership and willingness to work with them. Enthusiasm is a good thing to maintain momentum in a work, and is especially evident at the beginning of a work. But a work is not done simply by being enthusiastic for the project. To ultimate goal has to be kept in mind with our sights set on the finish of the work.
When we know what God wants us to do, we must keep it before us always as the motivating strength to continue on through set-backs, defeats and discouragement. God has called us to complete a work. We are to this in faith and by persistence, perseverance and pain if necessary. Opposition is really "par for the course." The rewards come after the work is done, not if we stop halfway through.
Nehemiah did not avoid the "blood, sweat and tears" that comes from opposition. He recognized leadership is not a status that exempts one from common tasks we should share with others. "Important work" includes applying one's self and one's leadership skills to the work of the Lord along with all of God's people in our charge. A person may be able to organize, delegate and remain calm under pressure - even understand the power of prayer - but none of those things exempt us from putting our "necks" into the work. We should never expect others to do what we are not willing to do ourselves. Leadership involves knowing what to do and doing it in fellowship with all those who labor in that work for the Lord.