There were those around Nehemiah who were intent upon deflecting him from the work. But he showed determination in the face of all opposition – and we need to do the same.
I want to emphasise this morning that, despite anything you may have come across in the last week which has caused you to fear for the way forward, that fear is dispelled when we realise exactly what Christ has done for us and who we are in Him.
Jesus knew what He was about. There were times when He was deflected. People asked Him whether He was sure He knew what He was doing.
Luke 9:51-55
James and John were trying to help, but Jesus steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem. No wavering. The track was definite. He set His face as a flint. James and John tried to help, but it was of the wrong spirit.
Matthew 16:21-23
Peter didn’t mean any harm. He couldn’t figure out why Jesus was so intent on getting to Jerusalem. But Jesus was going forward. It was what He needed to do.
In Nehemiah we’ll see this reflects what was going on in the rebuilding of the walls. It’s interesting that Nehemiah was rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, and Jesus had to get to Jerusalem. It was Father’s will for His life. What is Father’s will for your life? No matter what people do to deflect us, I want to do what Father has prepared. He has prepared good things for us to walk in. The enemy tries to make us fear, to worry about what we might miss out on. But there is a peace from living in the centre of God’s will. There will be those who will try to deflect you.
Last week in ch 4 we look at the need for the trumpet to sound where the enemy was attacking. As a church, if one member suffers, we all suffer. We rally. We’re a help.
In ch 5, Nehemiah was surprised. The opposition was constantly trying to chip away at the work that he had to do. What surprised Nehemiah was the fact that people on the inside were having problems. The men were working on the wall, and food was not available. It was expensive, and people were having to mortgage their land to obtain food. The families were suffering. Some people were taking advantage of the situation. People were charging interest on loans, which was against the law.
Nehemiah 5:9-12
Nehemiah was having to sort things out. He was loaning money too, but he wasn’t charging interest. And as we’ll see later, although as governor, he could call on money, he wasn’t doing so.
Nehemiah 5:19
Nehemiah 6:1-4
Now we return to the enemy. There are four strategies to deflect him from doing what Nehemiah knew he had to do. It was a huge undertaking – ten gates, long walls, much debris. It was hard work.
Nehemiah 6:1-4
Ono means strength. In chapters 2 and 4 we saw these people were trying to undermine what Nehemiah was doing. Four times he had to do the same thing.
Nehemiah means Jah is comfort. Comfort actually talks of strength. The Holy Spirit is the comforter. He comes to bring strength to be witnesses.
Nehemiah knew what he had to do – he had to keep going. There were people contrary to God who were saying there’s strength (Ono) over here. The world’s way is the way to go. The options were to stay doing what God had told him to do, despite the fact that it was tough, knowing that God had set him to rebuild the walls and the gates. The alternative was to come to an easy place – the plains. There was strength there.
Four times he gave the same reply – he was involved in a great work, and why should he come down?
Now Sanballat changes his approach ...
Nehemiah 6:5-7
They were making out that Nehemiah was doing all this work for himself, to build an empire for himself. But that had never entered his head. The truth was that he was getting on with what God had asked him to do.
Nehemiah 6:8-9
Something has happened this week. You’ve heard about something, and it’s knocked you off course until you’ve heard these words today. God is telling you to get back on course, not to worry about a little turbulence. The enemy is saying it’s too hard to do it that way – take the easy way. Or he’s telling you that God doesn’t love you and asking what the point is in taking the way you’ve taken.
In the same way, Jesus steadfastly set His face. He knew Father’s will.
From this moment forward, what am I re-establishing in my thinking? He is my Father, has called me, has given me faith. No matter what happens, my God is faithful. I know He will provide. I know as a parent what I have to do for my children. We saw earlier in this book how they were fighting for their families, looking out for each other.
Nehemiah 6:17-19
Letter after letter. There was a link with Tobiah. There was such an intermingling that half the time the children were speaking Jewish, and half the time the language of the Ashdodites.
The idea of the letters was to put Nehemiah in fear. During the 52 days it took to build the walls, the letters were coming and going. The enemy of your soul seeks to destabilise you. He’s not going to win, but we’re not ignorant of the attempt. He seeks to engender fear – what if this isn’t right, what if you have got it wrong, what if ...
Nehemiah 6:10-11
You’ve hit a brick wall – he wasn’t going to give in. And there was a reason ...
Numbers 1:51
The inner sanctuary was the province of the Levites. No one else was allowed in there on pain of death.
Nehemiah 6:12-13
This man had been hired by Nehemiah’s enemies, the people who were trying to deflect him from the work. The idea was that once he had gone into the Temple, they could point out to the Jews that Nehemiah was no worthy leader when he himself didn’t keep the law.
Nehemiah 6:14
Every so often there is a prayer in the book. Those prayers you have prayed in the last week, wondering how you would cope, and asking God for help ... He heard you. And part of what I’m saying now is the result of Him answering your prayer. He knows what He is doing. He loves you. He knows what He’s doing in your life. It’s our reaction to the pressure which is key. Do we fall into self-pity, or do we realise we are following in the train of His triumph?
He is outworking His purposes, to create the bride of Christ, to bring more people into His church. You and I are the message. We’re always ready to give an answer to why we believe what we do, always sensitive to what God wants to do through us. There’s a world which needs an answer, and the answer if Jesus Christ.
Nehemiah 6:15-16
That’s what’s happening in your life. What is being established is of God. It doesn’t matter what is being shouted at you from outside. It doesn’t matter what people are doing to try and deflect you. God is establishing His work in your life, by His Holy Spirit.
The enemies knew that this was God’s work.
In Mark, Jesus was with the same people who had tried to dissuade Jesus from taking His intended course.
Mark 14:32-39
Not what I will, but what thou wilt. Nehemiah knew it was God’s will for him to rebuild the walls. And here, again, “nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt”.
Mark 14:60-5
Mocking, pulling down, vindictive. The cross here in church reminds us of what He did – outworking Father’s will, to give His life who knew no sin. He lived a sinless life, and took our sin and its penalty, and it was Father’s will. He willingly gave up His life. And the enemies thought that was it.
When Sanballat sent the third time, he thought that if they hammered away long enough, he would come – but he wouldn’t. It was the same with Jesus – the disciples could not conceive why He intended to do what He did. He did it for the joy set before – you, His bride, the church. He endured the cross, and then miracle of miracles, He rose from the dead.
Mark 16:14-20
We serve a risen Saviour. He’s in the world today, your world, the circumstances of your life. It doesn’t matter what someone else is saying to you, what murmuring seems to come across your path. Our life is hid with Christ in God. We’re Christians. We stand for truth, grace, righteousness. We stand for our family and brethren, because of what God has done for us. He conquered death. He conquered anything the enemy would throw at Him.
Sunday, 15 February 2009
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