Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20110109.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Nehemiah: Excelling In Leadership In Hard Times
Part V: Handling Debilitating Mockery By Separating From Faithless Mockers Unto A Faithful God
(Nehemiah 2:19-3:32)
  1. Introduction
    1. A difficult challenge a believer can face to fulfilling God's assignment is to face belittling criticism in his efforts for God that tempts him and others around him to be intimidated into ceasing to do God's work.
    2. Nehemiah faced this trial in Nehemiah 2:19, and his upright response led to great blessing (as follows):
  2. Handling Debilitating Mockery By Separating From Faithless Mockers Unto A Faithful God.
    1. Nehemiah faced debilitating mockery when his plan to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem became public:
      1. When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah, rulers of Samaria and Ammon (Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, ftn. to Neh. 2:10) along with Geshem the Arabian, a "powerful chieftan of Dedan in northwest Arabia (Ibid., ftn. to Neh. 2:19), foes of Israel surrounding them, heard of Nehemiah's decision to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, they responded with debilitating mockery, Nehemiah 2:19.
      2. They not only despised the plan (Nehemiah 2:19b), but tried to intimidate Nehemiah and his followers by suggesting that they planned to rebel against the Persian king in rebuilding Jerusalem, Nehemiah 2:19c. This meant these men might try to report to the king on Nehemiah's effort in order to stop the work on the wall much as had occurred earlier with Ezra's effort to rebuild the temple, cf. Ezra 4:6-24.
    2. In reply, Nehemiah (1) stated his faith in God based on His past help, and (2) asserted God would give success as he (3) avoided exposure to the debilitating mockery by separating from the mockers, Neh. 2:20:
      1. Nehemiah had seen God use the Persian king to grant him authority to go to Jerusalem and to build its wall and collect timber from the kings' forests for the construction of its city gates, Nehemiah 2:4-8.
      2. Thus, he answered the taunting Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem, affirming that the God of heaven would prosper him in the wall-building effort regardless of their human weaknesses or the taunts, Neh. 2:20a.
      3. Consequently, Nehemiah was intent on arising and building, stating as much to his foes, Neh. 2:20b.
      4. However, to deal with their exposure to the taunting, Nehemiah stated his clear separation from his taunters: Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem had "no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it," Nehemiah 2:20c. This reveals Nehemiah realized these taunters were privately concerned about losing influence over the region were Jerusalem to be rebuilt, and Nehemiah clarified that they were about to lose any claims they had to its rule, a very bold, courageous, but necessary stand to offset the mockery!
    3. Nehemiah's stand inspired a mixed but chiefly affirmative response from the men of Israel, and, fanning out over the entire wall area, they began to reconstruct the wall of Jerusalem, Nehemiah 3:1-32:
      1. Eliashib, Israel's high priest, a main leader of the returned exiles, responded to Nehemiah's rebuttal of the Gentile foes by arising with other priests to begin building and sanctifying the sheep gate with its doors, building the wall from there to the tower of Hananeel, Neh. 3:1. This was about a 175-yard length of wall along the north side of the city, The MacMillan Bible Atlas, 1968, p. 108, map 170.
      2. The rest of the chapter, Nehemiah 3:2-32, details how other groups of men took up the task of rebuilding other parts of the wall until the whole city wall was being addressed all at once, Ibid.
      3. Not everyone in Israel was positively motivated by Nehemiah's speech: the men from Tekoa refused to work, possibly fearing reprisals from Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem, Ibid., Ryrie, ftn. to Nehemiah 3:5!
      4. However, a wonderful contrast to this failure was the decision by Malchijah the son of Harim to help build the tower of the furnaces, Nehemiah 3:11. Malchijah had sinned in Ezra 10:31 in having married a pagan wife, but he had since put an end to that unbiblical union in line with the provisions of the Law and was now committed to serving the Lord in faith, Ibid., ftn. to Nehemiah 3:11!
Lesson: In facing debilitating mockery to achieving God's will, Nehemiah relied on God's signals of His past help to assert that God would give him success while he also separated from the mockers to distance himself from their debilitating words. The result, though mixed, was productive for God!

Application: May we handle debilitating mockery to doing God's will by relying on His record of past help to affirm that He will make us succeed, and part from the mockers to protect our motivation!