Nehemiah 4 - 6 and Psalm 80
In summary:
In the midst of oppression from several directions, the wall of defense around Jerusalem is finished.
In the midst of oppression from several directions, the wall of defense around Jerusalem is finished.
In more detail:
Opposition to the reconstruction of the wall comes from several directions, and Nehemiah responds to each one wisely:
1) Authorities that have no part in Israel express anger and mockery (Nehemiah 4:1-3). Nehemiah responds with a prayer that recognizes their enmity toward Yahweh and requests that His justice manifest itself: “Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunt on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are captives. Do not cover their guilt, and let not their sin be blotted out from your
sight, for they have provoked you to anger in the presence of the builders (Nehemiah 4:4-5). This prayer of cursing may make some readers today feel uncomfortable. We must remember the seriousness of the sin of mocking those who have a humble and obedient faith in Yahweh: “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matthew 18:6). Also note that by mocking
Yahweh’s people and His work, Sanballat and Tobiah mock Yahweh Himself; while
Nehemiah and the Israelites seek to live in peace with their enemies, they give place to God’s wrath (Romans 12:18-19).
2) Their enemies make plans to attack Jerusalem (Nehemiah 4:8); once again, Nehemiah responds in prayer and action: “And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night” (Nehemiah 4:9). They work while armed, organize an alarm system if they are attacked and place themselves strategically for both
construction and defense.
3) Daily chatter about the work complains of its difficulty (Nehemiah 4:10) and the possibility of a surprise attack that they won’t be able to turn back (Nehemiah 4:11-12).
Therefore Nehemiah organizes them by family – each worker will work diligently and will fight if necessary for his family members. There is no place to run and hide; all those who are most dear to their hearts share in the risk: “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes” (Nehemiah 4:14).
4) There are conflicts among them from economic injustices. Some have mortgaged their fields and even their children to buy food or pay taxes, and now they no longer have the means of production to bring them out of debt slavery (Nehemiah 5:1-5). Although he is angry, Nehemiah thinks through his response and makes them see the hypocrisy of this servitude: “‘We, as far as we are able, have brought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!’ They were silent and could not find a word to say” (Nehemiah 5:8). How can they justify the enslavement of their brothers to debt when all of their effort in returning them from exile has been to free them from bondage? What kind of glory will the surrounding nations see in that? (Nehemiah 5:9) Instead, let them lend whatever their brothers need without charging them interest, and return to them their means of production so that they can prosper and have income to return what was borrowed (Nehemiah 5:10-11). His plan greatly encourages the assembly (Nehemiah 5:13).
5) He must confront the bad reputation of the first governors and the discouragement that they’ve caused (Nehemiah 5:15). He responds by being an example of diligence and generosity and by not collecting what he can legitimately receive from the people as a salary (Nehemiah 5:14, 16-18).
6) Their enemies want to attack Nehemiah personally (Nehemiah 6:2); instead of allowing them to take him to a place where he would be vulnerable, he perseveres in the work that God has commanded him to do (Nehemiah 6:3-4). Even when Sanballat accuses him of rebellion, he persists in the work without turning to the right or to the left
(Nehemiah 6:5-8).
7) Their enemies say that they will not be able to finish the work (Nehemiah 6:9); Nehemiah prays and seeks strength just as Moses did: “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!” (Psalm 90:17; compare with the end of Nehemiah 6:9).
8) From the bribe of an enemy, someone “reveals” a plan to assassinate Nehemiah and urgently offers to accompany him as he hides in the temple (Nehemiah 6:10, 12).
Nehemiah recognizes that hiding in the temple would leave the impression that he is guilty of some crime deserving death, and he refuses (Nehemiah 6:11, 13).
9) There is propaganda to elevate the popularity of his enemies and private letters threatening him (Nehemiah 6:19); Nehemiah continues in the work.
And notice that in the midst of all of these challenges, the work that began with
prayer is continued in prayer; unlike any other Biblical author that we have seen to this point, Nehemiah speaks forth in prayer right in the midst of his narrative (Nehemiah 4:4-5; 5:19; 6:14). He is a man of strong convictions and decisive actions that at the same time depends on Yahweh in the middle of all the details of his work. And despite all the obstacles and threats that he has to confront: “The wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. And when our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God” (Nehemiah 6:15-16). The shame that they wanted to heap upon the Israelites now has fallen on their own heads. Yahweh has vindicated Nehemiah and His people.
Opposition to the reconstruction of the wall comes from several directions, and Nehemiah responds to each one wisely:
1) Authorities that have no part in Israel express anger and mockery (Nehemiah 4:1-3). Nehemiah responds with a prayer that recognizes their enmity toward Yahweh and requests that His justice manifest itself: “Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunt on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are captives. Do not cover their guilt, and let not their sin be blotted out from your
sight, for they have provoked you to anger in the presence of the builders (Nehemiah 4:4-5). This prayer of cursing may make some readers today feel uncomfortable. We must remember the seriousness of the sin of mocking those who have a humble and obedient faith in Yahweh: “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matthew 18:6). Also note that by mocking
Yahweh’s people and His work, Sanballat and Tobiah mock Yahweh Himself; while
Nehemiah and the Israelites seek to live in peace with their enemies, they give place to God’s wrath (Romans 12:18-19).
2) Their enemies make plans to attack Jerusalem (Nehemiah 4:8); once again, Nehemiah responds in prayer and action: “And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night” (Nehemiah 4:9). They work while armed, organize an alarm system if they are attacked and place themselves strategically for both
construction and defense.
3) Daily chatter about the work complains of its difficulty (Nehemiah 4:10) and the possibility of a surprise attack that they won’t be able to turn back (Nehemiah 4:11-12).
Therefore Nehemiah organizes them by family – each worker will work diligently and will fight if necessary for his family members. There is no place to run and hide; all those who are most dear to their hearts share in the risk: “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes” (Nehemiah 4:14).
4) There are conflicts among them from economic injustices. Some have mortgaged their fields and even their children to buy food or pay taxes, and now they no longer have the means of production to bring them out of debt slavery (Nehemiah 5:1-5). Although he is angry, Nehemiah thinks through his response and makes them see the hypocrisy of this servitude: “‘We, as far as we are able, have brought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!’ They were silent and could not find a word to say” (Nehemiah 5:8). How can they justify the enslavement of their brothers to debt when all of their effort in returning them from exile has been to free them from bondage? What kind of glory will the surrounding nations see in that? (Nehemiah 5:9) Instead, let them lend whatever their brothers need without charging them interest, and return to them their means of production so that they can prosper and have income to return what was borrowed (Nehemiah 5:10-11). His plan greatly encourages the assembly (Nehemiah 5:13).
5) He must confront the bad reputation of the first governors and the discouragement that they’ve caused (Nehemiah 5:15). He responds by being an example of diligence and generosity and by not collecting what he can legitimately receive from the people as a salary (Nehemiah 5:14, 16-18).
6) Their enemies want to attack Nehemiah personally (Nehemiah 6:2); instead of allowing them to take him to a place where he would be vulnerable, he perseveres in the work that God has commanded him to do (Nehemiah 6:3-4). Even when Sanballat accuses him of rebellion, he persists in the work without turning to the right or to the left
(Nehemiah 6:5-8).
7) Their enemies say that they will not be able to finish the work (Nehemiah 6:9); Nehemiah prays and seeks strength just as Moses did: “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!” (Psalm 90:17; compare with the end of Nehemiah 6:9).
8) From the bribe of an enemy, someone “reveals” a plan to assassinate Nehemiah and urgently offers to accompany him as he hides in the temple (Nehemiah 6:10, 12).
Nehemiah recognizes that hiding in the temple would leave the impression that he is guilty of some crime deserving death, and he refuses (Nehemiah 6:11, 13).
9) There is propaganda to elevate the popularity of his enemies and private letters threatening him (Nehemiah 6:19); Nehemiah continues in the work.
And notice that in the midst of all of these challenges, the work that began with
prayer is continued in prayer; unlike any other Biblical author that we have seen to this point, Nehemiah speaks forth in prayer right in the midst of his narrative (Nehemiah 4:4-5; 5:19; 6:14). He is a man of strong convictions and decisive actions that at the same time depends on Yahweh in the middle of all the details of his work. And despite all the obstacles and threats that he has to confront: “The wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. And when our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God” (Nehemiah 6:15-16). The shame that they wanted to heap upon the Israelites now has fallen on their own heads. Yahweh has vindicated Nehemiah and His people.
