Introduction

This morning, we will study a scary story, but the most powerful story in Nehemiah. Afterall, most people are energetic, exciting, and pleasant when life is good, and all is going well. And the whole team is best friends during a blowout.

It takes pressure to see someone’s true character and to find out if a crowd is just a crowd or a true family. In this story, Nehemiah and his team endured the worst kind of pressure. Not only were they doing extreme manual labor; they did so under the threat of death and devastation. But they believed in God’s cause, they believed in God’s power to sustain them, they remained unified, and they persevered.

God has also given us an awesome cause. We get to preach Jesus and to call sinners to be transformed into his image. Then we can come together in a beautiful family that loves each other and displays the grace and power of Jesus. It’s the best cause.

But as always, the test of our community is not how we act when everything is easy. The real test is what we do when pressure mounts and the enemies gather. Do we fragment and quit, or do we rally and sacrifice whatever we must to advance the cause and support each other? That’s when you show your character and when we show it as a church. So, I want you to walk away from this story resolved to fight sacrificially for the gospel and for each other. The story begins with…

I.  The Taunting (vv. 1–3)

We’ve talked a lot about Israel’s bitter rivals, Sanballat and Tobiah. They hated the Jews, and they were probably lining their pockets by taking advantage of Israel’s weakness. They were the bully who gets fat taking the runt’s lunch money. So, they didn’t want a strong Israel because they didn’t want to lose that profit.

Then they start hearing reports that Nehemiah means business. He rallied the entire nation to build. They’re organized. The wall is going up fast. So, Sanballat and Tobiah are “furious and very angry.”

It’s a problem because these guys are big, nasty bullies. They are so nasty that they are willing to murder entire families to get what they want. So, our story starts with an angry bully and a severe threat.

These bullies begin by taunting and trying to intimidate Israel. Notice Sanballat’s 5 taunting questions in (v. 2). He says, “This is ridiculous. Your little crew will never finish.” By mentioning sacrifices, he’s saying, “Are you going to pray the wall into existence? I don’t see your God stacking bricks.”

Then Tobiah adds in v. 3, “Even what…” We know he’s exaggerating. Archaeologists have discovered sections of Nehemiah’s wall that were 9’ thick. That’s why these guys are mad. Nehemiah knew what he was doing.

So, Sanballat and Tobiah tried to get in the builders’ heads. They hoped to sow seeds of doubt, spread discord, and squeeze the life out of the project.

And they partially succeeded. Reports of their taunts began trickling into Jerusalem, and v. 5 says they “demoralized the builders.” Some began to think, “Maybe we can’t do this. Maybe it’s not worth it.” Or momma is back home struggling to keep the family and farm going. She hears the rumors, and she’s done. She wants her husband to just come home.

Satan still uses the same tactics. He’s a master of psychological warfare. “California is too far gone. You can’t make any meaningful impact.” “This economy is scary. Save every penny. Don’t give sacrificially to the Great Commission.” “You’re going to build in this economy? That’s crazy. Are you going pray funds into existence?”

When you stop believing in the mission, you stop being a team player, and Satan fragments the church. You get grouchy about little irritations you used to ignore. You grow critical of every little difference. You start guarding turf and making silly demands. You tell yourself it’s spiritual, but you’re being played by the master deceiver.

Don’t fall for it. If you ever lose passion for Great Commission ministry, I promise you that the Holy Spirit’s not doing that; Satan is. If you ever drift from God’s people or lose passion for impact, don’t put a spiritual spin on it. Admit that Satan is using the same tactic on you that he tried in 2,500 years ago on Israel. Then, fight back. Notice in vv. 4–6…

II.  The Defiance (vv. 4–6)

Don’t miss the fact that when Nehemiah heard the taunting, his first impulse was not to fire back, worry, or fix it. Instead, Nehemiah did what he always did. His first impulse was to pray. Build the same habit. When life stings, pray. Run to your sovereign Father.

That said, we like that Nehemiah prayed, but you may be uneasy with what he prayed. Nehemiah doesn’t pray that Sanballat and Tobiah get saved and join the project; instead, he asks God to destroy them, and he even asks God not to forgive their sin. How does that fit the love of God?

We must remember that while God is love, sin is evil rebellion. Psalm 7:11 says he is angry at the wicked every day. And God is especially angry when someone opposes his redemptive work. Jesus said, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matt 18:6). That’s strong language. Don’t let our PC world, numb you to the gravity of opposing the gospel. It’s a big deal.

Since Jerusalem was central to God’s redemptive work, Sanballat and Tobiah’s sabotage were on the level of Jesus’ warning. They were opposing the center of God’s redemptive work in that time. Nehemiah’s prayer is very appropriate. Sure, you shouldn’t walk around casually praying that God damns everyone who frustrates you. But when you see ruthless evil, especially that is aimed at hindering the gospel, it’s appropriate to pray for judgment. And feel free to also pray for a radical conversion.

That said, the main point of vv. 4–6 is Nehemiah’s defiance in the face of terrifying intimidation. The people were scared, and rumors were spreading. But I picture him gathering the crew, and loudly leading the congregation in this prayer. Nehemiah believed God, and he refused to be intimidated or to compromise. He doesn’t call for peace talks; he calls for judgment.

That’s leadership. If you want to impact your family, this church, and your community, be like Nehemiah. Build strong faith and strong convictions. Be clear about the truth. Be strong with the truth. Inspire people to believe in what God can do.

Notice how the people responded (v. 6). I love the defiance. The people believed in God, and they believed in their leader. They tuned out the noise, and they went to work. Before long they closed every hole to half the height. Why? “The people had a mind to work.”

What about you and what about us? Satan would love nothing more than to hamstring this church with distraction, materialism, and fragmentation. He wants you to love your Lazy Boy more than the ministry and to dupe you with every excuse why you are too busy to serve Christ.

He wins when you waste your money on pleasure or fearfully save every penny. But he loses when you commit a generous portion of your budget to the church. You aren’t going to give what is leftover (which is never much). You are going to prioritize the Great Commission and figure out the rest. He loses when you put your bonus toward the building fund instead of a new boat or a bigger T.V.

I know these decisions are hard. But the gospel matters. Souls are at stake. Trust God, stay focused, and embrace a mind to work. Stand up to Satan, every fear, and every lust with the defiance of Nehemiah and his team.

Well, v. 6 represents a great victory. But the sign of a great victory is often not that your problems evaporate but that God’s enemies get angry. That’s what happened to Nehemiah and his team. Notice in vv. 7–15…

III.  The Aggression (vv. 7–15)

(Map) We saw in chapter 2 that Israel had enemies to the north (Samaria), the east (Ammonites), and to the south (Arabs). Verse 7 now adds the Ashdodites to the west. This is a powerful coalition compared to tiny, defenseless Israel. And they are “very angry” about Nehemiah’s progress.

They’re done taunting. Now they plan an attack. They planned to hit Jerusalem with overwhelming force in a surprise attack. Israel wouldn’t have time to call in a Persian drone strike. They’d be dead before they knew what hit them.

But thankfully, in the providence of God, Nehemiah heard about the plot. That’s good, but it’s also terrifying. Nehemiah’s team isn’t stacked with grizzled war veterans. They’re farmers and tradesmen who’ve never fought a battle in their lives.

Many lost faith. One of them even turned his fear into a little jingle that the workers began singing while they worked (v. 10). It reminds me of the Lord of the Rings scene where Pippin sings as the ruler of Gondor sends his men on a suicide mission. Despair is in the air.

To make matters worse, the Jews who lived along the hostile borders began pounding Nehemiah’s team with discouraging reports (v. 12). These people are the worst. Not only do they refuse to serve; they feel the need to bark at the team about how the work can’t be done and is doomed to fail. They can sap the life out of a ministry very fast.

Nehemiah’s team is losing faith, and they begin to splinter. Again, Satan loves doing the same to us. If he can get us to stop believing in the mission, and start bickering about silly things, he can ring the life out of us. Don’t let him do that to you and don’t let him do that to us.

Thankfully, God gave Israel the leader it needed to press through. Nehemiah attacked the issue. Verse 9 says that once again he prayed. It actually says, “We prayed.” He led the people to the throne of grace. But he didn’t “Let go and let God.” Instead, his faith in divine sovereignty compelled him to, “set up a guard against them day and night.” Nehemiah built a defense strategy.

Specifically, vv. 15–16 indicate that he paused construction to prepare for a surprise attack, and v. 13 says he positioned the men in the most vulnerable spots, where the walls were the lowest and the enemy could most easily come through. He also shrewdly stationed the men in front of their families. He knew they’d fight harder with their little girl behind them. This really was a terrifying situation.

But Nehemiah kept his wits, and he planned. Most importantly, he took is that he challenged the people to trust God and to fight for the cause (v. 14). That’s a great verse. Forgive me, but it reminds me of another heavy scene in Lord of the Rings. The people are locked in Helm’s Deep, and they are terrified as they listen to the orc army march closer. Eragon comes across a small boy holding a sword, and squats down to tell him, “This is a good sword.” He assures him it’s going to be okay. He inspired everyone to believe.

Nehemiah does the same. He “saw their fear.” But he could offer more than blind hope. He said, “Do not be afraid…remember the Lord who is great and awesome.” God is stronger than this measly enemy. So, “Fight…”

This same spirit in a church angers and terrifies Satan more than anything else. Jesus promised he would build his church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. God is going to keep saving people in this town, building strong disciples, and building a strong united church.

It doesn’t matter what evil they pass in Sacramento or Washington. It doesn’t matter what tricks Satan may devise. Christ will build his church. Believe Jesus. Love the work God has given us and love the team he has put you on. “Do not be afraid…”

Consider the fact that there were two types of people among the Jews. Some of them were out in country doing their own thing, and they only came into Jerusalem to discourage the workers. The others worked hard and stood ready to give their lives. Which one are you?

Some of you are wrapped up in yourself. You aren’t committed to being here, and you don’t serve even when you could. I don’t see what anyone gives, but it probably shows on your giving statement. The Great Commission is just not that important to you.

Put your eyes on Jesus. Believe that God is going to change lives here. We’re going to expand this place and reach even more. God is going to glorify himself and bless many lives.

Then jump in with both feet. Become a member and get involved. Make some hard decisions about your schedule and about your budget. Start pursuing deep relationships for the purpose of making an eternal impact.

Be a Nehemiah because God will do for you what he did for Nehemiah (v 15). When the enemies heard Nehemiah was ready, they backed off, and Israel returned to the work. Nehemiah believed, he inspired the people to believe, and God was faithful just like he always is when you walk by faith. But that didn’t mean the threat was over. Notice in vv. 16–23…

IV.  The Perseverance (vv. 16–23)

This is a very moving section. Sanballat and Tobiah backed off from their initial plan, but they were still angry, and they were still a terrifying threat to attack at any time. Nehemiah had several options.

He could abandon the project and let the enemies destroy their work. They could stand guard indefinitely and put off the project. They could lower their defenses and work very fast. Nehemiah chose none of these. He knew they must finish, but they must maintain a show of force.

Therefore, he devised another wise but demanding plan to combine both defense and progress. He describes several layers of the plan. First, v. 16 says he split the men Artaxerxes had sent with him. Half were armed and were ready to fully arm everyone at a moment’s notice. And half continued to build.

Second, v. 17 says many of the builders had to go outside the wall to collect stones and other supplies for building the wall. They couldn’t afford to be defenseless. So, Nehemiah instructed them to carry a weapon with one hand and their load with the other. That’s terrifying, but it’s also frustrating to only have one hand to work with. But that’ what they had to do.

Third, v. 18 notes that those who were actually doing the construction needed both hands. They couldn’t hold a weapon, but they always carried a sword no matter how laborious it was.

Charles Spurgeon named his monthly magazine The Sword and the Trowel after these builders because they are such a moving example perseverance on two fronts. The church must always be ready to defend the truth, but we can’t stop moving forward either. It’s a hard balance to be doctrinally robust but also fruitful in ministry. Yet we must find a way to do both; otherwise, we’ll die at the hands of either unfaithfulness or unfruitfulness. Both are essential.

Nehemiah understood, and he struck a careful balance. Next, vv. 19–20 say that to keep the work moving, they had to be spread out, but everyone must respond if the enemies attacked one section of the wall. If the trumpet sounded, they must not run for the hills; instead, they must grab their swords and run toward the fight. It’s a heavy image.

Next, Nehemiah understood the need to quickly finish. Normally, they would work from dawn to dusk. Instead, v. 21 says Nehemiah lengthened the workdays “from dawn until the stars appeared,” meaning complete nightfall. Those are long days and short nights.

Finally, Nehemiah didn’t even give complete freedom during rest time. Verses 22–23 say he stopped letting the men go home at night so they could be ready to fight. And Nehemiah and his guard they never took off their armor or weapons even when sleeping, eating, and drinking. Again, it’s all a very heavy scene. Two qualities really stand out that are significant for us.

Resolve: Think about everything they were up against. This was hard work, it was a seemingly impossible project, and they did the whole thing under the threat of death. But they never lost their resolve because they believed the Lord, and they believed in the cause.

That’s how it is for just about anything worth doing whether it’s marriage, parenting, church ministry, or anything else of significance. A great purpose always comes at a great cost. If you spend your life chasing what’s easy, you’ll never do anything of eternal value. Stop whining and complaining and resolve to serve the Lord.

I especially want to zero in on our church’s work to reach our town and build a healthy, loving church family. It demands a sword and trowel. Our mission demands grueling effort and high commitment. Satan doesn’t fear a church packed full of people who are in with one foot. But he does fear a church a small army that is resolved to sacrifice their hearts, their money, they talents, and their time because they believe in the mission and long to see it fulfilled.

Join the army. Jump in with both feet. Your labor and sacrifice will not be in vain. “The Lord is great and awesome,” and he always keeps his promise.

Teamwork: I love the fact that in v. 14 Nehemiah doesn’t merely call the people to fight. He calls them to, “Fight for your…” Later on, he calls the people not just to work and fight; he builds a complex, team-oriented strategy that will provide defense and allow them to advance.

We must think the same way. To everyone who faithfully serves in our church, I want to say that you are not just a means to an end. You are family. I love you, and I appreciate you. You’re my brother or sister. I hope you feel the same way. We need each other.

Sure, we get frustrated with each other. We don’t always see eye to eye. But the mission is too important to get distracted by petty squabbles and personal preferences. Get over your irritations. Resolve your conflicts. You’re only hurting yourself by distancing yourself from your family. And we have important work to do that really matters. Fight sacrificially for the gospel and for each other.

Conclusion

In December 1776, things were not looking good for George Washington and his men. The British had driven them out of New York, and 90% of his army had deserted him. They had few supplies, little training, and few soldiers. Washington needed something to boost morale, so he devised a surprise attack on Trenton for the day after Christmas with the few committed men he had left. Unfortunately, as the men left camp, a terrible snowstorm hit. The men had to quietly cross the Delaware in the bitter cold and march secretly through the snow. It’s said that they left a trail of blood through the snow because most of the men had no shoes, and their feet were freezing to death. Can you imagine? But they believed in the cause of liberty, they believed in Washington, and they pressed forward to win a massive symbolic victory.

We have an even greater cause and surer promises of victory. Don’t lose heart, and don’t splinter. Fight sacrificially for the gospel and for each other.