Read Nehemiah
6.
The wall had
been completed in miraculous time. All
that remained was to hang the gates and the city of Jerusalem would once again be secure. Yet, the surrounding enemies increased the
pressure hoping to stop the completion of the work.
First, they
tried to set up a meeting with Nehemiah.
But he recognized that this was a trap to kill him. Five times they made unsuccessful attempts to
get Nehemiah to stop the work for this meeting.
Next, they falsely accused him of self-promotion and outright rebellion
against the Persian Empire. Then, Nehemiah turned to those closest to him
for counsel, but he quickly realized that their advice was wrong. In fact, there were insiders leaking
information to the enemy. Tobiah and
Sanballat not only paid some to be informants, but Nehemiah discovered that one
of his top leaders was Tobiah’s father-in-law!
At that point,
many leaders would have thrown in the towel and quit with multiple good
reasons.
-I am being
lied about.
-There are
plots to kill me.
-The people I
trusted the most are disloyal to me and to their own people.
-After all I
have done to help them; this is the thanks I get!
-I have worked
day and night. I am tired and do not
want to endure this any longer.
But such was
not the character of Nehemiah. Why did
he NOT quit? What sustained him?
1. He knew he
was doing what God wanted done.
Knowing he was
right where God wanted him to be gave him confidence in the face of opposition.
2. He made the
work his priority.
Because he saw
this as God's work, not his own, he would not waste time on meaningless
discussions. This was especially true
when he knew their true motives.
3. He placed
his absolute trust in the One who called him.
As God's man,
doing God's work, his reliance was on God to protect him. This was more than a daily prayer. Reading
through this book, there is a moment by moment calling out to God for help.
"Remember
for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people". (5:19)
"But now,
O God, strengthen my hands." (6:9)
"Remember
Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, according to the things they did..."
(6:14)
When the work
was completed, the result was not accolades for Nehemiah. The enemy "perceived that this work had
been accomplished with the help of our God." (6:16b)
To God be the
glory as we do His will and work today.