Nehemiah 4
Nehemiah 4 focuses on the main theme of external opposition that arose during the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, and the response of the people of Judah to that opposition. This chapter can be divided into four main parts.
- Verses 1-3: The mockery and attempts to interfere by the enemies
- Verses 4-6: Nehemiah's prayer and the continued efforts of the people
- Verses 7-15: The enemies' plots and defensive plans
- Verses 16-23: Life with work and watchfulness carried out together
Overall, it shows how, even in adversity, people rely on God and work together as a community to get the job done,
1verseBut when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry, and was very indignant, and mocked the Jews.
2verseHe spoke before his brothers and the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, since they are burned?”
3verseNow Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, “What they are building, if a fox climbed up it, he would break down their stone wall.”
4verse“Hear, our God, for we are despised. Turn back their reproach on their own head. Give them up for a plunder in a land of captivity.
5verseDon’t cover their iniquity. Don’t let their sin be blotted out from before you; for they have insulted the builders.”
6verseSo we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
7verseBut when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem went forward, and that the breaches began to be filled, they were very angry;
8verseand they all conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cause confusion among us.
9verseBut we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night because of them.
10verseJudah said, “The strength of the bearers of burdens is fading and there is much rubble, so that we are not able to build the wall.”
11verseOur adversaries said, “They will not know or see, until we come in among them and kill them, and cause the work to cease.”
12verseWhen the Jews who lived by them came, they said to us ten times from all places, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”
13verseTherefore I set guards in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in the open places. I set the people by family groups with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
14verseI looked, and rose up, and said to the nobles, to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, “Don’t 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 houses.”
15verseWhen our enemies heard that it was known to us, and God had brought their counsel to nothing, all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work.
16verseFrom that time forth, half of my servants did the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, the bows, and the coats of mail; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.
17verseThose who built the wall, and those who bore burdens loaded themselves; everyone with one of his hands did the work, and with the other held his weapon.
18verseAmong the builders, everyone wore his sword at his side, and so built. He who sounded the trumpet was by me.
19verseI said to the nobles, and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, “The work is great and widely spread out, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another.
20verseWherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally there to us. Our God will fight for us.”
21verseSo we did the work. Half of the people held the spears from the rising of the morning until the stars appeared.
22verseLikewise at the same time I said to the people, “Let everyone with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and may labor in the day.”
23verseSo neither I, nor my brothers, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me took off our clothes. Everyone took his weapon to the water.
Opposition from the Enemies and the Response of the People of Judah
In this chapter, leaders of surrounding peoples such as Sanballat and Tobiah grow jealous of the people of Judah rebuilding the wall, and they begin psychological warfare by mocking them directly(Verses 1-3). In response, Nehemiah does not put the enemies to the test in open conflict or argue with them; instead, he prays to God and entrusts the matter to Him(Verses 4-5). The people 'devote themselves to the work at heart,' building the wall higher and higher(Verse 6).
When the enemy force plans a violent attack, Nehemiah does not sit back in fear; he prepares defensive measures(Verses 13-14). He encourages the people not to be afraid and to remember God, and we see scenes in which they divide watch responsibilities in an organized way(Verses 16-23).
Unity in the Community and Careful Preparation
As the wall construction continued, the community maintained a balance between focus on the work and crisis management. Half worked on building the wall, and half were armed and stood watch on the walls. Practical wisdom is shown in how they used both shovels and weapons to protect themselves and their community(Verse 17). Under the leadership of Nehemiah the leader, a united effort stands out in which everyone carries out their respective roles at their own posts.
Meditation Points
- Pay attention to Nehemiah's attitude of responding with faith amid adversity or interference.
- You can also reflect on what it means for the people of Judah to cooperate and devote themselves faithfully to their tasks in the community, and for unity to emerge amid a crisis.
- Think carefully about how prayer and practical effort come into balance.
Try Applying It to Me
- When facing the problems or challenges I encounter, I look back to see whether I, like Nehemiah, first pray and act wisely.
- Check how I am carrying out the roles and responsibilities given to me within the community.
- When fear comes, I can apply this specifically to how I should remember God and act with courage.
