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NEHEMIAH FACES OPPOSITION!

How many church people does it take to change a light bulb?

**Charismatics: Only one. Their hands are already twisting in the air.

**Roman Catholics: None. They use candles.

**Pentecostals: Ten. One to change the bulb, and nine to pray against the spirit of darkness.

**Presbyterians: None. God has predestined when the lights will be on and off.

**Episcopalians: Eight. One to call the electrician, and seven to say how much they liked the old one better.

**Unitarians: We choose not to make a statement either in favor of or against the need for a light bulb. However, if in your own journey you have found that light bulbs work for you, that is fine. You are invited to write a poem or compose a modern dance about your personal relationship with your light bulb, and present it next month at our annual light bulb Sunday service, in which we will explore a number of light bulb traditions, including incandescent, fluorescent, three-way, long-life and tinted, all of which are equally valid paths to luminescence.

**Baptists: At least 15. One to change the light bulb, and two or three committees to approve the change. Oh, and also provide a casserole.

**Lutherans: None. Lutherans don't believe in change and besides, they can have a Potluck in the dark if necessary.

**Non-denominational: Change? Who said anything about change?

We may chuckle at the caricatures of the groups listed above but we also know that the last one in particular strikes pretty close to home. Our natural inclination to be obstinate tends to resist change. In fact, if someone makes suggestion that we alter our lifestyle we immediately start thinking of counter arguments to nullify the suggestion. If he or she pushes us to make changes we usually just dig in deeper.
Why? We resist in part just due to the sheer cussedness of man. But that’s not the only reason. When someone pushes us to change we may question their motives. We may question whether or not they really have our best interest in mind. When we suspect an ulterior motive we put up our guard. Or maybe the change that seems to have us in its cross-hairs threatens our little kingdom and so we do everything we can to protect what we have worked so hard to achieve.
It’s this latter scenario that erupts in Nehemiah chapter 4. Things were changing in and around Jerusalem and some people did not take those changes laying down. In particular Sanballat the governor of Samaria just north of Jerusalem, and Tobiah the governor of Ammon, which was east of the Jordan River, looked at the economic impact of the new mall in the East Valley and didn’t like the proposed changes one bit. In vv. 1 - 3 we read:
When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall (making dramatic changes), he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will the offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble – burned as they are?”
Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said “What they are building – if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!”
Sanballat! Some scholars say his name means “Sin (the moon god) has given life.” Others say it means “The enemy is secret.” But I think Dan Southerland in his book on Transitioning - Leading your Church through Change has it right when he characterizes Sanballat as the “Leader from Hell.” After all, he was the one who made midnight calls which stirred up the hornets nest. And, he was the one who mustered his army not simply to intimidate but to infiltrate enemy territory so as to kill those who were repairing the wall.
When Sanballat and his sidekick Tobiah found out why Nehemiah was in Jerusalem they were disturbed (2:10) and mildly abused (2:19). Initially, they figured his program was ridiculously ambitious, but now it was no longer a laughing matter. They are now angry, and would soon be very angry, so it was time to do something about this ridiculous project.
They began by ridiculing the Jews. The word for “ridicule” in v. 1 literally means to trouble, to rage against, and to be indignant toward. In other words, they verbally assaulted Nehemiah and the workers by belittling them with sarcasm. They mocked the workers by saying: “What makes you all think that a bunch of wimps are going to repair this wall. Look at the material you’re working with and look whose doing the work! By the end of the week you won’t have a worker left. You guys are quitters and besides what do perfumer makers know about building a wall. Even if you do build it the first good wind will knock it down.”
They then employed intimidation by bringing in the army of Samaria. It is one thing for volunteers to endure the taunts of those opposed to the work, it is quite another to see armed troops. To look up from your work and see those who are ready to kill you is more than enough to make you think twice about coming to work each day.
But it got worse, rumors started flying that Sanballat’s henchmen were going to use gorilla warfare tactics to put an end to the work once and for all. That only meant one thing to anyone reading between the lines. Sanballat had no qualms about killing those who threatened his little kingdom. He and Tobiah had a good thing going in and around Jerusalem and they weren’t going to let a bunch of do-gooders spoil it.
The lesson is clear, whenever changes are made we can expect some people to get angry. They may be mildly angry or they may be very angry. Either way, their anger will be expressed in some form or another. They may badmouth those they believe are responsible for making or causing the change or they may make a direct assault on the one they hold responsible.
If it is a direct assault you may be confronted face-to-face in public or you may be bawled out over the phone. But usually, especially in the context of a church setting, you will be assaulted in writing. If you’re lucky, you will receive a multipage single space letter that tells you everything the church has ever done wrong and what is needed to to fix it. If you’re unlucky you will receive a very short letter that simply says, “I’m going to kill you!” I’ve received both and if I have to receive one or the other I’d rather receive the long form. For you can usually find something in the multipage assault to respond to in a civil manner. But what can you do about the short-form? Let it immobilize you?
No, you can do exactly what Nehemiah did about it. You can pray! Note Nehemiah’s response in vv. 4 - 23. We read:
Hear us, O our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders.
So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.
But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the men of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.
Nehemiah prayed honestly and passionately. He was grieved, and probably angry himself, so he expressed his pain and his anger in prayer. After all, it is better to talk about it in prayer than to express it in uncontrolled bitterness toward others. So Nehemiah’s gut-reaction to Sanballat and company was to pray.
But if you think prayer solved Nehemiah’s problems think again. The opposition wasn’t going to go away without trying to land a few punches of their own. They weren’t simply angry, they were ready for a good fight. This, in turn, prompted the people to pray!
This is a spiritual dogfight and both sides are sides were anteing up. Sanballat tossed the first grenades. Nehemiah prayed and went back to work. Sanballat suddenly became more serious and devised a scheme to infiltrate and kill the workers. The workers responded by praying and decided to post guards - day and night. They probably figured that a little added insurance never hurt anyone.
Then things became more difficult. Tension began to wear down the workers as rumors started flying as to when and how the attack was going to come. In vv. 10 - 15 we read:
Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.”
Also our enemies said, “Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.”
Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”
Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and 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 and your daughters, your wives and your homes.
When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to his own work.
In addition to praying, Nehemiah encouraged the workers by reminding them of our great and awesome God. But he also took some very practical measures, measures designed to protect the workers and their families. He prayed, he kept on working, he encouraged others, and he took some defensive measures. Yet, Nehemiah will be the first to tell you that it was God who frustrated the enemy! Yes, Nehemiah turned Jerusalem into an armed camped and it made a difference. But when it worked, he gave credit to God for it was God’s spirit who was working in him and through him.

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