By Kathy Pollard
The book of Nehemiah opens with an emotional scene. Having heard the disturbing news about the broken wall and burned gates of Jerusalem, Nehemiah sat down and wept. He mourned for days, fasted, and prayed (Nehemiah 1:3-4). As cupbearer to Artaxerxes, Nehemiah was not allowed to display his emotions. He was supposed to maintain a stoic composure while serving the Babylonian king. That is why he was “very much afraid” when the king said, “Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of the heart” (2:2). He must have been surprised and relieved when Artaxerxes offered to help him instead of punishing him. Nehemiah got permission to go to Judah and he immediately encouraged the people, “Come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem.” They responded to his passionate plea by saying, “Let us rise up and build,” and they “strengthened their hands for this good work” (2:17-18). Unfortunately, the very next verse introduces some troublemakers. As soon as Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem heard the news about the rebuilding of the wall, they made it their mission to discourage the work (2:19). Through a series of scheming attacks, these three men kept Nehemiah on his knees in prayer for protection.
Thankfully we would never attack God’s people with such vicious intention, nor would we make it our mission to tear down. But while we cannot imagine ourselves being seen as “adversaries” (4:15) of God’s people, I’m afraid there are times when our own attitudes or actions do in fact discourage the work. In the book of Nehemiah, we can easily identify the bad guys. They are hateful and easy to dislike. But I wonder how they viewed themselves? They were men of position and importance. They thought the work of the Jews was in direct rebellion against the king (2:19). They were wrong but they were acting on their own agenda. Perhaps there are times when we become so agenda-driven that we lose sight of the real mission (Mark 16:15). We can become the ones actually tearing down the good work. How sad when others can easily see the harm we are doing! To make sure we are not guilty of it or blind to it, let’s remember how Nehemiah’s naysayers behaved.
THEY WERE LED BY THEIR EMOTIONS
When Sanballat heard about the building of the wall, he was “angry and greatly enraged” (4:1). When Sanballat, Tobias, and others heard about the good progress being made, they were “very angry” (4:7) and upset enough to want to do harm (6:2). These men seemed to be reactionary. As soon as they heard something they didn’t like, they became furious and were quick to do something about it.
How often have we been guilty of the same thing? Many of our regrets are probably over things we said or did in the “heat of the moment.” Emotions like anger, fear, disappointment, jealousy, and even discouragement can lead us to say or do harmful things if not kept in check. “He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls” (Proverbs 25:28). Walls are for a city’s protection. Without them, a city is vulnerable to attacks. That’s part of the reason why Nehemiah was so distraught when he learned of the condition of the walls of Jerusalem. When we lack self-control, we leave ourselves more vulnerable to the enemy. Satan can use us as his tools and for his purposes when we aren’t thinking clearly. The fruit of the Spirit includes self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). When we do not practice self-control we are more likely to walk in the flesh, which includes “biting and devouring one another,” anger, and strife (Galatians 5:15-21).
Build up instead. To safeguard against being reactionary, we must remember that the heart cannot always be trusted (Proverbs 28:26; Jeremiah 17:9). If there’s something we disagree with or don’t like, we must first look into the mirror of God’s Word for guidance (James 1:23-25). Then we will give the benefit of the doubt, practice patience, offer compassion, and always, always keep the big picture in mind, which is the building up of the kingdom (Ephesians 4:1-16).
THEY TARGETED THE LEADERSHIP
When Nehemiah first heard about the problem, he chose to do something about it. He was the one who motivated everyone else to rebuild the wall. He rolled up his sleeves and got to work. The troublemakers knew this and so they began to mock and ridicule him in the presence of others (2:19). Then they sent a message directly to Nehemiah (6:2).
It is easy to be an “arm chair quarterback” in the church. Some are quick to question the leadership when they don’t like a decision that’s been made. They criticize the elders in conversations with others. Instead of being a part of the solution, they take the wind out of the sails of those who care enough to get their hands dirty and work. We must be very careful to not discourage church leaders. God has put them in that position (Titus 1:5) and commanded us to “esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake” (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13). Nehemiah ended up feeling despised (4:4). May we never be guilty of causing the same feelings in our own good leaders!
Build up instead. Imagine how much stronger a church can be when her shepherds are encouraged, loved, and supported! We can tell the elders we’re praying for them, that we appreciate their sacrifice and labor of love (1 Timothy 5:17). We can freely offer our own services to help fill the gaps in local work. We can build them up in the presence of others. We can protect them by refusing to listen to harsh criticisms against them (1 Timothy 5:19). We can do our part to create a culture that respects authority in our own congregations. Everyone wins when the leaders are lifted up!
THEY USED THEIR WORDS AS WEAPONS
Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem began mocking Nehemiah and his fellow workers (2:20). Then they mocked all the Jews, calling them “feeble” (4:2). They tried to make the Jews feel inadequate. They tried to make them doubt their ability to build. “Will they restore it for themselves? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?” (4:2). Tobiah wanted them to feel like their work was worthless. He said, “Yes, what they are building–if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!” (4:3).
Perhaps the quickest way to tear down others is with our words. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21). We can damage our marriages with hurtful words because we know where our spouse’s vulnerabilities lie. Whether we truly intended to or not, we can discourage good workers in the kingdom by causing them to question their own abilities. In this age of social media, it’s especially easy to wreak havoc. We can harm reputations by labeling others. We can post just enough to cause people to wonder about the soundness of certain individuals. Instead of having a loving conversation in private when there is a differing view or opinion, some have used every opportunity to ridicule a brother in a public manner. Condescension, insults, and sarcasm are used by those who have no problem with discouraging others.
Build up instead. Surely the quickest and easiest way is with life-giving words. We can be more intentional about lacing our speech with grace (Colossians 4:6). We can make sure we only say things that will build others up and “minister grace unto the hearers” (Ephesians 4:29). We can accomplish so much good with sincere words of encouragement.
THEY ATTEMPTED TO GET OTHERS ON THEIR SIDE
When Sanballat mocked the Jews, he “spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria” (4:2). When they later heard of the progress being made, Sanballat and others “conspired all of them together, to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it” (4:8). This got so bad that Nehemiah had to set up round the clock guards while they tried to continue building the wall (4:9). Sanballat knew there was strength in numbers.
We may try to defend, validate, or strengthen our position by looping others in on it. We can create strife in the Lord’s church by complaining to others about a certain brother or leader. We can hurt our own marriages by trying to gain sympathy from best friends or parents when our spouse upsets us. We feel bigger and “righter” when we pull more people over to our side.
Build up instead. God wants His people to promote peace and unity (Ephesians 4:3). If we have a problem with someone, our options are to let it go (Proverbs 19:11) or go to that person in private (Matthew 18:15). We can make sure all of our actions will promote healing in the church body instead of strife.
THEY USED FEAR TACTICS
The fear felt by God’s people was visible (4:14). This must have been the method that Sanballat and his gang thought would be most effective. Through some scheming and deception, they hoped fear would lead to discouragement which would paralyze the work. They even accused God’s people of things that weren’t true concerning their motives and agenda (6:6-7). Nehemiah recognized it for what it was (6:9).
Even the Lord’s church has her share of tormentors. Anyone who glories in “beating down” another person with powerful arguments or fierce demeanor, who boasts of their own verbal victories, who uses veiled threats or intimidation has become nothing less than a bully.
Build up instead. The “spirit of fear” does not come from God (2 Timothy 1:7). We can do the same thing Nehemiah did to help God’s people get past it. He reminded them to keep their eyes on God instead of the adversaries (4:14, 20). He had the people working side by side while they were building the wall (chapter 3). He spent much time in prayer on their behalf. If we spend our time and energy doing these same three things, we can be sure that we are being an advocate instead of an adversary.
Perhaps the greatest motivation to never tear down is what ultimately happened in the book of Nehemiah. Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem were foiled by God. God “frustrated their plan” (4:15). How satisfying to read how the naysayers reacted when the wall was completed! “And when all our enemies heard of it…[they] fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God” (6:16). The NASV reads, “They lost their confidence.” What happened to their bravado?
God promised to build a kingdom that would never be destroyed, and He did (Daniel 2:44; Matthew 16:18). He is going to protect her from anyone trying to tear her down. God help us see and remove any destructive ways in ourselves.
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