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Building Through Opposition
There was opposition in Nehemiah’s day, and there’s opposition today. When we’re building something for God, the enemy doesn’t sit idle. There will always be opposition. But our lessons from Nehemiah 4 are a masterclass in what to do in the face of that opposition, and Nehemiah is a brilliant teacher.
3 Key Lessons from Nehemiah 4
Nehemiah 4 teaches us three key lessons for overcoming opposition in the modern world:
- Respond to Ridicule with Prayer: Give the issue to God instead of getting defensive. (Nehemiah 4:4–5).
- Balance Spiritual Dependence with Practical Preparation: Pray as if your safety depends on God, and prepare as if it depends on you. (Nehemiah 4:9).
- Fight for Your Family and Purpose: Lead by encouraging people to fight for what is most valuable to them: their homes and their children. (Nehemiah 4:14).
The Purpose of the Wall
In our last chapter, we explored how the wall the Israelites are rebuilding is meant to protect them both physically and spiritually.
- Physically the wall keeps the Israelites safe from enemy attack.
- Spiritually it protects the Temple where God’s presence dwells, so the wall is also protecting the Israelite’s relationship with the Lord. Their eternal future hinges on it.
Building a Wall of Faith
These days, God doesn’t dwell in a Temple made of stone. He dwells in you and me, which means our hearts need to build a wall of faith for protection. And if faith is the bricks in our wall, the Word of God is what holds those bricks together.
Understanding Opposition in Our Lives
In Hebrews 12:1-3, the apostle Paul gave his prescription for how to overcome opposition. In our Nehemiah 4 commentary, we get to watch Nehemiah demonstrate each of Paul’s recommendations.
- Throw off the sin that so easily entangles.
- Run the race of perseverance.
- Endure opposition from sinners without growing weary and losing heart.
- Build a wall of faith amidst adversity.
Lesson 1 on Overcoming Opposition
Nehemiah’s first lesson for us on how to overcome opposition has two principles:
- Be aware of what ridicule does to you so you can fight the urge to react.
- Give ridicule to God in prayer and return your focus to God’s plan.
Principle 1: Be Aware of Ridicule’s Impact on You
On the surface, when Sanballat and Tobiah ridicule the Israelites in Nehemiah 4:1-2 it seems ridiculous. What could a little name-calling possibly do? A lot, actually. Ridicule is a form of opposition that can cause us to lose heart, and the Israelites are particularly vulnerable to discouragement because of their situation.
- A generation of people raised in captivity.
- A weak community of freed slaves.
- Surrounded by enemies.
- Without much to defend themselves with except a God whose presence never filled the Temple when it was rebuilt.
- Uncertain if God really is for them.
Who were Sanballat and Tobiah and what was their strategy?
Sanballat and Tobiah are Israel’s enemies, and their strategic plan is to mock the Israelites in hopes the ridicule will discourage them, causing them to slow down or completely stop building the wall.
If these enemies can wound the people’s confidence, they can stop the work on the wall without lifting a finger. And this is not the first time Sanballat and Tobiah have ridiculed the Israelites. They began in chapter 2, and the enemy driving Sanballat and Tobiah has a much deeper purpose.
This is spiritual warfare.
This isn’t just about a wall made of stones. If Jerusalem rises again, the credit will go to God, and the enemy does not want God glorified. The enemy does not want them to do what Nehemiah 4:2 mentions about offering sacrifices, because sacrifices lead to:
- A relationship with God.
- Atonement.
- Covenant and promises.
- God promised the Israelites land, and that’s the last thing Sanballat and Tobiah want is for the Israelites to have more land.
- God promised the Israelites they would be a great nation, which would glorify God, and that’s the last thing Satan wants.
So the enemy of our souls sends opposition in the form of two men to ridicule the Israelites. He uses mockery as a weapon, because sometimes the most effective attacks aren’t physical. They’re emotional and spiritual.
Understanding the Power of Ridicule
People ridicule someone else to reduce them in the eyes of others and themselves. Ridicule is a power move. It attempts to draw attention to someone’s flaws, thereby elevating the person doing the ridiculing in comparison. The motive is to put someone down to propel themselves up.
In this case, either Sanballat and Tobiah are so arrogant they want to point out how inferior the Israelites are, proving their own superiority, or they’re so insecure about the wall and jealous of Jerusalem’s revival that they want to curtail it before it becomes a threat. Either way, the desired outcome is the same as all ridicule: to make the victim feel small, discouraged, and defeated. And Nehemiah is not having it.
Ridicule Is a Timeless Weapon
Just as the evil used ridicule through Sanballat and Tobiah, he still uses ridicule today. Because he knows you might stop building the wall of faith that protects your heart from opposition if you:
- Get discouraged enough.
- Feel small enough.
- Doubt yourself enough.
Have you experienced ridicule in your life:
- For your faith? People dismissing it as “not intellectual” or “outdated”?
- For your choices? People mocking you for living differently than the culture around you?
- For your dreams? People suggesting you’re not capable, not strong enough, not smart enough?
Ridicule Can Be a Good Sign
If the enemy is attacking you with ridicule, it means you’re building something that matters spiritually. The fact that you’re being ridiculed is actually evidence that what you’re doing is significant.
- If your faith didn’t threaten the devil’s kingdom, he wouldn’t bother.
- If your choices weren’t leading you closer to God, Satan wouldn’t even notice you.
- If your walls of protection weren’t effective, he wouldn’t mock them.
But hopefully in your life, as in our Nehemiah 4 commentary, the opposition’s attempt to discourage the building with ridicule will backfire.
Putting Nehemiah’s First Key Lesson into Action in Our Lives
How should a Christian respond to ridicule for their faith?
As Christians, instead of getting defensive or fighting back with harsh words when we’re ridiculed, we can follow Nehemiah’s example and simply pray. Prayer is a powerful way to hand the issue to God and get back to work.
Nehemiah 4:4-5 makes it clear there’s no need to fall into these common, defensive responses:
- Spending hours on social media inciting others over the issue.
- Spiraling into doubt about whether the project was worth doing.
- Letting the mockery distract and derail the work.
- Calling a town meeting to explain why the ridicule isn’t true.
View the Ridicule from a Position of Faith Over Flesh
When responding to ridicule, prayer is the only response we need, but it’s not always the easiest. Our flesh has an immediate response to ridicule. Adrenaline rises, and our mind starts crafting the perfect comeback. It’s a survival instinct to fight, defend, and vindicate. But faith demands something different. Faith says:
- I don’t need to defend myself, God knows the truth.
- God sees what I’m building.
- God is with me.
The reality is, our flesh reacts and our faith redirects. Instead of fighting, we can give God the battle through prayer and let Him do the fighting. This act of faith over flesh requires a lot of self-control, but faith is like a muscle, the more we use it, the stronger it gets.
The next time you are ridiculed, lean on Nehemiah’s key principles for dealing with opposition and choose to react with faith over flesh.
Flesh versus Faith Response
| FLESH’S (Instinctive) Reaction | FAITH’S (Nehemiah’s) Redirection |
| To be vindicated and stop the pain. | To maintain focus and continue God’s work. |
| FIGHT: Adrenaline rises; crafting the perfect comeback. | PRAY: Hand the entire battle to God (Nehemiah 4:4–5). |
| DEFEND: Call meetings, post on social media, explain why the ridicule isn’t true. | REDIRECT: Trust that God knows the truth and sees what you’re building. |
| SPIRAL: Doubt if the project is worth doing; feel distracted and derailed. | TRUST: Let God do the fighting, knowing He is with you. |
| Flesh reacts. | Faith redirects. |
Principle 2: Prayer Frees Our Hearts and Minds
In verse 6 Nehemiah’s example of placing his faith in God through prayer becomes contagious and inspires the people to press on. They work with all their heart because they are focused, and their hearts and minds are free to do His work.
- They don’t hold onto the words of ridicule, so they aren’t discouraged.
- They give the situation to God, so they aren’t distracted by the need to defend themselves.
God moves and the people build the wall all the way around Jerusalem to the halfway height of about 12 feet high. This is a big deal and a lot of work in record time. They are building in haste, and the archaeological remains of the wall confirm this fact.
Several parts of the wall have been discovered over the years. The most recent discovery was in 2007 by Eilat Mazar. He uncovered a 98 foot section that is connected to the City of David’s Northern Tower. The wall is 23 to 26 feet high and eight to 16 feet thick, wide enough for people to march on top of as they worked. It’s not well constructed. The stones were unfinished and roughly pieced together in their haste.
Lesson 2: The Principle of Prayer and Preparation
Prayer is always Nehemiah’s first line of defense. We see him turn to God in prayer six different times in this one short book. But sometimes God needs us to do more to overcome the opposition. He wants us to pray and prepare. Because opposition often intensifies.
In verses 7-8, as the wall grows, so do the number of nations opposing it. Sanballat’s Samaritans from the North are joined by the Arabs from the south, the Ammonites from the east and the Ashdodites from the west.
Jerusalem is surrounded by enemies on all sides, and with the opposition’s increasing numbers comes a sense of united power. They aren’t just bad mouthing the project anymore. They are plotting to attack it and preparing to put an end to this wall and possibly the people building it.
Threats are a form of opposition that can lead to fear, and in verses 9-12 the threat of the battle is pressing in on them. The threat from without creates a threat from within.
- The people’s faith in the invisible God is being suffocated by the very visible threat of enemy attack.
- The strength of the laborers is failing.
- Fatigue is setting in.
- Fear is setting in.
- And worst of all hopelessness is setting in.
But Nehemiah is not having it. He is not going to let threats slow down the building. If anything this threat is proof they really do need this wall of protection.
How do I overcome discouragement and fear when working for God?
When you are working for God and discouragement or fear sets in, pray as if your safety depends on God, and prepare as if your safety depends on you. Nehemiah has learned this crucial lesson in his journey with God. Pray first, then prepare.
Nehemiah’s Pattern of Preparation
Throughout his career, Nehemiah has learned the value of preparation. He was prepared with a plan for the king back in the capital of Persia, and he is prepared with a plan for the people here in Jerusalem.
In verses 13-14 Nehemiah organizes a defense by strategically stationing people and giving them weapons. He makes this fight intensely personal, positioning families at the places they live, defending the walls where their homes are located, to make sure they are invested. Then he tells them, “Fight for your families. Fight for your sons and daughters. Fight for your wives and your homes.” In other words, Nehemiah gives them something worth fighting for.
The Power of Prepared Leadership to Keep the Build Moving
Nehemiah is radically agile. In verses 15-23 he doesn’t stop the work. He reorganizes it. Half the people will work, the other half will stand guard. Everyone is armed and alert. There is a trumpet to sound if danger comes.
And he puts himself forward as an example. He sleeps in his clothes and keeps his weapon at his side. He will be ready to lead them when and if the time comes. They can look to him.
When your leader shows up prepared, organized, and confident, demonstrating they’ve thought through the problem and have a strategy, it shifts the energy from fear to confident hope. Preparation is powerful. It can build confidence, give you an advantage, and help you think through options.
Nehemiah is prepared for God’s calling anywhere and at any time. It makes him the confident leader people follow. Because of Nehemiah’s prayer and preparation the opposition hears the Israelites are aware of the plot against them, and they don’t attack. Prayer and preparation are a great recipe for victory.
What are the key lessons from Nehemiah 4 for modern life?
Nehemiah 4 teaches us opposition is inevitable, but victory comes from maintaining a balance. You must never let ridicule or threats distract you from God’s work. Always use prayer as your first defense and follow it up with prudent preparation and action.
What does the Bible say to do if someone threatens you?
In Nehemiah 4 the Bible teaches us that when we feel threatened we should pray, prepare, and trust God. The apostle John tells us to start practicing today because troubles are inevitable, and it’s true. We’ve all felt threatened at some point by:
- Neighbor
- Teacher
- Loved one’s addiction
- Our boss
- Bullies
But in John 16:33 Jesus tells us to take heart because He has overcome the world. And knowing this we can all feel a little more at peace and a little stronger the next time trouble starts brewing.
We can look the opposition in the eye and say, “No sir, not this time. I’ve had a masterclass in opposition from the Book of Nehemiah, and I know how the enemy operates. I’m ready.”
These lessons from Nehemiah 4 are a timeless guide for overcoming inevitable opposition. Nehemiah’s example teaches us to respond to ridicule with prayer, trusting God instead of getting defensive. When facing threats, we must balance spiritual dependence with practical preparation, leading with faith, preparation, and the motivation to fight for what is most valuable, we can stay focused and ensure our work for God is not derailed.
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