Rebuilding the Walls
Teaching Notes
Tactic #1
Ridicule
But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. “What is this you are doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?”
Nehemiah 2:19
I answered them by saying, “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.”
Nehemiah 2:20
When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, 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?
Nehemiah 4:1-2
Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!”
Nehemiah 4:3
Hear us, our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads.
Nehemiah 4:4
Tactic #2
Threats
But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.
Nehemiah 4:9
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 families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”
Nehemiah 4:14
Tactic #3
Distraction
But they were scheming to harm me; so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?”
Nehemiah 6:3
Tactic #4
Lies
Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter in which was written: “It is reported among the nations—and Geshem says it is true—that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports you are about to become their king and have even appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you in Jerusalem: ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now this report will get back to the king; so come, let us meet together.”
Nehemiah 6:5-7
I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.” They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.” But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.”
Nehemiah 6:8-9
Tactic #5
Intimidation
One day I went to the house of Shemaiah…He said, “Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you—by night they are coming to kill you.”…I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me.
Nehemiah 6:10-13
But I said, “Should a man like me run away? Or should someone like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!”
Nehemiah 6:11
Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophet Noadiah and how she and the rest of the prophets have been trying to intimidate me.
Nehemiah 6:14
The Wall Complete
So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.
Nehemiah 6:15
When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.
Nehemiah 6:16
1. What is the good work you are pursuing? If you can’t think of anything…that needs to change.
2. Who is your Sandballot and Tobiah? Or what is your Sandballot and Tobiah?
3. What is the opposition you are receiving? Is it ridicule, threats, distraction, lies, intimidation?
4. Are you giving into it to rising above it?
5. How are you doing it? Actions bathed in prayer (leaning on God).
Setlist
WFC Lenexa + WFC Anywhere
Goodbye Yesterday- Elevation Rhythm
Fill My Cup- Andrew Ripp
WFC Speedway
House of Miracles- Brandon Lake
How Great Is Our God- Chris Tomlin
How Great Thou Art- Carie Underwood
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