1 Now it came about that when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and very angry and mocked the Jews. 2 He spoke in the presence of his brothers and the wealthy men of Samaria and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Are they going to restore it for themselves? Can they offer sacrifices? Can they finish in a day? Can they revive the stones from the dusty rubble even the burned ones?” 3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was near him and he said, “Even what they are building—if a fox should jump on it, he would break their stone wall down!” (Nehemiah 4:1–3)
When engaged in the true work of God, fulfilling his will, opposition can be expected, because Jesus himself encountered naysayers from day one, as did Paul, who wrote this:
Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith. (2 Timothy 3:8)
We aren’t sure who Jannes and Jambres were (possibly Egyptian magicians), but these types (or forces) are always present when we embark on a good work for God, which could be as “simple” as wanting to live a pure life. But when we’re on the right side of the ledger, we can expect our critics to meet the same fate as these contemptuous men.
But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, just as Jannes’s and Jambres’s folly was also. (2 Timothy 3:9)
With this being said, it still stings to hear the negativity, and it can weaken our faith and cause self doubt. We must be reminded that we are far too feeble to defend ourselves. We must immediately appeal to God for relief, while at the same time staying at our posts doing his will. He always has the upper hand, but at the same time, experiencing some push back and seeing him respond to our pleas for help toughens us up and fosters our faith in him.
The men working on the wall kept at the task through the opposition, which began verbally with insults. “Sticks and stones” had yet to fly their way, only the insults of their chief detractors Sanballet and Tobiah. Note that both these men were together along with their brothers and nobles. “Birds of a feather.” From verse 7, we also learn this “rouge gallery” included the Arabs and other “rabble rousers.”
Here’s what they were saying, right out of Satan’s playbook.
“What are these feeble Jews doing? Are they going to restore it for themselves? Can they offer sacrifices? Can they finish in a day? Can they revive the stones from the dusty rubble even the burned ones? Even what they are building—if a fox should jump on it, he would break their stone wall down!” (Nehemiah 4:2-3)
Here’s some typical negativity upon embarking on some mission or work.
- You aren’t strong (or smart) enough.
- The task is too big for you.
- It’ll take you “forever” to get it done.
- What you’re setting out to do is unrealistic.
- It won’t stand the test of time.
In these cases, you don’t respond in kind, but you appeal to the highest court and stay at the task at hand.
4 Hear, O our God, how we are despised! Return their reproach on their own heads and give them up for plunder in a land of captivity. 5 Do not forgive their iniquity and let not their sin be blotted out before You, for they have demoralized the builders. So we built the wall and the whole wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work. (Nehemiah 4:4-6)
What the Israelites managed to do under duress was tantamount to completing a “rough draft.” Keeping your nose to the grindstone is rewarded when you meet this kind of milestone. Halfway there is motivational, especially when the going is rough. A mind to work can be a matter of using our own willpower or using the power of his will in us. Clearly here, it was the latter. Some of us are motivated by competition to win bragging rights. Others thrive off of burning the midnight oil to beat others to the punch. What the Lord wants, however, is our praise with every brick hoisted and troweled to perfection.
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