9Then I came to the governors of the province Beyond the River and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen.
10But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah, the Ammonite servant, heard this, it displeased them greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel.
He was now almost home to Jerusalem. What a joy to finally almost be at his destination. The letters from the king were now given to the governors who surrounded the area. The king had also sent a military escort to protect his beloved cup bearer. Listen, brothers and sisters, our God will never send us anywhere without his protection. In Acts we are told that we are to go to the ends of the earth. The great part of that message is that He will be with us always. Fear not the face of God's enemies, for He is with us every step of the way.
We will have enemies if we walk with the Lord. Peter made it clear in his epistles that all who would live godly will suffer. We will have those who mock us and wish to destroy our mission or our name. We see this in verse 11 and 19 as Nehemiah talks about some of the enemies he would have to face. These men would attack him both from the outside and even on the inside.
Now let us look at some of these enemies of Nehemiah. The first enemy was that of Sanballat the Horonite. A letter on papyrus from 407 B.C. states that he was the governor of an area near Samaria. The second enemy was that of Tobiah the Ammonite. He apparently served under Sanballat as his right hand man. This man was from a group of people called the Ammonites who were sworn enemies of the Jews. (Dt. 23:3-4) He worked probably as the, "inside man," for Sanballat as he was a related to Eliashib the priest in Neh. 13:5. He also had many friends among the Jews in 6:17-19. These men were displeased that Nehemiah had come to help the people of Israel.
Nehemiah 2:11-12 ( ESV )
11So I went to Jerusalem and was there three days.
12Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. And I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. There was no animal with me but the one on which I rode.
A small but important thing is to be found in verse 11. Nehemiah was in Jerusalem for three days. In verse 12 we are told that, "Then I arose." I believe that Nehemiah might have known how Sanballat and Tobiah felt about the Jews. He took time to rest and evaluate the situation that laid before him. This is probably part of the reason why he arose in the night. This also played part in why he did not tell any of the common people of Jerusalem about why he was there. Sometimes, in leadership there are burdens that we can tell no one. Sometimes, the dreams that God gives us are to be kept to ourselves before we can share them with others. We must be wise who we share our deepest thoughts and prayers with.
I love the phrase, "What my God had put into my heart to do." What has your God put in your heart to do? Maybe your not able to share that with someone as of yet. Maybe, you know that it must be done no matter what others say to you. May our Father burn his will and desire within your breast.
What is the significance of the last phrase in verse 12 ? I believe that too many animals would have drawn to much attention to Nehemiah's quest as he examined the walls that night.
Nehemiah 2:13-15 ( ESV )
13I went out by night by the Valley Gate to the Dragon Spring and to the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that were broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire.
14Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool, but there was no room for the animal that was under me to pass.
15Then I went up in the night by the valley and inspected the wall, and I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned.
Why did Nehemiah need to make this detailed inspection? I believe that there are 3 main reasons for the inspection Nehemiah makes.
- Nehemiah needed to know the truth personally. He did not want to go by just the mere words of others. How often do we fall into the trap of gossip rather than going to the source itself. I want to know the truth and see it for myself. This is the mark of a good leader. He does not just rely on what he has heard from others but what he knows to be fact.
- Nehemiah needed to see the damage so that he could come up with a plan on how to rebuild. Where were their weakest areas of defense? Where were their strongest? A good leader needs to know these things so that he can rebuild or build with confidence.
- Nehemiah also wanted the facts so that could encourage those who would build.
Nehemiah 2:16-18 ( ESV )
16
17Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision.”
18And I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good, and also of the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, “Let us rise up and build.” So they strengthened their hands for the good work.
Only after Nehemiah knew the facts and seen the damage for himself was he willing to reveal God's plan. In the same way as leaders we need to be sure of all of the issues before we go forth as an authority on a subject. We are called to lead with wisdom.
The first thing that Nehemiah did was explain to the people the bad news. Many of them knew these facts but Nehemiah wanted them to see how desperate the situation is. In the same way we as followers of the Lamb are to never sugar coat the message of Christ. Before men can cry out for a Savior they must be told of their sin. Before we are confronted with our need to repent as believers we need to be told what we need to repent of.
Secondly, as a leader we should offer those around us hope. Yes, the walls and gates are ruined but we can rebuild. Our lives can be ruined in the blink of an eye. Homes can fall apart with just a few choice words. Hearts can be broken by just some thoughtless word or deed. We serve a Savior who wants us to rebuild our lives. He wants to take the shambles of our lives and make us new again. There is hope no matter how burnt the walls of our lives are.
What joy there had to be in this downtrodden people's eyes. Why? God was for them. God's hand was upon their leader and his hand would be upon them to. How do I know this is true? Look at what the rest of verse 18 says. "Let us rise up and build." They strengthened their hands and went to do the work of God.
Nehemiah 2:19-20 ( ESV )
19But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they jeered at us and despised us and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”
20Then I replied to them, “The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or claim£ in Jerusalem.”
When the enemies of God gather they will gather like vultures. You know what I mean. One or two may come at us at a time. They will not stop and sometimes they will invite more of their friends. In verse 19 we are now told not only about Sanballat and Tobiah but now another one joins in by the name of Gersham who was an Arab. Sometimes we are swamped by enemies or trials all around us. We cry out, "Lord, I can't even breathe." God is there in the midst of it all and one day the foes will be defeated.
Have you ever been lied to or lied about? It happens to all of us and Nehemiah was not an exception. Look at what they accuse him of, "Are you rebelling against the king?" This was a bold face lie to get the people to believe that Nehemiah was guilty of treason. They wanted others to doubt his motives to rebuild the wall. This is the harshest of things to do to another man. It was so far from the truth as we have seen that it was the king who gave Nehemiah permission to rebuild. Be prepared for those who will try to destroy your character in front of others. This is especially true of those who are in leadership.
How did Nehemiah respond? First of all he spoke a positive message to the people. "God will make us prosper." It is God who has given us this work to do. God will help us to accomplish his goal. The next positive message is that, "we his servants will arise and build." You cannot stop this work because not only is God behind the work but his people will accomplish this great task through Him.
Sometimes brothers and sisters we are also called to speak in a negative way as well. Nehemiah looks at these enemies of God and tells them that, "they have no portion, or right or claim in Jerusalem." Nehemiah was telling them you are not one of us. You will not inherit Jerusalem as your resting place. There are many today who pretend to be part of the house of God but they are not. They are the pretenders and we must be willing to tell them the truth. They cannot inherit the kingdom of God just because of who they are. They can only inherit the kingdom of God because of what Christ has done for them. Beware, of pretenders who claim to know the Lord, but in the end their houses are built on sinking sand. Speak the truth to them so that they might come to know Christ.
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