Thursday, July 3

To listen to the audio version, click here.

Then 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.  But 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.   - Nehemiah 2:9-10

Sanballat the Horonite & Tobiah the Ammonite, these two guys are going to come up again and again.  Nehemiah first met these two enemies of Jerusalem and of the work of God at the Governor’s station. They were deeply disturbed that a man had come to seek the well-being of the children of Israel.  

You might wonder why they should care about Nehemiah or his wall building project at all?  Sandballat was the governor in Samaria to the north of Jeruslaem, and Tobiah was governor of the Ammonite territory to the east.  These two cared nothing as long as Jerusalem was weak and vulnerable; even though the temple was there, and worship conducted, that was fine, but a fortified Jerusalem was a threat to their political, economic and military security.

Notice when this opposition came: not at the heart stage, not at the vision stage, not at the prayer stage, not at the planning stage, but when progress came in doing something.  Opposition comes when God’s people start doing God’s will!  Later in the story, when Nehemiah makes his plans known and the people begin to work, these two rear their ugly heads once again.

But 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?”  Then 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.”   - Nehemiah 2:19-20

Some people are surprised when opposition comes and they quickly become discouraged.  Some people fear ever stepping out for the LORD, because they know opposition will come. They somehow think their life will be better or easier if they stay in their low, mediocre state before God. What deception! A better life from holding back for Jesus Christ? Tough times are going to come anyway; but when we are growing and stepping out to follow Christ, we are far more equipped to deal with them.

The Bible makes it clear we have enemies and opponents also, but chiefly they are spiritual enemies: For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against . . . spiritual armies of wickedness in heavenly places (Eph. 6:12). However, we also realize that attacks from spiritual enemies can come through flesh-and-blood people.  We can experience spiritual attack on a direct inward level from spiritual enemies, or through people who are, wittingly or unwittingly, being used as tools by our spiritual enemies.

But whenever this kind of spiritual opposition comes our way, we should not be surprised and we should remember the words of Jesus, who said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Jeff Frazier