“Remember the Lord, Great and Awesome”
(Nehemiah 4:1-14)
Series: REBUILD (Nehemiah)
Rev. Todd A. Linn, PhD
Henderson’s First Baptist Church, Henderson
- Take your Bibles and join me in Nehemiah chapter 4.
We are preaching our way through Nehemiah in our series called REBUILD. We’re reading about God’s rebuilding the walls and learning how God rebuilds our lives. And God’s man is Nehemiah and he is leading the massive rebuilding project—leading the people to rebuild the broken down wall that encircles Jerusalem.
And that’s where we left the people last time—last week—all gathered in groups around various sections of the gates, rebuilding the walls there in chapter 3. One of the recurring sermon points we have noted is that God’s will often includes opposition. That opposition comes in the likeness of two characters, two bad guys named Sanballat and Tobiah. We’ve been introduced to them twice already and now in chapter 4 we get to know them a little better.
- Please stand in honor of the reading of God’s Word.
1 But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews.
2 And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish—stones that are burned?”
3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall.”
4 Hear, O our God, for we are despised; turn their reproach on their own heads, and give them as plunder to a land of captivity!
5 Do not cover their iniquity, and do not let their sin be blotted out from before You; for they have provoked You to anger before the builders.
6 So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
7 Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry,
8 and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion.
9 Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.
10 Then Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall.”
11 And our adversaries said, “They will neither know nor see anything, till we come into their midst and kill them and cause the work to cease.”
12 So it was, when the Jews who dwelt near them came, that they told us ten times, “From whatever place you turn, they will be upon us.”
13 Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings; and I set the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
14 And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”
Amen and amen, and please be seated.
Some of you will remember a popular book some years ago entitled, “Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?” Remember that? Rabbi Kushner. It wasn’t the best book because it suggested there were some things over which God had no control. And God has control over everything though He’s ways are often shrouded in mystery.
I like what RC Sproul said when someone asked him about it. RC Sproul passed away a little over a year ago. Someone said, “RC, why do bad things happen to good people?” He said, “I don’t know, I haven’t met any good people yet.”
One thing is certain: when bad things do happen, God is not absent. He is there in the mystery of the chaos, the hurt, and the pain. The Bible teaches that sometimes God allows tribulation to come our way in order to shape us into Christlikeness. Tribulation is expected. Like the country preacher who said, “When the Lord sends tribulation, He expects us to tribulate!”
Nehemiah has begun to tribulate, and all the people tribulate with him. Tribulation comes to them in this passage in the form of opposition, criticism, and discouragement. I want to share with you two main headings that really surface from the text so let’s go through the verses, one-at-a-time, and gather our thoughts under these two imperatives. First, we learn from this passage the importance of prayer.
- We Must Pray (1-9)
The hymn-writer asks, “Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged, take it to the Lord in—what?—prayer.” This is precisely what Nehemiah does when facing opposition. Let’s read about these two bad guys again, the notorious miscreants Sanballat and Tobiah.
1 But it so happened, when Sanballat (everyone say, “Boo!”) heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews.
Sanballat dissembles contempt, but it’s there. He is seething. His power is threatened. He clenches his jaw, veins begin show in his face. He is furious and indignant. He doesn’t want these Jews to succeed in rebuilding the wall because that robs him of his own glory and prestige as a pagan leader in the land. So he mocked the Jews. Teased them, made fun of them.
2 And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices (that is, will they ‘pray up’ the wall up)? Will they complete it in a day? (almost! 52 days in chapter 6!) Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish—stones that are burned?”
Yes, they will! Funny how many of Sanballat’s questions are answered, “Yes!” But he’s mocking, ridiculing, criticizing, all in the hopes of discouraging the workers. Then Sanballat’s sidekick appears. What’s his name, remember? Verse 3:
3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall.”
What a snarky comment! Tobiah snarls and scoffs: “Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their flimsy little wall of stones,” ha ha ha. Tobiah is being facetious or, in the vernacular he was, “talking smack.” Good luck with that silly little wall!
Every time I read about these two bullies, Sanballat and Tobiah, I think about the best villains in the history of modern Christmas film. When I read about Sanballat, I think of this guy (pic 1). You know this guy? This is from the 80s Christmas movie, “A Christmas Story.” This guy is the main antagonist of the film. Know his name? Scut Farkus. I used to think it was “Scott” Farkus, but it’s actually Scut—S-c-u-t. Just sounds bad, right? Like Sanballat. Scut Farkas. He’s the villainous playground bully. Here’s a close-up of him jeering and sneering (pic 2). Scut Farkus and his yellow eyes!
Scut Farkas has a sidekick. Remember him? (pic 3). Grover Dill, his little toady. That’s Sanballat and Tobiah! Look: there’s even a wall! See the wall? So these two guys harass and harangue little Ralphie and his friends. Here’s a picture of them doing what they do best (pic 4). They’ve got poor Schwartz by the arm forcing him to “say uncle.”
One more picture (pic 5). Here they are, the two of them, Sanballat and Tobiah. Can’t you just see Grover Dill there saying, “Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall?!”
The old proverb says: Birds of a feather flock together. And critics run with other critics. Critics run in pairs and often in packs. Critics huddle together and point out what’s wrong with all the folks who aren’t in their huddle. This can happen in churches. Critics are often the ones who start their own little group, leaving the others and starting their own special gathering.
Well, let’s leave Scut and Grover and see how Nehemiah responds to the mocking.
4 Hear, O our God, for we are despised; turn their reproach on their own heads, and give them as plunder to a land of captivity!
Nehemiah prays. His prayer is not so much that God wipe out these guys as it is to turn them over to others. It’s a prayer for justice.
5 Do not cover their iniquity, and do not let their sin be blotted out from before You; for they have provoked You to anger before the builders.
The gist of this verse is that Sanballat and Tobiah have dared to dishonor God by discouraging the builders. God’s name is at stake so Nehemiah prays that God deal with their iniquity. The sense is, “Don’t let them get away with this! They’ve brought shame to Your name! Defend Your honor, God!”
6 So we built the wall (just kept at it!), and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
They’ve got the entire circle of the wall build up half-way! It’s joined together up to half its height. Nehemiah says, “for the people had a mind to work.” Put another way, “They were committed. They gave it their all. They put their heart and soul into it.” But the critics are still lingering:
7 Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry,
Critics run with other critics. There’s a whole pack of them now. The people called the Ashdodites come from the west, joining up Sanballat from the north (Samaria), Tobiah from the east (the Ammonites), and the Arabs from the south. They’re doing their best to close in on them.
8 and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion.
So again, God’s people turn to prayer. Verse 9:
9 Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.
We’ll read more about that “watch” that they set against them in a minute. For now, note again that the people pray. Nevertheless we made our prayer to God. We must pray. God’s will often includes opposition. So pray. We must pray. Secondly:
- We Must Persevere (10-14)
Things get worse for Nehemiah and the builders, verse 10:
10 Then Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall.”
The tribe of Judah, they’re starting to get discouraged. They’re like, “Man, we’re losing it. Our strength is failing us. There’s so much rubbish lying around! We just can’t do it!”
Ever feel like you just can’t do it?! There’s so much rubbish lying around. Your strength fails you. I can’t help but hear the Apostle Paul in Galatians 6:9, “And let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we will reap, if we faint not.”
Stick with the work! Don’t stop. Don’t grow weary in well-doing. We said last time that our church’s vision statement of disciple-making is captured in the two actions of edifying and multiplying. We must do both in-reach and out-reach. Our Sunday school classes are not only to reach inward in ministry to the people, but also outward to the lost, inviting new people, starting new classes.
Maybe you took one of the tracts I left on the communion table last week and tried to reach out to a neighbor. Maybe you failed to do it. Maybe you tried but it didn’t go as well as you hoped. Well, don’t quit! Keep at it! Don’t grow weary in well-doing.
More discouragement in verse 11:
11 And our adversaries said, “They will neither know nor see anything, till we come into their midst and kill them and cause the work to cease.”
The Hebrew here is kind of tricky to translate. I think the sense of verse 11 is the enemies saying, “Before they know it, we’ll be right there in their midst, we’ll catch them off guard. We’ll kill them and cause the work to stop!”
12 So it was, when the Jews who dwelt near them came, that they told us ten times, “From whatever place you turn, they will be upon us.”
The people are discouraged. They’re ready to give up! They say, “Look, no matter what we do, Sanballat, Tobiah, and all of their villainous horde will ruin us!”
13 Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings; and I set the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
This is cool, right? We’ll read more about this next time, but Nehemiah comes up with a plan: “We’re praying, we’re persevering. We’ll build and we’ll defend ourselves. We’ll have tools of rebuilding in one hand and tools of defending in the other hand!” Last verse of our text, verse 14, I LOVE this verse:
14 And I looked (and the sense is, “I looked at the discouragement in the faces of the people”), and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”
This has all the markings of an epic battle speech with all of the heroic valor and glory! If you have even an ounce of chivalry within you, you can’t help but feel Nehemiah’s speech in a deeply, visceral way! Here’s Nehemiah rallying the people to stand firm and fight for the cause.
It’s Mel Gibson as William Wallace in Braveheart, on his horse in that scene where he’s rallying the troops to fight for “Freedom!” It’s the familiar pre-battle speech to inspire, motivate, and lead people to lay it all on the line, even dying for the cause if necessary.
Or Russell Crowe as Maximus in the opening scene of Gladiator. He tells the troops: “Hold the line! Stay with me!” And then the memorable line to give their lives for the battle, he says, “And if you find yourself alone, riding in the green fields with the sun on your face, do not be troubled; for you are in Elysium, and you’re already dead!”
And everything within you says, “Yeah! I want to go die!” Nehemiah is rallying the troops. Don’t quit! Remember the Lord, Great and Awesome! And fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses. Fight remembering the Lord, the One who fights the fight through you. As Nehemiah will say later in verse 20, “Our God will fight for us.”
Can I give you something to take away this morning? In my study of the passage, I wrote this down: “When I am criticized or discouraged…” Here’s what to do this week when you are criticized or discouraged.
**When Criticized or Discouraged…
- Take it to the Lord
Pray. Twice in this passage we find Nehemiah talking about prayer. When folks criticize you—and they will! Remember: God’s will often includes opposition—when folks criticize you or seek to discourage you like Sanballat and Tobiah, like Scut Farkus and Grover Dill, take it to the Lord.
Jesus did the same. Remember when he was threatened, when he was mocked, the Apostle Peter says in 1 Peter 2:23 that Jesus did return evil for evil but, “but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously.” He took it to God. Turned it over to God.
Don’t take the matter in your own hands, take it to the Lord!
When criticized or discouraged take it to the Lord. Remember that God’s people are often despised and hated just as God’s Son was despised and hated. Just take it to the Lord. Commit yourself to Him who judges righteously. Trust God to do the right thing even as you pray for your critics, praying for your enemies (Matthew 5:44). Take it to the Lord. Second action, when criticized or discouraged:
- Keep Your Eye on the Goal
The wall was halfway built when discouragement set in. Halfway! Their strength was failing. They said, “Ah! There’s so much rubble!”
Nehemiah could have become discouraged himself. He could have been like, “Well, maybe the wall can wait.” No! He stirs the people up. Remember from last time? Leaders see what others don’t? We talked last time about walking by that pumpkin, not seeing it anymore? Nehemiah sees the finished wall. So he helps them see it, too.
Nehemiah says, “Fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.” He’s giving vision to see the future, helping them see the goal, the finished product.
I can see our church growing, everyone edifying and multiplying. Can you see that?
When you’re discouraged by your sin you say, “Ah, there’s so much rubble!” And you want to give up. You’ve failed God time and time again. But listen: God is doing a work in you and through you. And Paul teaches in Philippians 1:6 that He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it in Christ Jesus. God is working through your rubble to rebuild you in the image of Christ! That’s the goal! Remember it. Keep your eye on the goal. Don’t be discouraged, keep your eye on the goal.
A bar of steel is worth $5, when made into ordinary horseshoes, is then worth $10. If this same $5 bar is manufactured into needles, the value rises to $350. And yet if it’s made into delicate springs for expensive watches, it is worth more than $250,000. The same bar of steel is made more valuable by being cut…passed through one furnace blast after another, again, and again, hammered and manipulated, beaten and pounded, finished and polished until it’s ready for those delicate tasks.—M.R. DeHaan, Broken Things.
I hear a young single mother in the monotony of day-to-day living cry, “But there’s so much rubble! Look at all these dishes! There’s too many diapers! Rubble everywhere! Toys strewn across the living room floor!” Keep your eye on the goal! Have the vision to see that little boy, that little girl, grown up into a godly man, a godly woman. Don’t be discouraged, keep your eye on the goal.
Take it to the Lord. Keep your eye on the goal. Number three, when criticized or discouraged:
- Find Your Security in the Lord
Nehemiah said, “Do not be afraid…remember the Lord, great and awesome…!” Rest in the security of the great name of God. Trust God to overcome the enemy. Trust God to overcome the enemies of discouragement you face this week—doubts, setbacks, sin and failure—God has overcome all enemies through Jesus Christ our Lord. Find your security in the Lord.
Knowing your security is in the Lord and not your job will get you through the job loss.
Knowing your security is in the Lord and not your house and stuff and friends, will get you through the sudden relocation to a strange new home in a strange new land.
We sang that chorus earlier:
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow
The sun forbear to shine
But God, who called me here below
Will be forever mine
Finding your security in the Lord and not your husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, will get you through the hard times when the hard times hit, when they move away or are taken away.
Find your security in the Lord. You’ve got to be “in” the Lord to have security in the Lord. You’ve got to turn from sin and turn to Him. Repent. Let go of other gods you’ve been turning to for false security. Turn away from those things. You know what they are. Break free from them and turn to Christ. Find your security in Him.
Security in the Lord, not your performance. God accepts us, we have security in Him, He accepts us and secures us not on the basis of our religious performance yesterday, or tomorrow, or today. God accepts us and we are secure in Him on the basis of Christ’s performance for us—His perfect performance, His perfect record of righteousness credited freely to us through faith. Find your security in the Lord.
Bottom line: remember the Lord great and awesome! And you can sing:
Lost are saved, find their way, at the sound of Your great name
All condemned, feel no shame, at the sound of Your great name
Every fear, has no place, at the sound of Your great name
The enemy, he has to leave, at the sound of Your great name
Pray: “Jesus, worthy are You, the Lamb that was slain for us, son of God and man
You are high and lifted up, that all the world will praise Your great name”
RESPONSE: Your Great Name
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