From Broken to Restored: The Book of NehemiahSample

Week 2

Read: Nehemiah 4:1–5; Genesis 13:1–18; 19:36–38; Numbers 22:3–6; Deuteronomy 2:19; 23:3–4; Psalm 54:3–5

SOAP: Psalm 54:3–5

For foreigners attack me; ruthless men, who do not respect God, seek my life. (Selah) Look, God is my deliverer. The Lᴏʀᴅ is among those who support me. May those who wait to ambush me be repaid for their evil. As a demonstration of your faithfulness, destroy them.

Into the Text

These next few chapters of Nehemiah (chapters 4–6) recount the opposition the Jews faced as they began rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. The author of Nehemiah intentionally included these details, reminding his readers that opposition to God’s work is not a reason to stop.

The two men who opposed the Jews in their rebuilding efforts the most were Sanballat the Horonite (Horon was a city in Moab, making him a Moabite) and Tobiah the Ammonite. The Moabites and Ammonites were brothers and enemies of the Jews. Both peoples descended from Lot, the nephew of Abraham and ancestor of the Jewish people. God gave Lot’s descendants land like He did Abraham’s, and the Israelites respected the boundaries God set up.

However, as the Israelites journeyed through the wilderness to the Promised Land, the Moabites and Ammonites opposed Israel and did not help them. Because of this, God made a clear distinction between His people and the people of these nations. It was no surprise then that the main opposition to the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem came from a Moabite and an Ammonite. These men hated the Jews because of generations of conflict and continued to oppose them, even though their work was expressly allowed and protected by the ruling bodies of the time.

When God’s people set out to do His work and accomplish His purposes, there will be opposition. God does not remove all opposition from His will, and opposition is not a sign that God is not working or not in control. Opposition drives us to greater dependence on God. It gives us a greater determination to remain faithful in the calling He has given us.

Like Nehemiah, when we face opposition, we need to remember God’s faithfulness. He will help us accomplish the work He has given us, and He will guard and defend His people until His will is done. It doesn’t matter who opposes us. God may not immediately remove the opposition we face, but He is always faithful to give us endurance as we continue in His good work.