Nehemiah 4:1-6 – What to do when facing opposition

Just as the Jews who were engaged in rebuilding the temple were opposed, those involved in rebuilding the wall now also had opposition. The chief of them was Sanballat.  Nehemiah 4:1 said that “when he heard that the Jews were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and very angry and mocked the Jews.” Here he was among the assembly of some wealthy Samaritans. Openly he ridiculed and demeaned the Jews for taking part in this work of rebuilding the wall. He asked a series of five derogatory  rhetorical questions. He was questioning the mental strength and resolve of the Jews. What he did influence Tobiah, the Ammonite who added to the ridicule by saying that their work would not pass master. He sarcastically said that even “if a fox should jump on it, he would break their stone wall down!”

Notice how Nehemiah responded in verses 4-5. He took the matter to the Lord in prayer. Because what they were doing was an assignment for God, hence the opposers were not resisting them but God. Nehemiah ask God to cause whatever insults they had hurled at them to boomerang and their opposers would themselves receive what they wished for the Jews. He asked God  to “Return their reproach on their own heads and give them up for plunder in a land of captivity. Do not forgive their iniquity and let not their sin be blotted out before You, for they have demoralized the builders.” It is a mean thing to demoralize people who are doing the work of God. No matter how much we disagree with what is being offered to God, we should never demoralize His workmen. The best way to counter any opposition to God’s work is to bring it to the Lord in prayer.

Nehemiah 4;6 shows us the attitude of the workers. They put their mind on the work and did not entertain the insults. We get the idea that they stayed focused on the task and built it to an acceptable height.  The attitude to adopt in the face of opposition is found in these words, “the people had a mind to work.”

Here we learn three action steps we can take when we face opposition. Firstly, refuse to succumb to ridicule. Know that when we are doing God’s work, anyone opposing it is not opposing us but God. Secondly, take the matter to God in prayer. For this is the tool God has given to us to enable us to rely on Him. Thirdly, set your heart and mind on the work God has assigned. This is the attitude to adopt and learn to rejoice at incremental progress. Learn to look at the positive sides of things.