Nehemiah part 10…Nov.22nd 2015
Chapter 4: 11-23
Two weeks ago in our study of Nehemiah we looked at verse 10.
In verse 10 we saw where the work started getting to the Judah.
That was a huge thing to Nehemiah because Judah was the strongest group and set the example
for the others working on the wall.
So of all the workers to get worn out Judah was the one that could cause set back or shut down to
the rebuilding project.
It is also important to remember that they were half way finished when Judah lost their
strength.
The half way point is the most dangerous point of anything you do.
At the half way point weariness and loss of the vision can occur or you can become over
confident.
Working conditions also had a lot to do with them losing vision and strength.
The workers were working with old charred stones that had to be dug out of the rubbish.
After days and days of tough nearly impossible working conditions and reaching the half way
point Judah was very discouraged.
Important to notice that here it is not the devil or any enemy discouraging them the enemy
tried before they got started but wasn’t successful.
Discouragement isn’t necessarily something that happens because we are not accomplishing
anything…
Discouragement can happen when we are making great progress…
But we fail to see or realize the progress.
A person that is experiencing health issues and are taking medication may feel like the
medication is a waste of money.
But what we they can’t see is the progress the medication making.
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Here in Nehemiah Judah and the other workers were making great progress and very
successful.
Success does not come overnight.
Where progress can be easily seen everyday… success is not as visible.
Someone can become rich or wealthy overnight.
This can happen by someone winning the lottery or someone leaving them an inheritance.
But success is never overnight and success can never be given to someone.
Success comes from believing in and sticking with what you are doing and doing it with all your
heart.
Success is not achieved in an 8 hour day…
Success is achieved through many long days and many sleepless nights.
Success at times means people may have had to live with empty bank accounts and empty
wallets.
I believe every successful person would say that many times before they reached the place of
success they wanted to quit or throw in the towel.
Discouragement keeps many from being successful and reaching the place where God would
have them.
Here in Nehemiah we see discouragement can come through the form of lack of or inferior
resources.
Either not having what we need to do the job or the conditions we are working under.
Verse 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.
When it comes to a person being discouraged it doesn’t take long for it to be noticed
especially by the devil.
A person’s state of discouragement makes it is easy for the enemy to succeed.
Our spiritual enemies know when we are discouraged, tired, angry or too self confident.
The enemy works to take advantage of weakness and discouragement.
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When the devil sees a discouraged person the enemy sees them as easy to defeat.
Notice verse 11 says they will neither know nor see anything.
What this is saying is when a person is discouraged they let their guard down.
When our guard is down we are not watching our life like we should.
Instead of watching our lives we are watching circumstances and other situations.
Also notice the enemies plan was to take them by surprise.
The devil knows his attacks are only successful if they come as a surprise.
A person who is on guard and who knows the enemy will not be the victim of a surprise attack.
That’s why the Bible says many times to watch and pray.
Verse 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 words kill them and cause the work to cease is quite a compliment to the workers.
The enemy was saying the only way they could stop them from being successful was to kill
them.
Verse 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.
This is a great verse about the care of God for His child and the omniscience of God.
Omniscience means God is all knowing.
God knows it all…
He knows our past, our present and even our future.
He knows our heart, our intentions and our desires.
He knows our hurts and our pains.
He knows when we are discouraged and when we are afraid.
God is an all-knowing God and an all caring God.
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The devil is not all knowing he only knows our past and only knows our present, our fears
and discouragement when we talk about it.
So talk is not cheap talk can be very expensive.
The devil doesn’t know God’s plan for us he only knows God has a plan for us.
And he knows God has a plan for him.
In verse 12 God allows the plan of the enemy to be exposed and told to Nehemiah and the
workers.
God will expose your enemies God will tell you what you need to know.
With Nehemiah when the enemy was planning the attack they didn’t know some Jews were
listening in hearing the plan.
Those Jews went to Nehemiah and told him the enemies plan.
This is a wonderful example of the power and the goodness of God.
God is always in control.
I believe God speaks to His people He can speak to us directly or speak to others to speak
to us.
I have to throw this in…right after this church was started we had some enemies.
I was hearing things but didn’t know the source.
One night I was dreaming and I saw two people in my dream with a knife and they said here he
is get him.
I saw their faces in my dream and the next day I was able to confront them about what they were
trying to do.
There were other times God tried to warn me and I missed it.
But be careful and don’t jump on the wagon with everything people say God said.
Some things are prophetic and some are pathetic and you have to have and use discernment to
know the difference.
When it says they told us ten times the enemies plan…
They had to tell Nehemiah 10 times because even though they were in a panic Nehemiah wasn’t.
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So they think he can’t understand what they are trying to say.
Enemy attacks are no time to panic they are time to act.
In verses 13 and 14 we see Nehemiah’s plan of action.
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.
Up to this point the workers had been scattered all over Jerusalem working on the wall but they
had been separated from their families.
A discouraged person is an easy target as I said, you don’t just go to a discouraged person and
say get over it or it will be ok.
To overcome discouragement it takes encouragement.
Nehemiah knew the enemy could wipe out the discouraged workers so he had to do
something to encourage them.
He had to give them an incentive in order to keep them from being defeated.
What Nehemiah did was unify them according to their families giving each one a common
goal…
Preservation…in other words they weren’t fighting for the wall they were fighting for their
family.
The wall was the source of discouragement the family was the source of encouragement.
Verse 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 and your daughters your wives and your houses.
This verse tells us what Nehemiah did not what he could have done.
Nehemiah could have said lets all bow our heads in prayer and pray this enemy attack away.
He could have said ok that’s it I’m headed back to Persia I came to rebuild a wall not to fight.
Or he could have panicked and said run for your life.
But what he did was remained calm and depended on God for directions and wisdom.
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Nehemiah had to redirect their attention from the rubbish and the wall.
In doing so he had to direct their attention to God.
He said do not be afraid of them remember the Lord great and awesome.
Nehemiah put their mind in the right perspective the challenge was great but there was no reason
for fear.
He said remember the Lord great and awesome.
In times of fear and challenges we need to remember the Lord that He is great and He is
awesome and He works in ways man cannot comprehend.
Remembering the Lord means…
Calling to mind the things the Lord has said.
Isaiah 26:3,4 The steadfast of mind He will keep in perfect peace because he trusts in You.
Phil. 4:6,7…Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all
comprehension shall guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Isaiah 54:17 no weapon formed against you shall prosper.
We remember the Lord by calling to mind the things He has said.
We remember the Lord by calling to mind who He is.
Nehemiah said the Lord is great and awesome.
We remember the Lord by calling to mind all He has done in the past.
How He has gotten us over every mountain and every valley and every storm and every battle in
the past.
To Nehemiah the challenge was great and the enemy was strong but God was stronger and
greater.
Because they were believers they had a power at work in their lives that their enemies knew
nothing about.
They like every believer had invisible resources they could count on in time of danger.
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The great and awesome God was with them and would stand with them in the challenging time.
When they remembered the Lord they became reassured and renewed in courage.
Nehemiah reminded the people that God was with them and would fight for them.
God is awesome, God is all-powerful, God is great…
God is!
2nd Tim. 2:8 Paul wrote to Timothy when he was feeling all alone and discouraged and said to
him…
Remember Jesus Christ risen from the dead…
Paul telling Timothy he was not alone God was with Him.
When threats and attacks come our way we have remember the Lord and we will be able to
stand against the enemy and every temptation of the enemy.
Encourage yourself in the Lord.
Remember the Lord great and awesome!
Remember what He has said…
Remember what He has done…
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