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Scripture: Nehemiah 2:9-20
9Then I came to
the governors of
the provinces beyond the River and gave them the king’s letters.
Now the king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen. 10When
Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about
it, it was very displeasing to them that someone had come to seek
the welfare of the sons of Israel. 11So I came to
Jerusalem and was there three days. 12And I arose
in the night, I and a few men with me. I did not tell anyone what my God
was putting into my mind to do for Jerusalem and there was no animal with
me except the animal on which I was riding. 13So I went out
at night by the Valley Gate in the direction of the Dragon’s Well and on
to the Refuse Gate, inspecting the walls of Jerusalem which were broken
down and its gates which were consumed by fire. 14Then I passed
on to the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was no place for
my mount to pass. 15So I went up
at night by the ravine and inspected the wall. Then I entered the Valley
Gate again and returned. 16The officials
did not know where I had gone or what I had done; nor had I as yet told
the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials or the rest who did the
work.17Then I said
to them, “You see the bad situation we are in, that Jerusalem is
desolate and its gates burned by fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of
Jerusalem so that we will no longer be a reproach.” 18I told them
how the hand of my God had been favorable to me and also about the
king’s words which he had spoken to me. Then they said, “Let us arise
and build.” So they put their hands to the good work. 19But when
Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the
Arab heard it,
they mocked us and despised us and said, “What is this thing you are
doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” 20So I answered
them and said to them, “The God of heaven will give us success;
therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no portion,
right or memorial in Jerusalem.”
Nehemiah
was ready to take on this monumental task knowing that
“
. . . the good hand of my God was
on me.”
Nehemiah
2:8b
A.
Nehemiah’s Departure
Nehemiah
2:6b
“So
it pleased the king to send me, and I gave him a definite time.”
& Nehemiah
had planned
a work and
now he was ready to work
his plan.
He set a time somewhere between six months to a year. At a later
period he received a new commission to better settle the affairs of Judea
and remained governor of that province for twelve years. Nehemiah
5:14
& Often
times the task we undertake is far greater than our earlier estimates.
Francis and Jeanne, our hurricane sisters, have taught us some lessons
about that in Florida! In
the Lord’s Work we can expect delays by our adversary, the devil.
Enter Sanballet and Tobiah! See
Nehemiah
2:10b “.
. . it was very displeasing to
them that someone had come to seek the welfare of the sons of Israel.” Surprise!
Surprise! The
Bible Knowledge Commentary notes
that “Perhaps
they were hoping to gain control of Judah. In fact in the Elephantine
papyri written in 407 b.c.,
37 years after this event, Sanballat was called ‘governor of Samaria.’
”
B.
Nehemiah’s Diagnosis
Nehemiah
2:11,12
11So
I came to Jerusalem and was there three days. 12And
I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. I did not tell anyone what
my God was putting into my mind to do for Jerusalem and there was no
animal with me except the animal on which I was riding.
Nehemiah
found it necessary to scope out the land under the cover of darkness.
He soon discovered that the reports of the devastation received
earlier were not exaggerated.
This would be a huge challenge and would require the work of many
hands.
C.
Nehemiah’s Determination
1.
Nehemiah’s Building Committee
vs.
16-18
16The
officials did not know where I had gone or what I had done; nor had I as
yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials or the rest who
did the work.17Then
I said to them, “You see the bad situation we are in, that Jerusalem is
desolate and its gates burned by fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of
Jerusalem so that we will no longer be a reproach.”
His
Testimony
18”I
told them how the hand of my God had been favorable to me and also about
the king’s words
& which
he had spoken to me.” What
a great and awesome God we serve! Nehemiah’s
faith and God’s faithfulness is a powerful incentive to serve and obey
Him!
& Their
Response: “Then
they said, “Let us arise and build.” So they put their hands to the
good work.
It
is indeed a wonderful to see God’s people respond to God’s providence.
Can you relate to that, my friend?
2.
Nehemiah’s Buffeting Committee vs.
19
19But
when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem
the Arab heard it,
they mocked us and despised us and said, “What is this thing you are
doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” Here
we see the “troublesome trio.” Ryrie
indentifies them as: Sanballat:
Mentioned
as governor of Samaria,“he assessed Nehemiah’s arrival as a threat to
Samaria’s control of Judea. Tobiah:
Probably
an ex-slave, now governor of Ammon. Geshem:
A
powerful chieftain of Dedan in NW Arabia. Nehemiah was surrounded by
enemies who tried to intimidate him by insinuating that he wanted to rebel
against the king of Persia.” Nehemiah
had the courage, the commitment and the credentials from the king and the
King of kings and would not be denied.
3.
Nehemiah’s Broadening Commitment
Nehemiah
2:20
20So
I answered them and said to them, “The God of heaven will give us
success; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no
portion, right or memorial | 
