Nehemiah rallied the people of Jerusalem. The people bought into his mission and vision for building the walls of the city. They were ready and willing to start the work. It was inevitable that opposition would come swiftly, such as the very next verse from where we left off.
Nehemiah 2:19 But when Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab heard of our plan, they scoffed contemptuously. “What are you doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” they asked.
Earlier in the chapter after Nehemiah's arrival, you can also find
Nehemiah 2:10 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard of my arrival, they were very displeased that someone had come to help the people of Israel.
When you are in God's will and doing a work for God, you can expect to run into the enemy. Who were these men that were opposed to Nehemiah and the people of Israel? All we know is what Nehemiah records, and how he addresses them.
Sanballat the Horonite
A Horonite was a person from the city of Horonaim, a city of Moab. Racial hatred existed between the Moabites and the Jews. Sanballat was one of the regional governors that Nehemiah presented his papers from the king to, on his trip to Jerusalem. He had direct control of the major highway between Jerusalem and the Mediterranean Sea. Sanballat profited by any commerce that had to travel from the Sea to Jerusalem. So when Nehemiah came with papers from the reigning king to rebuild Jerusalem, it was in Sanballat’s financial and political interest to oppose it.
Tobiah the Ammonite
Nehemiah calls Tobiah an Ammonite, though in other verses we learn he was a Jew that abandoned the Israelites and joined their enemies for financial and political gain. Nehemiah referred to Tobiah as "a servant" of Sanballat. So he was likely a gopher or an underling to Sanballat. It is believed he was allotted an area east of Jerusalem to govern.
Geshem the Arab
Geshem is presented as the leader of an Arabian tribe. He likely governed or controlled the southern part of Israel. Bands of Arabs could raid the unprotected city of Jerusalem at will.
These three were all likely regional governors under the king of Persia. Nehemiah came with authority from the king which usurped their power and authority. The Moabites and Ammonites were among the people groups God had driven from the Promised Land for the Israelites. They were the enemies of the Jews from long ago, who were now keeping the city of Jerusalem in ruins. Those who raided and plundered the people of Jerusalem likely made payoffs to these governors. Any change to the status quo in Jerusalem would be bad news to these three. So they were set on harming Nehemiah and disrupting the work or the Israelites.
How would Nehemiah respond to the opposition and the accusations made about him?
Nehemiah 2:20 I replied, “The God of heaven will help us succeed. We, his servants, will start rebuilding this wall. But you have no share, legal right, or historic claim in Jerusalem.”
It was a bold "in your face" reply. It was a defiant reply in the name of God of Heaven! He replied by speaking truth. He spoke truth about God- that the God of Israel was on their side and would prosper them. He spoke the truth about himself and the people if Israel- with God behind they had the power to rise up and build the wall. Then he spoke the truth about the enemy - They owned nothing there, they have no right and authority over them or in Jerusalem.
There is a good lesson in Nehemiah's reply. It is a model response when we are faced with an attack by the enemy of God. When the enemy is speaking to you, respond boldly. Speak out that God is with you and is on your side. Speak the truth that God will prosper you. Tell the enemy they have no authority over you.
CHAPTER 3
Chapter 3 goes into detail about the building of the gates and walls of the city. It tells, in great detail and in a particular order, of the people or families that built each gate or section of the wall. Those who have studied the Book of Nehemiah through the years have recognized a parallel or pattern between the gates of the city and the ministries in the church today. This study will deal with that topic in detail in the next lesson, but there is also a lesson the be learned when looking at who handled the building of different areas of the gates and walls. Look at these snippets of verses in chapter 3:
10 Jedaiah son of Harumaph repaired the wall across from his own house, ...
23 Benjamin and Hasshub repaired the section across from their house, and Azariah son of Maaseiah and grandson of Ananiah repaired the section across from his house.
24 Next was Binnui son of Henadad, who rebuilt another section of the wall from Azariah’s house
28 Each one repaired the section immediately across from his own house.
29 Next Zadok son of Immer also rebuilt the wall across from his own house
Do you see the pattern? The people began to build right in their own front yard and worked out from there. Part of that may have been due to the convenience of being near their home while they worked. But this is also an often repeated Biblical pattern. In Acts 1:8 Jesus tells his followers:
"And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere- in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
The important takeaway - Start ministry where you are. Don't say you have to wait for conditions to be right or the place where you are at to change. God wants us to be a witness, share the Gospel, and do his work in our own home and neighborhood, and work out from there.
In the next part, we will start looking at the 10 gates of the city and how they set a pattern for ministry in the church today.
