DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- MELODRAMA

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – MELODRAMA

"But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews." (Nehemiah 4:1)

Have you ever watched a melodrama? The plot is always the same. There will always be the villain, the victim, and the hero. The book of Nehemiah is kind of like a melodrama. There are the villains – Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem, and the rest of the enemies (6:1). The Jews are the victims, and Nehemiah is the hero.

Sanballat and Tobiah seem to be the leaders of the opposition. Sanballat was a Horonite and Tobiah was an Ammonite. They made their appearances early in the story. In chapter 2:10, they were "deeply disturbed that a man had come to seek the well-being of the children of Israel." They laughed and despised what the Jews were doing under Nehemiah's leadership (2:19). But when they saw that the wall was actually being rebuilt, they became angry. They mocked the Jewish workers with words like, "Whatever they build, even if a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall" (4:3).

But this did not deter the Israelites from their work of rebuilding the wall.

There will always be nay-sayers who will despise and mock us when we take a stand for God and His work. Some will even become furious and vent their anger on us. They would want us to quit, and go sit in a corner and suck our thumbs. They will use the same ploys as Sanballat and his gang – they will conspire together to attack and create confusion (vs. 8). They will try to intimidate us into silence.

In our struggles against our enemies – Satan and His hordes, we can employ the same tactics as Nehemiah and his followers. First, they prayed (vs. 9). Then they kept working, vigilantly watching for the attacks of their enemies. Nehemiah spoke words of faith and encouragement: " 'Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses' " (vs. 14). It is noteworthy that they did not fight back, but they were prepared to defend themselves in the face of the threats of their enemies (vs. 13).

In our battles against our enemy, our first line of defense is prayer to the God who can deliver us from our enemies.  Then we keep working.  We are not called to attack them, as tempting as that may be, but to stand firm in our faith, and be prepared to give a defense of the Gospel (I Peter 3:15). Our great and mighty God will give us victory.

Love, Dad