Nehemiah 4:1-3

Sanballat and Tobiah were enemies of the *Jews. They did not want the *Jews to build the walls of Jerusalem again. They probably knew that Jerusalem would become an important city for trade again. So then, they would lose some of their trade. They knew that it was a big task to build the walls of the city again. But they saw that Nehemiah and the *Jews would work hard to build the walls.

These men were not just opposing the *Jews. In fact, these men were opposing God’s work. It was God’s plan that the *Jews should live in Jerusalem. Jerusalem was in the country that God promised to give to the *descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The *Jews had to leave that country because of *sin. But God promised by the *prophets that some *Jews would return. So it was God’s plan that the *Jews would rebuild Jerusalem.

But God’s plan did not only benefit the *Jews. God had decided, by means of the *Jews, to help people from every nation. He would send Jesus to be born a *Jew. God had promised this by the *prophets. And Jesus would die for the *sins of people from every nation. God will forgive all people who invite Jesus into their lives.

So we can see that Nehemiah was doing God’s work. And it was not just men who were opposing the work. In fact, the devil was using these men because the devil wanted to oppose God’s work.

Sanballat had the army from the country called Samaria with him. Perhaps the *Jews near Jerusalem could see this army close to the city. This might make them afraid. But Sanballat and Tobiah did not attack the *Jews. They could not do that because the king had allowed Nehemiah to build the walls. So Sanballat and Tobiah laughed at the *Jews and they insulted the *Jews. Sanballat and Tobiah hoped that they could upset the *Jews. Then, the *Jews might stop the construction of the wall. Sanballat and Tobiah said that the task was too great. They said that the builders were too weak. Tobiah said that the wall would fall down again easily. Clearly, Sanballat and Tobiah did not think that God would help the *Jews. But God did help them. When the *Jews finished the work, the walls were very strong. In fact, the people marched on top of the walls (Nehemiah 12:31-39).

v4 I prayed, ‘Listen to us, our God, because our enemies are insulting us. I pray that people will insult them in the same way. I pray that their enemies will take everything from them. I pray that their enemies will force them to live in *exile in a foreign country. v5 Do not forgive the evil things that they have done. Do not forget about their *sins. They have made you angry in front of the people who are building the wall.’

v6 So we continued the construction of the wall until all of it reached half of its final height. The people were eager to work.