Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Adding to the Noise- Nehemiah 4:1-6


One of the most powerful senses available to us is our hearing. Hearing can warn us of danger even before we see it approaching, tell us what is going on in another room ,and allows humans the ability to speak through the miracle of spoken language. Hearing is what allows a new mother to stay alert at night as she listens for the cries of an infant baby. Hearing is what lets my daughter know that someone is entering our home through the side door around the corner even when she cannot see them. What we hear can encourage us, warn us, scare us, bring us joy, and cause us pain. Perhaps this is why the Bible is so concerned about what we hear.

         Matthew 11:15-“He who has an ear let him hear.”

James 1:19-“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger.”

Proverbs 2:2-“Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.”

John 8:47-“Whoever is of God hears the words of God…”

Though these verses are heard when read, in the spirit of our God-given ability to hear, I invite each of us to hear Nehemiah 4:1-6 in a totally different way—by actually imagining the sounds that were created when was going on in the action actually took place. Though what will be heard would have caused concern among those who originally experienced this episode, inevitably, the sounds that resonate from this passage will teach us how to respond appropriately to discouragement.  Ready to listen carefully?

a) Trash Talk-4:1-3

In Nehemiah chapter 3, a compendium of all of the subcontractors is given that details exactly who did what as the wall was being rebuilt. This long list serves several purposes. First, its level of detail reminds the reader that these were real people who collectively were capable of accomplishing a huge project. Second, the list reveals that a great deal of preparation and organization went into this project. Obviously, Nehemiah proves himself to be a gifted leader and manager/superintendent over the project that God has given him. In fact, chapter 3 might give the impression that once Nehemiah had carefully assigned everyone to a particular section of the wall, from that time on everything progressed smoothly…Not so!

It doesn’t take long for the busy-body up-to-no-good home-owners association of rural Persia to begin voicing their objection to the new construction project going on in their neighborhood. Nehemiah recalls, “…when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and very angry and mocked the Jews” (4:1). Let the trash-talking begin! First, Sanballat, (“sin gives life”) spouts off an angry deluge of mockery in the Jews direction.

“He spoke in the presence of his brothers and the wealthy men of Samaria and said, ‘What are these feeble Jews doing? Can they finish in a day? Can they revive the stone from the dusty rubble even the burned one?’” (4:2). Surrounded by the other elitists in the area, Sandballat first questions what the Jews are setting out to do, “what are these feeble Jews doing?” suggesting that this oppressed group is incapable of nearly anything. Having watched the inactivity of the Jewish people up to this point and having seen the wall that continued to lay in ruin, Sanballat questions whether or not restoration is possible for those in Jerusalem. This sentiment is made even more acute when Sanballat continues and says, “Are they going to restore it for themselves?” Next, Sanballat questions whether or not the Jews will ever be able to finish and in response offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, “Can they offer sacrifices?” After wondering whether the Jews will ever finish, he mocks their intelligence saying, “Can they finish in a day?” (i.e. do you even know how long a project like this takes to complete?). Finally, Sanballat questions their methods, “Can they revive the stone from the dusty rubble, even the burned ones?” (i.e. “Are they really going to use that to make a wall?”).

Ultimately, this is not the most encouraging thing to hear when you are hard at work on an endeavor that is really too big for you to accomplish as it is. However, this is just one voice. One voice is easy to ignore. But what happens when others join in?

Now Tobiah the Ammonite was near him and he said, ‘Even what they are building—if a fox should jump on it, he would break their stone wall down!’…” (4:3). One of the other card-carrying members of the board of the home-owners association, Tobiah, joins in the wretched refrain by building on what Sanballat already said and suggests that even if a wall was built, it would be so weak that a solitary fox’s delicate trot would collapse it entirely.

One thing is for sure, both Tobiah and Sanballat knew how to talk trash! These behaved similar to the bullies from the schoolyard who were quick with a quip about someone’s mother or how badly their dad could beat up your dad. Although children are taught to ignore bullies like this, even on the school yard, it is near impossible to drown out their voices and not be razed by a comment here or there. This is especially true when people degrade the work that you are passionate about later in life. Imagine, your people has finally been galvanized into action after years of laziness and things are actually taking shape in a positive direction. The wall that laid desolate is finally being mended and with every brick laid you get more and more excited. Now imagine that off in the distance, you hear the insults of those who wish to do you harm. In many ways, this project would be like rebuilding a wall while that same wall was under siege (only in this case, the arrows and rocks are the words that we are taught are supposed to never hurt).

How would Nehemiah, the leader who had roped all of this together, respond to this onslaught of negativity that pervaded the construction zone? Passionate prayer.

b) Passionate Prayer-4:4-5

Passionate prayer is the second thing we hear in the construction zone. As Nehemiah begins his petition, he provides an honest assessment of how the people feel, “Hear, O our God, how we are despised!...” (4:4a). As the construction is taking place and the negativity continues to build, Nehemiah does not pretend his people are stronger than they are—nor does he act as though the situation is not all that bad. He honestly assesses the situation and tells God how he feels. At this point, he and his people feel despised. Not one of their neighbors wants them to succeed. Everyone is out to discourage the much-needed work.

After coming clean about how his people feel and calling upon the one true God, Nehemiah asks that his enemies would get what is coming to them, “Return their reproach on their heads and given them up for plunder in a land of captivity. Do not forgive their iniquity and let not their sin be blotted out before You…” (4:4b-5a). This is one glowing example of an Old Testament imprecatory prayer in which a child of God calls out for the condemnation of his enemy. In this case, Nehemiah prays that Sanballat and his cohorts would be taken captive and that they would be judged for their sins. First, Nehemiah asks that his enemies experience what the Jews had just experienced, captivity. Perhaps, Nehemiah wants to see how his enemies would handle 150 years of exile and how well they would fair when allowed back into their homeland. Second, Nehemiah wants his enemies to feel the full weight of their sin and its consequences. This takes trash-talking to a whole other level!

But why was Nehemiah so upset? Why was his prayer so passionate? Because as verse 5 reveals, “they have demoralized the builders” (4:5b). The problem they are facing is a real problem—the workers are becoming discouraged in the work that God had called upon them to accomplish. Ultimately, Nehemiah’s prayer, although harsh, is appropriate for several reasons. First, in their opposition to the Jews, Sanballat and the others were actually opposing the work of God. Though it might have seemed like a dispute over a new fence, the issue is far greater. God was about restoring the nation that would bring about His Son who would come to bring salvation. Second, God has already pronounced judgment on Israel’s enemies. Therefore, Nehemiah was praying according to God’s will. Those who oppose God (as Sanballat and the others were ultimately doing) will be judged according to their sin. Third, Nehemiah was praying that God would make good on a promise He gave to Abraham concerning those who curse His people (Gen. 12:3-“I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you”). And fourth, vengeance belonged to God, not to Nehemiah. Therefore, it is appropriate to bring this kind of request to the Lord and not try and take care of things himself.

Prayer trumps the opposition Nehemiah and his construction crew face. Nehemiah’s invocation drowns out the voices of negativity and despair being hurled in his direction. Once God is placed center stage again, having temporarily been upstaged by the nay-sayers, a proper focus is gained and a new sound could be heard.

Busy Builders-4:6

The third and final noise heard on the construction site that day was the glorious sound of busy builders pressing on in spite of the opposition, “so we built the wall and the whole wall was joined together to half its height…” (4:6a). As in all his efforts recorded for us, Nehemiah blends divine perspective with the human and joins prayer to action. Though it is always appropriate to wait on the Lord, Nehemiah waits only so long as to finish praying before he continues the work that he knows God has called him to do. Once he committed the problem to the Lord, he trusted God to help the Jews achieve this mammoth task and while praying and trusting, they rebuilt the wall to half its height.

Why were they so successful in the face of so great an opposition? God had called a leader to fulfill a unique mission and a Nehemiah had pursued the Lord’s blessing and protection through prayer. However, a third element was involved, “the people had a mind to work” (4:6). Notice what kind of a mind the people did not have: a mind of laziness, a mind of apathy, a mind of entitlement, a mind of inactivity, a mind that says, “someone else will take care of that” or “that is not my job.” These people had mind to work and work they did! In about 4 weeks, the entire perimeter was restored to half its height! Amazing things happen when the people of God have a mind to work.

So What?

These three sounds have taught us several important lessons—first: trash-talk is a reality. For Nehemiah and his crew, trash talk came in the form of mockery. For us, trash talk may come in a variety of ways: discouragement, lies, personal attacks, emotional/verbal abuse, etc. I immediately think about the scene in American Sniper when the drill sergeants are training new seal recruits. As the training takes place, the sergeants are doing everything they can to distract and demoralize the men in an effort to test their resolve. The weak who cannot handle the barrage of petty insults and scare tactics are allowed at any time to surrender by ringing a bell. Its ring lets everyone know they have surrendered and can no longer press on. Similarly, God allows discouragements in Nehemiah’s situation and in our lives in an effort to test our resolve to complete our mission. If not dealt with properly, the barrage of discouragement will have us looking for the surrender bell so that we can quit whatever God has called upon us to do. However, we have another option. Passionate prayer is capable of drowning out the cacophonous medley of discouragement. Prayers offered to the Lord that center on the continuation of His will are as noise-cancelling headphones that silence skeptics and fill us with encouragement. When passionate prayer is applied, actions inevitably follow that allow us to move on with the mission at hand. What is our mission? To know Christ, grow in Christ, and to show Christ to this neighborhood and to the world. Sure the skeptics are there and we will always face discouragement as we seek to fulfill this individually and corporately. Therefore, let them hear us pray and busily build the kingdom of God with His help! Our father can beat up their father!

 

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