p. 20 | The Spirit of Nehemiah

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Michigan · Apr 15, 1902

The Spirit of Nehemiah

By Edward Alexander Sutherland

(Continued from last week)

EVERY man was given a definite work. There were some, however, who professed to be interested, but who took no active part. Sanballat mocked the working Jews, saying: “What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they make an end in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned? Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.” Neh. 4: 1–3.

Nehemiah sought God earnestly during this discouraging time, and his faith and unswerving courage had its effect. It is written: “So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together . . . for the people had a mind to work.”

There were certain Jews also who, instead of coming up to help the Lord’s work, were creating opposition and talking discouragement. We find that certain Jews who dwelt by Sanballat and Tobiah, came to Nehemiah, and said unto him ten times, that if Nehemiah did not cease crowding the work so hard, Sanballat and Tobiah would make trouble for them all.

Was Nehemiah discouraged and frightened by this miserable treachery of those who professed to believe the word of God?—No! To his followers he said, “Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.” Neh. 4: 14.

There was no disposition on the part of Nehemiah and those who had the spirit of work, to prolong for months that which could be done in a few weeks. They were so determined to accomplish the task that, for a few days, the work lasted from the dawning of the morning till the stars appeared at night, and none of them put off their clothes, except to have them washed. Neh. 4: 21–23.

When Sanballat and Tobiah saw that they could not frighten Nehemiah from his work, they tried another plan. They begged for an interview. They said, “Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages.” But of what use was it to Nehemiah to counsel with such men? He sent back the message: “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?” After receiving this straightforward message, Sanballat and Tobiah sent again four times, begging for an interview, in order that they might discourage him in his effort to build the walls. Neh. 6: 1–3.

When Sanballat and Tobiah saw that Nehemiah and his men would not counsel, they then wrote an open letter to Nehemiah, in which it was stated that they—Sanballat and Tobiah—had heard it reported that Nehemiah was planning a rebellion against the king of Persia, and that he (Nehemiah) intended to be king of the Jews. They begged Nehemiah to come and talk the matter over. This last message meant much to Nehemiah and his associates. If Sanballat and Tobiah should send the report to the Persian king, it might cause the work to cease. Through it all, Nehemiah’s only relief was in prayer: “O God, strengthen my hands.” Neh. 6: 4–9.

Still other attempts were made to thwart the work of Nehemiah. A man purporting to be a prophet came to him, urging him to flee into the temple for protection from a night attack that would be made by Sanballat and Tobiah. Note Nehemiah’s answer and the result: “I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in. And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me. My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.” Neh. 6: 10–14.

In the midst of such opposing forces, the building of the wall was completed. But even with this recounting of difficulties, I have not mentioned all, for the most perplexing opposition came from Jews,—nobles, in fact, who should have upheld the hands of Nehemiah in his aggressive work, but who were, on the contrary, secretly allied to Sanballat and Tobiah. These nobles, or leaders, kept others in an unsettled state of mind by writing letters and carrying false reports. The exact wording of the Scriptures is, “They reported his [Tobiah’s] good deeds before me [Nehemiah], and uttered my matters to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.” Neh. 6: 17–19.

E. A. SUTHERLAND.

(To be concluded)