Why We Need to Know the Story of Sanballat: The seeds of revival

Part 2

When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard all this, they were very displeased that someone had come to seek benefit for the Israelites. Nehemiah 2:10 NET 

The Hater of God’s People 

The slightest forward movement under godly leadership enrages the enemy. He hates Israel and he hates the Church. Sanballat was awakened to high alert that Nehemiah was about to usher in a revival. From the beginning of a call of God to restore the broken down places, Satan begins his assault. We must know and expect this, and be prepared for victory.

So, how do we stay ahead of the enemy and not be sidetracked by him?

Be sober and alert. Your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion, is on the prowl looking for someone to devour. I Peter 5:8

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Matthew 4:1

Got that? We are targets. It starts when we obey God’s call and NEVER LETS UP. Follow Sanballat following Nehemiah. Learn. See his tactical strategy.

Ø 2:19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard all this, they derided us and expressed contempt toward us. They said, “What is this you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” ACCUSATION

Ø 4:1 Now when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall he became angry and was quite upset. He derided the Jews, 4:2 and in the presence of his colleagues and the army of Samaria he said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they be left to themselves? Will they again offer sacrifice? Will they finish this in a day? Can they bring these burnt stones to life again from piles of dust?” MOCKERY

Ø 4:5 Do not cover their iniquity, and do not wipe out their sin from before them. For they have bitterly offended the builders! DEMORALIZE

Ø 4:7 When Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the people of Ashdod heard that the restoration of the walls of Jerusalem had moved ahead and that the breaches had begun to be closed, they were very angry

Ø 4:8 All of them conspired together to move with armed forces against Jerusalem and to create a disturbance in it. ASSAULT & CREATE CHAOS

Ø 4:11 Our adversaries also boasted, “Before they are aware or anticipate anything, we will come in among them and kill them, and we will bring this work to a halt!” DEATH THREATS, FEAR

Ø 6:2 Sanballat and Geshem sent word to me saying, “Come on! Let’s set up a time to meet together at Kephirim in the plain of Ono.” Now they intended to do me harm. HARM

Ø 6:9 All of them were wanting to scare us, supposing, “Their hands will grow slack from the work, and it won’t get done.” DISCOURAGE

Ø 6:13 He had been hired to scare me so that I would do this and thereby sin. They would thus bring reproach on me and I would be discredited ENTRAP & DISCREDIT

Accuse – Mock – Demoralize – Assault – Threaten – Harm – Discourage – Entrap – Discredit 

            

My dear readers, these are the tactics.  We cannot credit any of this to mere human rancor.  This level of intense anger and scheme originates in the hater of our souls.  But he is not always as blatant as was Sanballat.  He instigates his chaos within our very midst.  He compels us to turn our eyes to one another through suspicion and blame, effectively untying the bond of unity that is our safety net against him.  This is why I see the mighty work of Nehemiah and the people of God whom he led as the story of revival.  In that day the temple was restored, and even more importantly, the hearts of the people were stirred to repentance, followed by great unity, joy, and a return to holiness.  THAT is revival.  It is what we need today.  It is what Finney, Spurgeon, and others, facilitated and wrote to us about.

Yet…we balk, we stick out our chins, we turn on our leaders and one another.  When we begin to be aware, as did Nehemiah, that the walls have been broken down and the church lies in disrepair, our first (and human) response is blame.  We blame a lack of eloquence.  We blame the minister for not doing things our way, not considering that God may have sent him to cause us to look at ourselves.

"If we had the Spirit sealing our ministry with power it would signify very little about talent. Men might be poor and uneducated, their words might be broken and ungrammatical; but if the might of the Spirit attended them, the humblest evangelist would be more successful than the most learned of divines, or the most eloquent of preachers.

“It is extraordinary power from God, not talent, that wins the day. It is extraordinary spiritual unction not extraordinary mental power, that we need. Mental power may fill a chapel but spiritual power fills the church with soul anguish. Mental power may gather a large congregation. but only spiritual power will save souls. What we need is spiritual power." - Chas. H. Spurgeon

What our Response Should Be

The power of Israel under Nehemiah was prayer, unity, and obedience.  The response to the enemy starts with prayer.  Everything Nehemiah accomplished was done through a strong, unwavering habit of prayer.  In my next blog I will examine Nehemiah’s responses.


Special thanks to brother LaRoyce Jones for permission to use his wonderful painting of  Nehemiah "Building the Wall".  His works can be seen at The Light and Dark Series