Building Involves Battling

Part 3

Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."

In setting our faces toward giving out of need, we ought not to think that we will avoid encounters with discouragement, fear, and ridicule. If we desire the admiration of the world we might as well just go ahead and serve the world with all we have. There is no in between. There is no both. Jesus already told us that to follow him means to put our hand to the plow and not look back.

The focus of ALABASTER FLASK is the blessing of sacrificial service. We are continuing to follow Nehemiah and his encounters with his vicious enemy Sanballat. What does this story have to do with us, with giving unreservedly?

•  Following Jesus demands being sold out, setting our face like a flint, shunning the world system and its enticements

•  Following Jesus is first about him, second about others, and lastly about our selves. 

•  The more we give, the more persistently and intensly Satan attacks

“Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin” 1 Peter 4:1

Arm Yourselves 

Today we look at how Nehemiah and the people of God fought against the attacks of Sanballat (which we looked at yesterday).

Satan’s Anger

Over and over Sanballat and his cohorts were angered.

· Neh. 2:10 is the first account that Sanballat was greatly angered. The word angered (grieved KJV) is translated from the Hebrew yara, “to tremble”. It is the same word used to describe Abraham’s reaction to Sarah’s plea to cast out his son Ishmael. It is used to describe Hannah grieving for the want of a son.

· Neh. 2:19 says that Sanballat despised Israel. This word in Hebrew is basah “to hold in contempt” or “to trample with the feet”. It is the feeling that Goliath had for David; Esau despised his birthright.

· Nehemiah 4:1, 4:7 Sanballat was wroth. Heb: charah, “ to be hot, furious, burn, become angry, be kindled “And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael” 2 Kings 13:3

The anger of Sanballat against any attempt to help God’s people was a

Trembling, Foot-Trampling, Blazing Hot Anger.

As a type of Satan, he reveals to us what we are up against. Last time we summarized the expressions of his anger, the tactics he uses to defeat, as

Accusation, Mockery, Demoralization, Assault, Threats, Harm, Discouragement, Entrapment, and Discrediting

Pretty intense enemy isn’t he? How do we deal with him?

Nehemiah’s Response

I. NEVER LET DOWN YOUR GUARD

Here’s how Nehemiah did it. The enemy never let up, but Nehemiah and the people did not let down their guard, even during the times that it appeared the enemy had backed off. They didn’t even take time to change clothes or lay down their weapons

Neh. 4:23 “So neither I nor my brothers nor my servants nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us took off our clothes; each kept his weapon at his right hand.” ESV

II. PRAY ALL THE TIME

After every threat Nehemiah prayed intensely.

Neh. 4:4 "Hear, O our God, how we are despised!  Return their reproach on their own heads and give them up for plunder in a land of captivity.  Do not forgive their iniquity and let not their sin be blotted out before You, for they have demoralized the builders.” NASB

Neh. 4:9 “And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.” ESV

Neh. 6:9 “For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, ‘Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.’ But now, O God, strengthen my hands.” ESV

Neh. 6:14 “Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, according to these things that they did, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who wanted to make me afraid.” ESV



III. STRENGTHEN FAMILIES

Neh. 4:13 “So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in open places, I stationed the people by their clans, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.” ESV


IV. STRENGTHEN LEADERSHIP

Neh. 4:14 “And I looked and arose and said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, ‘Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.’ " ESV

All of chapter 5 recounts the anger of Nehemiah against the leaders of the people of God, and his demands that they stop their unfair practices against them.

Neh. 5:7 “I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, ‘You are exacting interest, each from his brother.’ And I held a great assembly against them.”

Neh. 5:12b, 13 “And I called the priests and made them swear to do as they had promised. I also shook out the fold of my garment and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said ‘Amen’ and praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised.”

V. STAY UNITED

Neh. 4:19-20 “And I said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, ‘The work is great and widely spread, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another. In the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.’" ESV

Next time we will look at the role of a leader and the responsibility of the people.

ENEMIES

Part 1


The Reason for Spiritual Warfare

 "Amongst lnjuns, a tribe's greatness is figured on how mighty its enemies be."  Del Gue from the movie Jeremiah Johnson

    What is the measure of greatness in regards to enemies?  David’s enemy was a giant.  Is it comparative size?  Jezebel was a wicked woman with great power – the enemy of Elijah.  Is it the greatness of power of the enemy?  

Enemies can consume our time and energy, rendering us weak and ineffectual in the pursuit of the calling to spread God’s good news and care for the hurting.  Recognize that this is by design.  The more our lives are focused on the antics of the enemy the less we will overcome.  If we let him, our enemy will wear us down and prevent us from building.

SANBALLAT

    After days of mourning, fasting and praying over the desolation of Jerusalem, Nehemiah received approval from God to go and rebuild.  His master, Artaxerxes of Persia (Iran), was moved by Nehemiah’s sorrow, and granted him a journey to Jerusalem

As soon as evil men in the city heard of Nehemiah’s intentions they began to relentlessly oppose him.  Isn’t that how Satan approached Jesus when he was led by the Spirit to fast and pray (and “to be tempted by the devil”) in the desert?  Satan questioned God’s word; he attempted to destroy the eternal mission of Jesus to bring the people of the earth back to relationship with God.

 “But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they jeered at us and despised us…” Nehemiah 2:19 ESV

The Moabites and Ammonites were people who lived east of the Jordan River in what is now the nation of Jordan.  They were descendants of Lot, from incestuous relationships between Lot and his daughters. They worshipped Moloch, a god who required sacrifices of children, and Baal (different name, same religion).  They were fearsome warriors.

“Like some other gods and demons found in the Bible, Moloch appears as part of medieval demonology, as a Prince of Hell. This Moloch finds particular pleasure in making mothers weep; he specializes in stealing their children.” https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Moloch

Ammonites were descendants of Lot and his daughter. 

“On that same day, as the Book of Moses was being read to the people, the passage was found that said no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be permitted to enter the assembly of God.” Nehemiah 13:1 NLT

An enemy is usually perceived as being unfairly hostile and undeserved by us.  And this is probably the case most of the time.  There are, of course, those situations where one actually deserves of the wrath of an enemy.  These earn their enemies.  That is how things operate in this world.  This is why there will always be wars. 

But there are situations where evil just rises up against seemingly innocent humans. The greater the enemy, the greater the tribe.

We (the church) are the tribe of God that has been grafted in. If you were naturally part of a wild olive tree and you were cut off from it, and then, contrary to nature, you were grafted into [Israel] the cultivated olive tree… (Romans 11:24) 

Our mortal enemy, the hater of our souls, is that Snake, Satan.  He is the ultimate enemy.  In comparison to humans he is mighty beyond imagination.  But though our tribe is human, it is more.  We have the Spirit of the living God empowering us.  We belong to the one who ascended after descending.  (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) Ephesians 4:9,10.

    

    Along with Israel the church is the greatest tribe, hunted by the greatest enemy.  What about enemies of the human kind?  Paul acknowledged them and warned of them.  His advice was to live as citizens of heaven.  

“My friends, I want you to follow my example and learn from others who closely follow the example we set for you. I often warned you that many people are living as enemies of the cross of Christ. And now with tears in my eyes, I warn you again that they are headed for hell! They worship their stomachs and brag about the disgusting things they do. All they can think about are the things of this world.

     But we are citizens of heaven and are eagerly waiting for our Savior to come from there. Our Lord Jesus Christ has power over everything, and he will make these poor bodies of ours like his own glorious body.  Phillipians 3:17-21 CEV

Jesus also spoke of human enemies and what to do about them.

“This is what I say to all who will listen to me:

Love your enemies, and be good to everyone who hates you. Ask God to bless anyone who curses you, and pray for everyone who is cruel to you.  Luke 6:27-28 CEV

            So, what about Satan – the Sanballat who stands and taunts us, defying us to build the Kingdom of God?  How do we deal with him?

Please return for a continuation of these thoughts.

Janet McDonald