1. The Critics: Discouragement
The Critics: Discouragement
Nehemiah 2, 4

2. Nehemiah 2: I said to (the leaders of Jerusalem), “You can see the trouble we’re in. Jerusalem has been destroyed. Fire has burned up its gates. Come on. Let’s rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. … They replied, “Let’s start rebuilding.” So they began that good work.
But Sanballat, the Horonite, heard about it. So did Tobiah, the official from Ammon. Geshem, the Arab, heard about it too. All of them laughed at us.

3. They made fun of us. “What do you think you are doing. ” they asked
They made fun of us. “What do you think you are doing?” they asked. “Are you turning against the king?”
I answered, “The God of heaven will give us success. We serve him. So we’ll start rebuilding the walls. But you don’t have any share in Jerusalem. You don’t have any claim to it. You don’t have any right to worship here.”

4. 1. Sanballat, the Horonite.
Cast of Characters
1. Sanballat, the Horonite.
Beth-Horon is the name attached to two villages west of Jerusalem, on the main road from the mountains to the sea. (
A document from 407 BCE (38 years after the events of Nehemiah 2) refers to Sanballat as the governor of Samaria.
(Kidner, Ezra and Nehemiah, IVP Academic, p. 88)

5. Tobiah, the official from Ammon
Ammon is a nation occupying land to the east of the Jordan River, in present-day Jordan.

6. 3. Geshem, the Arab
There is evidence that Geshem … was an even more powerful figure than his companions.
Scholars speculate that Gesham and his son ruled a league of Arabian tribes which took control of Moab and Edom together with part of Arabia and the approaches to Egypt under the Persian Empire. (Kidner, 91)

7. Jerusalem is virtually encircled by hostile nations represented by these three,
Sanballat of Samaria
Tobiah of Ammon
Geshem of Moab, Edom, Arabia

8. They are powerful enemies!
They represent the people who populated the land of Israel when all of the Hebrews were deported.
People from neighboring countries migrated in
People were resettled in Israel from other countries conquered by Babylon
A handful of Israelites were left behind.

9. Of course they were threatened when returning Jews began to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem! It was a political statement, signaling their intent to claim Jerusalem once again.
Previous small groups of returning Jews had made religious statements.
Zerubbabel and Joshua led the first wave of Jewish returnees from exile and began to rebuild the Temple.
Ezra reintroduced the Torah.

10. But Nehemiah was claiming the entire city, not just a single building and the right to worship there.
Plus, the timing was crazy. The current occupants had been there for 137 years!
Who owned our backyards in 1880?
Would we be prepared to return our land to the native Americans who lived here, and replant the forest that grew here??

11. “A forest of trees up to 1,000–2,000 years old and towering as high as 400 feet covered much of what is now Seattle.” Wikipedia

12. Nehemiah 4:1-6 Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall
Nehemiah 4:1-6 Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall. So he became very angry and upset. He made fun of the Jews. He spoke to his friends and the army of Samaria. He said, “What are those Jews trying to do? Can they make their city wall like new again? Will they offer sacrifices? Can they finish everything in a single day? The stones from their city wall and buildings are piled up like trash. And everything has been badly burned. Can they use those stones to rebuild everything again?”

13. Tobiah from Ammon was at Sanballat’s side
Tobiah from Ammon was at Sanballat’s side. He said, “What are they building? They’re putting up a stone wall. But suppose a fox climbs on top of it. Even that will break it down!”
I prayed to God. I said, “Our God, please listen to our prayer. Some people hate us. They’re saying bad things about us. So let others say bad things about them. Let them be carried off like stolen goods. Let them be taken to another country as prisoners. Don’t hide your eyes from their guilt. Don’t forgive their sins. They have said bad things about the builders.”

14. So we rebuilt the wall. We repaired it until all of it was half as high as we wanted it to be. The people worked with all their heart.

15. Given their political clout, I find it fascinating that their first line of attack is ridicule.
There are ALWAYS critics, doubters, people who discredit the efforts of others. It’s a remarkably effective strategy!
Every one of us can identify that person in our lives. “Whatever I do, it isn’t enough!”
We can also identify people for whom we are that person.
And sometimes, we are our own worst critic.

16. Ridicule is deeply discouraging.
So what do we learn from Nehemiah’s response?
Prayer. “Our God, please listen to our prayer. Some people hate us. They’re saying bad things about us. So let others say bad things about them. Let them be carried off like stolen goods. Let them be taken to another country as prisoners. Don’t hide your eyes from their guilt. Don’t forgive their sins. They have said bad things about the builders.”

17. This is not an especially noble prayer.
It is, however, an honest prayer!
“Lord, let my enemies experience what I have experienced.”
Why? Because people who have also suffered are much more compassionate and able to appreciate the enormous effort it takes to accomplish even this half-high wall.
Look for friends among the survivors.

18. Context. Nehemiah evaluates himself and the wall in light of what the community has experienced. We were carried off like stolen goods. We were taken to another country as prisoners.
Honor your own experiences as a survivor, and let them energize your compassion for others.

19. This is why Jesus speaks so deeply to us.
Coming as God to live among us, Jesus suffered all the indignities, sorrow and pain that we suffer.
He is a survivor. A resurrected survivor.