Dread and Opposition

Nehemiah 2

I titled this study "Dread and Opposition" because you can divide this chapter up into those to topics. First, Nehemiah dreaded telling the king why he was upset and second, he faced opposition in the task the king commissioned him to do. Those are fairly typical responses when God places a burden on our hearts to do something new for Him.

The first thing we read is that Nehemiah went back to work. While at work, the King noticed that something was off about Nehemiah. He could tell that Nehemiah was sad.

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And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence.

Nehemiah 2:1

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Nehemiah had probably worked for Artaxerxes for a long time. It almost had to have been a long time for Artaxerxes to know Nehemiah (a servant) well enough to recognize that he was sad and that this was atypical of him. So, if Nehemiah had worked for Artaxerxes for a long time, and had never been sad in his presence, that meant that Nehemiah did not wear his heart on his sleeve at work; he was professional.

Here is where the dread comes in. Look at verse 2.

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Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid,

Nehemiah 2:2

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The king asked Nehemiah why he was upset. When he asked, Nehemiah tells us that he was "sore afraid" or very afraid. There was no way to tell the king what was wrong with him, without sharing his burden and desire for Jerusalem. This would mean also sharing his desire to quit his job and have the king commission him for a new job. Realistically, this could have resulted in Nehemiah losing his current job, and his head.

Nehemiah knew he had to tell Artaxerxes his heart. He did and the king asked him what Nehemiah wanted him to do about it. Nehemiah shared his desire to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the walls of his city. Also, he asked the king for a letter telling all the surrounding people that he was authorized to not only build the walls and gates, but that they were to supply materials as needed. The king consented, and the letter was written. Then, Nehemiah departed for Jerusalem with a group of servants.

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Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me. 10 When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.

Nehemiah 2:9-10

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Next, we come to the section I call "Opposition". Nehemiah now shared his authorization to rebuild the city with his potential enemies. When he did, he wrote that it "grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel." Their grief would turn to verbal and physical harassment. As a matter of fact, when just as soon as Nehemiah shared his vision, and his authority to carry out his vision, with the people, he tells us, "But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?" (Nehemiah 2:19). There was laughing and accusations of rebellion against the king. These men were trying to intimidate the Jews and start rumors to stir up the anger of Artaxerxes.

Things are not so different for us today when we answer God's call. When I knew God was calling me to move to Woodbine, it meant quitting my job at the prison. At that time, I loved my job. I was part of a team that was isolated from the rest of the staff. We worked long hours, but also had a lot of freedom to come and go within the prison as we wanted. Our team faced a lot of stressful events together, which created a strong bond. So, when I had to tell my sergeant that I was leaving, I dreaded it.

I think the harassment that Nehemiah endured revealed weakness in his character that he had to allow God to fix. I don't mean this a overly critical of Nehemiah, I simply mean that he was human. No doubt that he dealt with fear and a desire to quit. If he didn't, he was a very strange person. Those feelings are natural, and Satan preys on them. So, as Nehemiah resolved himself to continue in his calling, God fortified his strength for the task. Nehemiah learned to trust God deeper.

I also had to deal with verbal harassment. They intended it as good natured ribbing, something we did all the time, but it acted as salt in a wound. The reason being, it revealed that there was a lot about how I conducted myself that had to change. "CERT Officer Justin" would not make a good "Pastor Justin". Their ribbing revealed a character flaw in me that had to change. Looking back now, the process was not fun, but it was a much needed change.

What I love about this is that nether Nehemiah, nor me, are unique in this process. God does this for all of us. We all face a degree of dread when God calls us to a major change in our lives. Also, we face opposition. As we go through these, and trust God, he reveals that he is with us. We see him working out the details. We see his hand of protection. We see that even when it looks impossible, he makes a way. Then, we see our faith strengthened and we grow in Him.

Father, help me to remember what you have done to strengthen my faith. Help me to see what you are doing, so that I trust you more as we move forward. Father, help me to trust you, even when I don't see what you are doing, because I know what you have done for me, and for so many before me.