11/3 [English] When you face a crisis in your life
/[Ne 4:1-14, NIV]
1 When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews,
2 and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, "What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?"
3 Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, "What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!"
4 Hear us, our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity.
5 Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders.
6 So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.
7 But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem's walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry.
8 They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it.
9 But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.
10 Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, "The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall."
11 Also our enemies said, "Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work."
12 Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, "Wherever you turn, they will attack us."
13 Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows.
14 After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, "Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes."
In 586 B.C., Jerusalem was conquered by Babylon, and the southern kingdom of Judah was completely destroyed. Most of the Israelites were taken as captives to Babylon. Forty-seven years later, that enormous Babylonian empire fell to the Persian kingdom established by King Cyrus. Three years after he had conquered the world, King Cyrus allowed the Israelites to return to their homeland. At that time, 50,000 Jews went back to their country and began rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem. The person who led this reconstruction was “Zerubbabel.” We refer to this event as the first return from captivity.
Eighty years later, in 457 B.C., a smaller group of Jews returned to their homeland. During this time, a great spiritual revival took place, led by “Ezra.” Then, twelve years later, in 445 B.C., God sought someone to rebuild the broken walls of Jerusalem, and the person who responded to this call was “Nehemiah.” Nehemiah was the cupbearer, essentially the prime minister, for King Artaxerxes of the Persian Empire. He returned to Jerusalem as the governor of Judah to oversee the rebuilding of the city walls.
Please read verses 1, 2, and 3 of the text:
[1] When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became very angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, [2] and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?” [3] Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!”
The enemies, like Sanballat, the Samarian governor, and Tobiah the Ammonite, mocked the Israelites who had begun to rebuild the wall.
1. They mocked them by saying, “What are you weaklings trying to accomplish?”
2. They ridiculed, saying, “Do you think building the wall is something that can be finished in a day, like a child’s play?”
3. They sneered, “Even if you try a hundred times with those burnt stones and piles of rubble, you won’t succeed.”
4. They also scorned, “Even if you manage to build the wall, a mere fox would climb up and bring it crashing down.”
Nehemiah’s first response to the unbearable ridicule and insults he faced is recorded in verses 4 and 5 of the text.
Please read verses 4 and 5:
[4] “Hear us, our God, for we are being mocked. May their insults be turned back on their own heads. Let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity. [5] Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders.”
Nehemiah’s first response was prayer.
He prayed, “God, hear us. Your people are being humiliated.”
Dear beloved congregation,
In every circumstance, never let go of the lifeline of prayer. Hold onto it for your entire life. Continuously go before God in prayer. Present everything to Him in prayer.
When we pray, God gives us a promise, which is recorded in Jeremiah 33:3:
(Jeremiah 33:3) “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”
And also in Psalm 3:7:
(Psalm 3:7) “Arise, O LORD! Deliver me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked.”
The first wall and gate you must build in your life is the wall and gate of persistent prayer.
Next, let’s look at Nehemiah’s second response.
Please read verse 6:
[6] So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.
After praying, Nehemiah and the Jews continued working diligently on rebuilding the wall.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
After praying, do not just sit back with your arms folded, waiting for something to happen. Such behavior is irresponsible and lazy. When the enemies mocked them, Nehemiah and the people prayed and then gave their best effort to rebuild the wall.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Do not let ridicule stop your work or ministry. Bring your problems to God in prayer. Then, alongside your prayers, do your very best to solve the problems. Prayer and hard work must always go hand in hand. By combining prayer with their best efforts, Nehemiah and the people miraculously managed to rebuild half of the wall in just four weeks.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
The second wall and gate you must build in your life is the wall and gate of doing your very best.
When the wall was halfway built, Nehemiah faced yet another attack.
Please read verses 7, 8, and 9:
[7] But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. [8] They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. [9] But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.
Once the wall was halfway completed, the evil forces became desperate and began planning a physical assault.
These evil forces moved beyond mockery and now prepared to attack our spirit, soul, and body.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
We have already built the gates and walls of prayer and giving our best effort. But we cannot stop here. The gates and walls are still unfinished. To live victorious lives and to become a victorious church, we must build even more defenses.
Now, please read verses 10, 11, and 12:
[10] Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.” [11] Also our enemies said, “Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.” [12] Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”
Following the attacks of mockery and force, the enemy’s third strategy is to use the weapons of discouragement and fear. The tribe of Judah, the largest of the twelve tribes, began to speak words of despair:
1. “The rubble is still piled up like mountains.”
2. “We are exhausted from carrying the loads.”
3. “We can’t possibly finish rebuilding this wall.”
=> The enemy constantly seeks to make us discouraged.
Meanwhile, Jews who lived near the enemy outside Jerusalem repeatedly came to Nehemiah, warning him ten times that the enemies were plotting to invade the city, kill everyone inside, and destroy everything. They urged everyone to give up and run away.
=> The enemy constantly seeks to make us afraid.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
The attacks of discouragement and fear lead us to the tragic conclusion of giving up.
“How about abandoning the wall reconstruction right here and now?”
“Should I just get a divorce at this point?”
“Should I just end my life?”
“Should I hide away somewhere?”
“Should I just give up on any hope for my future?”
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
You must recover today. Focus and receive the Word with all your heart.
This is how you will survive.
Please read verse 13:
[13] Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears, and bows.
In this moment of crisis, Nehemiah did not fall into discouragement or fear, nor did he give up. Instead, he had the people arm themselves with swords, spears, and bows, ready for battle.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
There is one thing you must absolutely refuse in your life: Refuse to give up.
“But Pastor,” you might say,
“Giving up comes so naturally to my heart. How can I refuse it?”
No, that’s not true!
Giving up is a choice. If you give up, it’s because you have made the choice to do so.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Right now, in this very moment, choose not to give up. One thing we must commit to today is not surrender, but a “battle stance” with our lives on the line.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Repeat and proclaim Romans 8:31 over and over:
(Romans 8:31) “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”
No one can stand against you.
No evil force can defeat you.
With God on your side, who can possibly oppose you?
What could make you give up?
How could you ever be a defeated person?
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
The third wall and gate you must build is the wall and gate of refusing to give up.
Please read verse 14:
[14] After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”
Nehemiah spoke to the people, saying: “Remember the great and awesome Lord.” “Remember God.”
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Specifically, remember these three things about God:
First, remember the “grace” God has shown you in the past.
(Deuteronomy 8:14-16)
[14] The LORD brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
[15] He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock.
[16] He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, remember how God rescued you from your hardships, provided for your needs, and has always been faithful in leading and blessing you. Let this remembrance strengthen you in your current battles.
Second, remember God’s presence with you right now.
(Isaiah 43:1-2)
[1] Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
[2] When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
God assures us that He is always with us, even through the deepest waters and the fiercest flames. His presence surrounds and protects us.
(Isaiah 49:15-16)
[15] Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!
[16] See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.
God’s love is even greater than that of a mother for her child. He never forgets us; we are engraved on His hands, and He continually watches over us.
(Hebrews 13:5)
[5] Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.
God’s promise is steadfast: He will never abandon or leave you. Remember His constant, faithful presence in your life, and let it be your strength and comfort.
Third, remember the power God will grant you in the future.
(Philippians 4:13)
[13] I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
God equips us with His power, enabling us to overcome any challenge and accomplish all things through Him.
(1 John 4:4)
[4] The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
The power of God within you is greater than any force or opposition you will face in the world.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
When we look at the world, we may feel disappointed; when we look within ourselves, we may feel discouraged. But when we look to Christ, when we fix our eyes on God, we find that we can overcome anything.
Therefore, the fourth wall and gate you must build in your life is the wall and gate of remembering the grace God has shown you in the past.
The fifth wall and gate are remembering the presence God gives you in the present.
And finally, the sixth wall and gate you must build are remembering the power God will bestow upon you in the future.
Let these truths become your stronghold and defense.
And now, at last, we come to the eighth wall and gate that we must build. Today’s Scripture passage concludes with a command: “Fight!” If we fight in our own strength, we will surely be defeated. But if we fight with the power of the Holy Spirit, we will be victorious.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Earnestly desire the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
(Zechariah 4:6)
[6] “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,” says the Lord Almighty.
Our strength and power are not enough, but the Spirit of the Lord makes all things possible.
(John 20:21-22)
[21] Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
[22] And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
Jesus commissioned His disciples and breathed the Holy Spirit upon them, equipping them with divine strength.
(Acts 1:4-5)
[4] On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.
[5] For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Jesus instructed His disciples to wait for the baptism of the Holy Spirit, a gift that would empower them for the work ahead.
(Acts 1:8)
[8] “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
The Holy Spirit grants us power to be witnesses and to fulfill God’s purpose on earth.
(Acts 2:1-3)
[1] When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.
[2] Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.
[3] They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.
On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came with power, transforming the disciples and empowering them for God’s mission.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
The eighth and final wall and gate you must build in your life is the wall and gate of seeking the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Desire His presence, His power, and His guidance. Only through the Spirit can we truly overcome and live victorious lives.
