Let Us Arise And Build

Introduction

There’s nothing like that which is familiar. That explains my entire diet plan. Lots and lots of ice cream all the time.

I appreciate Cody and his song leading. Those are excellent songs for our topic this morning, which is, of course, as you can see, relying on God. In God alone is victory. But of course, in God alone leaves the big question, how practically do I trust in God when it is tough? How practically do I trust in faith? That is the victory. Of course, about 200 years ago there was a story, or I should say the story occurred 200 years ago, of a man who was walking up and he saw one man standing on the side of the road and three young men trying to shove this large tree out of the pathway. And the stranger walked up and to the one man standing on the side, not helping, and he said, Why don’t you help those young men move that tree out of the way?

They desperately need your help. And the man standing there looked at him and he said, I don’t need to help them, I’m a corporal. And he said, Well, they still look like they need some help. He said, That’s beneath me. I’m a corporal. So the stranger who had approached dismounted from his horse, got down, and he and the three young men were able to move the tree out of the side of the road. And when they were thanking him, they said, Thank you so much for helping. He said, Oh, don’t worry about it. The next time you need help moving something difficult and dirty, you just call the commander in chief. For the stranger who had approached was George Washington. Dismounted from his horse and took care of the problem.

In the book of Nehemiah, we see a leader who, like George Washington in the story, and like any good leader, didn’t just lead his people, wasn’t just a faith conduit to God, but rather both together. He was a faithful child of God who instilled those values to the people who had returned from captivity, and he was their leader who worked right there with them. But that becomes a sicking point because in Nehemiah chapter 4, they needed a leader. In fact, in verse 1, now when Simbalad heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews. And he said in the presence of his brothers and of the army of Samaria, what are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves?

Will they sacrifice? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish and burned ones at that? Now Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, Yes, what they are building, if a fox goes up on the wall, he will break it down. Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunt on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are captives. Do not cover their guilt and let not their sin be blotted out from your sight, for they have provoked you to anger in the presence of the builders.

And perhaps no situation were the Jews facing adversity on essentially every side other than their faith than in Nehemiah chapter 4. And this also becomes a faith test. If you think about the history of Nehemiah, he is leading the people back, not the first time, the people have come back from Babylonian captivity already. About eighty years later, Ezra leads the people back and is trying to teach them in a spiritual reform. And then the third time they come back, what was the state of the stones that Tobiah and Symbolot were describing? That they were going to build up stones out of rubbish, the stones that were still charred with fire, because Jerusalem, just a hundred and fifty years before, had been destroyed by fire. And they had the tough task of rebuilding the wall.

They had to rebuild the wall to have security from the very people who are opposing the opposition. In verse 1, Sembalat, verse 3, Tobiah, guess who they were? Governors, satraps of the provinces right around Jerusalem. Of course, they don’t want Jerusalem to rebuild the walls because that becomes a problem for them. If Jerusalem can rebuild their walls, they now have what? Protection. A identity of self. They can keep others out. And so, because of that, we see Simbalah and Tobiah plotting against them. In fact, it doesn’t stop with them just being angry. It doesn’t end with taunts. Look what else they did. In verse 6, so we built the wall, and all the wall was joined together to half its height. For the people had a mind to work.

But when Simbalat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashadites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and the breaches were beginning to be closed, they were very angry. And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it. This becomes an interesting text because not only are the people trying to rebuild a wall, which is a difficult, time-consuming process, they’re having to be prodded by Nehemiah in chapter 2 with the phrase, let us arise and build. Why? Because for about 90 years, they haven’t rebuilt the wall. This is not as simple as just, all right, well, we just got to walk in, tell somebody to do it, and they’re up it’ll pop.

It would have been done by then if that was the case. And so not only do they have to rebuild the wall, not only will this take a great group effort, but they are fighting against Simbalat and Tobiah working on plotting against them. And if we look at the text and we’re really honest, and you see in verse 10 in particular, notice their reaction. In Judah, it was said, the strength of those who bear the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble. By ourselves, we will not be able to rebuild the wall. And our enemies said, they will not know or see till we come among them and kill them and stop the work. And at that time the Jews who lived near them came from all directions and said to us, ten times, you must return to us.

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. And I looked in a rose and said to the nobles and to the officials and 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. The Jews were intimidated. In fact, it wasn’t just the Jews in Jerusalem who were intimidated. Who else was? The Jewish kinsmen who weren’t back in Jerusalem. They’re sending ten times saying, do not do this. Why? Well, in verse 10, first of all, I have a very practical concern about the wall.

What is that in verse 10? There’s just too much work. We can’t do this. In fact, in verse 6, they’ve already gotten halfway. It makes you think. Is a halfway point of danger for us? Yes. Because at halfway we get discouraged about finishing, seems to match with verse 10. Or perhaps we get so confident that we kind of take the foot off the pedal, so to speak, and then we don’t get done, and it takes forever, and then it hangs over our heads. But it wasn’t just that the work was hard, which it was. It wasn’t that it would take a lot of time, which it would. It was verse 11 and 12. The enemies were actively coming for them. A lot of times Christians in this country have uh complex that there’s persecution out for us.

And I think in a lot of ways there are, but there is nothing like there is here in chapter 4. Sambala and Tobiah are targeting specific religious people. That are the people of God who had returned to Jerusalem. They are explicitly coming for them in verse 11. They are going to stop the work by killing them. This is extreme adversity. And of course, you have Nehemiah’s leadership, and most importantly, note who Nehemiah gives credit to, beginning in verse 15. When their enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had frustrated their plan, we all returned to the wall, each to his work. Now from that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail.

And the leader stood behind the whole house of Judah, who were building on the wall. Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other. And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built, the man who sounded the trumpet was beside me. 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. And the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us. And we read Nehemiah chapter 4, and we think about all the implications that the world can be against us, that we need to rely on God, that even when it seems like we’re overwhelmed and overmatched by what we have to do, we have to just get to work.

We have to trust in God. But the question I want to examine this morning is how do we do that? How do we practically actually get up and trust in God? Nehemiah says in verse 15 Who frustrated the plan of the enemies? Was it Nehemiah with his good planning? No, it was God who frustrated their plan and turned the enemies back. And then when you see in verse 20, when they blow the trumpet and rally together, did they say, hey, we’re going to all be together? Well, sort of. But how’s that verse end? Our God will fight for us. How do we have the faith like Nehemiah? How do we understand how to properly handle adversity? I think there’s four lessons we can learn this morning.

1. Pray and Pray Again

One of those to overcome adversity is to pray and pray again. I want you to know in chapter 4 alone, just in the verses we read in chapter 4. Note, first of all, in verse 4 and 5. What did Nehemiah do? Cymbala is talking to his armies. Tobiah is threatening and jeering up the Jews. He’s saying, Look, this wall you’re building. If a fox jumps up on there, that wall’s going to break down. That can’t defend you. That can’t support you. You’re not even doing a good job with what you’re doing. Notice Nehemiah does what in verse 4. Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunt on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are captives.

Do not cover their guilt and let not their sin be blotted out in your sight, for they have reprovoked you to anger in the presence of the builders. I shared this in my Bible class, and I want to pat myself on the back for a moment. I went twelve of the thirteen weeks without teaching on Nehemiah when I was teaching the Nehemiah Bible class. So we made it all the way to the fifth Sunday of July. But for those in the class, you’ll remember this idea, hopefully. The song, the country music song came out called I’ll Pray for You. And the man said, Well, I don’t want to pray for my enemies, but I was always told that’s what I have to do. I gotta love.

I have to pray. And so I’ll pray for you. I’ll pray that your brakes go out going down the hill. I’ll pray that a flower pot falls from the windowsill. I pray that on your birthday nobody comes and nobody calls. Don’t worry, I’ll pray for you. You see, that’s not really the idea of what Nehemiah is doing in verses four and five, but we still have a dilemma. Right? In verse 4 and 5, how do we understand a great disciple of God, Nehemiah saying in verse 4 and 5, hear, O God, turn back their taunt on their own head. That doesn’t seem like the prayer of someone righteous. Jesus said, forgive those, they know not what they do. Even Stephen had a similar language when he was being stoned to death.

So how do we understand Nehemiah? Well, first and foremost, when we understand the need to pray and pray again in times of adversity, can I say that no matter what our opinion of verse 4 and 5 is, this shows something critical, crucial about Nehemiah. He wasn’t just praying to God saying, Hey, take away this problem. Nehemiah had a real strong relationship with his God. Do you see that come out in verses four and five? It wasn’t, dear God, please help us be safe. Dear God, please remove this from us. It was deeper than that. It was a true, real prayer. And I have to ask the question when we pray and we know we should. When we reach out to God as we know we ought.

Do we have a real relationship with God? Or do we repeat kind of phrases that we’ve picked up at church or from other people? There’s no natural problem with using language. But there is, if it becomes callous in our minds and we no longer think through what we’re saying. In verse 4 and 5, Nehemiah shows he has a strong concern and relationship with God, but also a strong relationship for God. You see the last part of verse 5? Do this to them. Why? For they have provoked you to anger in the presence of the builders. God, they are besmirching your name. They are coming for your people. Nehemiah had not only a real relationship with God, he had one that involved speaking out to him plainly.

But also note in verse 9, then continuing. And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night. Then we see again in verse 14, what does he say? Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome. In verse 15, God frustrated their plan. In verse 20, our God will fight for us. Nehemiah knows we must pray and have a real relationship with God. Look with me in Luke chapter 18. This becomes one of the most obvious points that a preacher, I think, can put on a screen. To pray when life is hard. But know what Jesus teaches in Luke chapter 18. I think this is an interesting story, an interesting parable about prayer and the need to keep on praying.

Luke chapter 18, notice with me in verse 1. And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, Give me justice against my adversary. And for a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming. The Lord said, Here what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect who cry to him day and night?

Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth? I think this is interesting in Luke chapter 18, because God is obviously more perfect than this judge. He’s more perfect than this person being sought after continually. But what unavoidable message does Jesus teach here? When we have a problem, what should we do with it? Yes, we should pray. Paul teaches that, Jesus teaches that, the Old Testament teaches that. But then what? Pray again. We should never get weary praying to God. We should never feel like it cannot work, it does not work, or that we’ve said all we need to say. And if we have a real relationship with God like Nehemiah did, we won’t reach that point.

2. We Need God’s Help in Every Part of Life

Luke chapter 18, consider this widow. What was her key badge of honor? Persistence. Badgering. In fact, in verse 5, what does the judge say? This widow keeps on bothering me. What a beautiful and powerful blessing that God isn’t bothered by our prayers. That he wants us to reach out to him, that he wants us to trust in him wholly and entirely. We need to pray and pray. And pray again. This message will never tire, it will never change, because our God is the only key to getting through this life. Our God is the one who brings victory and deliverance. And without prayer, without a true relationship that causes me to pray, nothing else on the list could matter. I want to give a second point. If you go back to Nehemiah chapter 4, I think this is really interesting and another obvious sounding point.

But notice when the people in Nehemiah chapter 4 are building, and verse 6 says, they got the wall together to half its height. Notice what Nehemiah is doing with the people. Is he saying, hey, we’re so good. If you guys just keep on going, we’re going to get this done. Look at how good we are. Look at how strong we are. If we are all together, we can get this done. He reminds them, we need God. We need the Lord. We have to have him. And it sounds kind of silly, but if I stop and think about my week, all of a sudden I remember that I need this reminder too. Sometimes we get so patterned into doing good things or doing things we know God wants us to do, that we forget that we need God’s help in every part of our life.

We remember God when it’s difficult, when we’re down and out, and when we’re responding to adversity. But what about as we’re having success? What about as we are successfully doing what God says? What about when we’re serving God faithfully? If you know in Acts chapter 4, you see a combination of the two. In Acts chapter 4, notice Peter’s prayer in Acts chapter 4 and verse 23. See the believers coming together, they are praying because Peter and John have been arrested. A pattern that was going to emerge here in the New Testament story. And they’re released, and so you have this removal of this problem. But no, they’re going to go and evangelize. They’re going to go and teach. And they don’t just say, hey, this is what God wants, so I’m going to go do it.

Or learn all these methods to go out and do what God says. They say, no, if we are going to fulfill God’s commands, we have to involve God in the work. And by the way, point number one, we have to pray. In verse 23 of Acts chapter 4, when they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priest and the elders had said to them. And when they heard it, they lifted their voice together to God and said, Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them. Who through the mouth of our Father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, why did the Gentiles rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his anointed.

For truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. And now, O Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders performed through the name of our holy servant Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. I think if we could pray and have verse 31 happen, we would pray a lot more, no matter what the time is.

If when we prayed, we saw a physical manifestation that God heard and is going to answer our prayer, wouldn’t that make it a lot easier to go back to God in prayer? But then I have to remember that I’ve read the Old Testament, I’ve read the New Testament. And what happens in those pages is what? Time and time again, God answers prayers of his servants. We’ve seen it. Look in your own life. Think five, ten years ago. How different was your life? How different were your concerns? In some ways, there’s probably been some difficulties that have arisen. But how many answered prayers has God come through for? And note also in Acts chapter 4, when they pray in verse 29, does Peter say, hey, God tell them to knock off the threats, get rid of them?

No, in verse 29, he says what? Look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness. Give us boldness to overcome the adversity. God, if we’re going to be successful, even doing what you want us to do, we have to have your help. There’s an American mindset that says, yes, God has given grace. Yes, God has sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. But all we have to do is pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and go to the work. That is not the biblical teaching. We need God every single day, not just as grace, not just as forgiveness, not just his mercy. We need God’s help and guidance all the time. And unless we recognize that like Nehemiah did, unless we practice that like Nehemiah did with the Jews in chapter 4, we’re going to have a problem.

3. Make a Specific Plan

Because eventually, us being humans will fail without our God, who is the one who gives victory. We have to remember God has to be involved. Allow me to go to a third point here. Make a specific plan. If you look in the book of Proverbs with me, we’ll look at two Proverbs quickly. Proverbs 21 first. Proverbs chapter 21. We have to have a specific plan. Proverbs chapter 21 and verse 5. The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance. But everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty. The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance. The hands of the hasty lead to poverty. When we think about making a specific plan, and we think about the proverbial wisdom here, we have to realize that planning is important.

What specific plan did the people have in Nehemiah chapter 4 outside of praying to God? Because if you notice in Nehemiah chapter 4, it’s verse 9 that they prayed to God, and then in verse 10, that you see some of the intimidation taking root. So it’s not that God just infused them with miraculous courage. That doesn’t fit the storyline at all. In fact, what did Nehemiah do with them? He divided them half and half, and what did half do? As they were working, they held on to their weapon. And the other half was holding on to the shield, the swords, the chainmail. He led them into specific parts of the wall for specific purposes in rebuilding the wall, and they were to be constantly vigilant, watching, and ready.

Look at Proverbs chapter 6, you’ll see the point again. Proverbs chapter 6, beginning in verse 6. Go to the ant, O sluggard, consider her ways and be wise. Without having any chief officer or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. Even the ant knows to prepare, to take a specific plan of action to be ready for when adversity strikes. We see this all the time. How many of you have ever one time in your life said, I need to start eating better? No one. I have said that a lot. We’ll just go with me then. I have said that a lot. You know what happens when I say that if I don’t have a specific plan? Hey, Chick-fil-A is five minutes away.

Jeremiah’s ice, cold stone, America is great, isn’t it? Got all kinds of food options. I’ll start tomorrow. Tomorrow happens, somebody calls and says, Hey, there’s an Arby’s in Chipotle. Isn’t America great? Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. It’s been a week, it’s been a month, it’s been a period of months, and what’s happened? I’ve had a couple days eating pretty well. I’ve had one piece of broccoli in a couple years. It’s doing pretty good. But without a specific plan, we not only are at risk of not starting, we are certainly at risk, and I can tell you, we’ll not finish. We have to have a specific plan. Nehemiah was there, yes, guided by God, yes, involving God in the work, and that certainly is where the credit is due.

But note Nehemiah’s leadership in chapter 4. He said, Look, I know where you need to be. And by the way, who are you fighting for in verse 14? You need to remember the Lord, how great and awesome he is, but also remember who? Your wives, your sons, your daughters. Fight for your God. Trust in your God and remember your family. Do the work. Be prepared. Nehemiah didn’t say, okay, we’ve got to kind of be watching. You know, it’s going to be difficult. Tobias and some ballot are going to come for us. You know, probably some people should have some swords, some people should have some shields, but you know, we really kind of need to build, some people should do that. No. You go here. You hold this like this, and you hold this in your other hand.

You build this part of the wall. And by the way, here is why. We have to remember to overcome adversity. We have the best why imaginable. God is our God. Just like the Jews were his people. And God kept his promises to his people even after they sinned so greatly, and their sin and iniquity had piled up so high, he sent them off to captivity for 70 years. He had kept his promise that I will return them to their land. And even 90 years back in their land, when they had not rebuilt the wall, when they were struggling 80 years before or so when Ezra was back with needing a spiritual reform so desperately, God was still their God. He was willing to call them his people.

And that offer he not only makes us, it has been amplified. It has been multiplied. And we can be called children of God. We have to set a specific plan. And that specific plan needs to include how often and what am I going to pray for? How is God going to help me in this work? And by the way, maybe I need to involve other people as well. If we’re going to overcome adversity, if we’re going to look out into a world that’s working against us, we have to not only trust in God, we have to trust in God’s plan. And what I want us to see this morning, if you take one lesson away, it’s that trusting in God is important. But to trust in God doesn’t mean just praying and saying, God, I know that you’re going to take care of this.

4. Working Together: Getting Help From Others

It’s saying, God, here’s what you’ve said about dealing with my life and its struggles, and I’m going to do what you have said. And one of those examples is working together. If you go back to Nehemiah this time in chapter 5, after the people have been successful, and then in chapter 5, by the way, they finally have rebuilt the wall, and then they’re excited, and then the outside invaders kind of drop off the map for a chapter. But then they have problems on the inside. They’re facing internal corruption, internal ethical dilemmas. But in Nehemiah chapter 5 and verse 16, Nehemiah was a good leader. He was ready for it. But also note, verse 16, I also persevered in the work on this wall, and we acquired no land.

We acquired no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work. Even Nehemiah, even Nehemiah’s servants were involved in the work. Because it needed to be done. And like George Washington, he stepped up and made sure God’s will would come to pass. Whether you are somebody who are one of the Jews who would be rebuilding the wall, or you think that you’re a Nehemiah, either way, guess where everybody was found together? Rebuilding the wall, side by side, on the same team, pleasing the Lord. God’s plan is for us to not be alone, not only because we can cast our burdens on him, which we can and must, not only that we will be persistent in our prayer life, and that we’ll involve him in the work, and that we need to have this specific plan.

This specific plan needs to include getting help from others. In 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, consider what Paul makes a responsibility of Christians. In 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, beginning in verse 14. We urge you, brothers, admonish the idle. Encourage the faint hearted. Help the weak. Be patient with them all. See to it that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the spirit. Do not despise the prophecies, but test everything. Hold fast to what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. And you go back to verse 14, something is unavoidable.

We urge you, brothers, to do what? Admonish the idol. That means I have to what? Be admonished or do the admonishing. Either way, it means serving God goes beyond just me. I am burdened, obligated, should be doing so out of love, to help somebody in need or to seek help. Second phrase, encourage the faint hearted. I either need to seek somebody who can help encourage me, or I need to do the encouraging. But it involves looking for somebody else. I have to help the weak. You get the pattern here. You either weak and should reach out for help, or you should look for those who are weak and help them out. And of course, the last phrase, be patient with them all. Paul necessitates in this language, in these commands, in this example.

We have to work together. When Paul writes this in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, when God inspires Paul’s words here, do you think God’s view of this is, hey, this is just better than if you’re by yourself. If you’re by yourself, you can get it done. It’ll just be a little bit more difficult. No. God’s plan. To trust in God means accepting God’s plan, accepting all that God has said. And what does God put around us? A church family. What did he put around the Jews in chapter 4? A good leader and a big family that together, when they were channeling to follow after God’s commands first, working together, they had a specific plan, and they were willing to give God the glory that he alone deserves.

They were able to rebuild the wall, to stand up against the enemies, and please their God.

Conclusion

Or I can trust that God’s will says, yes, you need to pray. Yes, I deserve thanksgiving as your God. But use what I have given. Trust in my plan. Help those who are in need. Or there’s the words of verse 14 say one more time. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idol. Encourage the faint-hearted. Help the weak. Be patient with them all. Repay no one evil for evil. We have to be looking. We have to be serving. We have to trust in God’s plan as best always. Will you go to God in prayer with me? Our dear God and most gracious and loving Heavenly Father, we’re so thankful to you for this day. We’re thankful to you for your creation. And most of all, of course, and always for sending Jesus to die on the cross for our sins.

Help us to have a relationship with you as Nehemiah did, one that sought your will, sought that you would come out the best, and to trust in you for all deliverance. Help us to be pleasing in your sight by carrying out your commands, to follow the examples of the Old Testament, to trust in the laws of the new covenant. Help us to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, to trust in the teachings of the apostles, and to be lights in this world so that others may see our good works and glorify you in heaven. Thank you so much for this day. Be with those who are struggling. Help me when I struggle. Help us to encourage others to reach out to the weak to admonish the idol.

Thank you for your love. Thank you for your plan. It’s in your Son’s name we pray. Amen.