But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth. Nehemiah 4:1-4 Sanballat: a study in party spirit A. Whyte, D. D. You must clearly understand, to begin with, that Samaria was already, even in that early day, the deadly rival of Jerusalem; and also that Sanballat was the governor of Samaria. And Sanballat was a man of this kind, that he was not content with doing his very best to make Samaria both prosperous and powerful, but he must also do his very best to keep Jerusalem downtrodden and destroyed. And thus it was that, when Sanballat heard that Nehemiah had come from Shushan with a commission from Artaxerxes to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, the exasperating news drove Sanballat absolutely beside himself. And thus it is that such a large part of Nehemiah's autobiography is taken up with Sanballat's diabolical plots and conspiracies both to murder Nehemiah and to destroy the new Jerusalem. We see in Sanballat an outstanding instance of the sleepless malice of all unprincipled party spirit. 1. Now, in the first place, diabolically wicked as party spirit too often becomes, this must be clearly understood about party spirit, that, after all, it is but the excess, and the perversion, and the depravity of an originally natural and a perfectly proper principle in our hearts. It was of God, and it was of human nature as God had made it, that Sanballat should love and serve Samaria best; and that Nehemiah should love and serve Jerusalem best. And all party spirit among ourselves also, at its beginning, is but our natural and dutiful love for our own land, and for our own city, and for our own Church, and for those who think with us, and work with us, and love us. 2. But then, when it comes to its worst, as it too often does come, party spirit is the complete destruction both of truth and of love. The truth is hateful to the out-and-out partisan. We all know that in ourselves. As many lies as you like, but not the truth. It exasperates us to hear it. You are henceforth our enemy if you will insist on speaking it. It is not truth that divides us up into such opposed parties as we see all around us in Church and State, it is far more lies. It is not principle once in ten times. Nine times out of ten it is pure party spirit. And I cling to that bad spirit, and to all its works, as if it were my life. I feel unhappy when you tell me the truth, if it is good truth, about my rival. And where truth is hated in that way love can have no possible home. Truth is love in the mind, just as love is truth in the heart. Trample on the one and you crush the other to death. Now the full-blown party spirit is utter poison to the spirit of love as well as to the spirit of truth. Love suffereth long, and is kind; love rejoiceth not in iniquity, etc. But party spirit is the clean contradiction of an that. 3. By the just and righteous ordination of Almighty God all our sins carry their own punishment immediately and inseparably with them. And party spirit, being such a wicked spirit, it infallibly inflicts a very swift and a very severe punishment on the man who entertains it. You know yourselves how party spirit hardens your heart, and narrows, and imprisons, and impoverishes your mind. You must all know how party spirit poisons your feelings, and fills you with antipathy at men you never saw, as well as at men all around you who never hurt a hair of your head, and would not if they could. 4. Another Divine punishment of party spirit is seen in the way that it provokes retaliation, and thus reproduces and perpetuates itself till the iniquity of the fathers is visited upon the children to the third and fourth generation of them that hate the truth and murder love. And, inheriting no little good from our contending forefathers, we have inherited too many of their injuries, and retaliations, and antipathies, and alienations also. And the worst of it is that we look on it as true patriotism, and the perfection of religious principle, to keep up and perpetuate all those ancient misunderstandings, and injuries, and recriminations, and alienations. 5. Who, then, is a wise man, and endued with wisdom among you? Who would fain be such a man? Who would behave to his rivals and enemies, not as Nehemiah, good man though he was, behaved to the Samaritans, but as Jesus Christ behaved to them? Who, in one word, would escape the sin, and the misery, and the long-lasting mischief of party spirit? Butler has an inimitable way of saying some of his very best and very deepest things. And here is one of his great sayings that has helped me more in this matter than I can tell you. 4. "Let us remember," he says, "that we differ as much from other men as they differ from us." What a lamp to our feet is that sentence as we go through this world! And then, when at any time, and towards any party, or towards any person whatsoever, you find in yourself that you are growing in love, and in peace, and in patience, and in toleration, and in goodwill, and in good wishes, acknowledge it to yourself; see it, understand it, and confess it. Do not be afraid to admit it, for that is God within your heart. That is the Divine Nature — that is the Holy Ghost. Just go on in that Spirit, and ere ever you are aware you will be caught up and taken home to that Holy Land where there is neither Jerusalem nor Samaria. There will be no party spirit there. There will be no controversy there. ( A. Whyte, D. D. ) What do these feeble Jews? — Feeble agencies not to be despised Charles Darwin. When we behold a wide, turf-covered expanse, we should remember that its smoothness, on which so much of its beauty depends, is mainly due to all the inequalities having been slowly levelled by worms. It is a marvellous reflection that the whole of the superficial mould over any such expanse has passed, and will pass again, every few years, through the bodies of worms. The plough is one of the most ancient and most valuable of man's inventions; but long before he existed the land was, in fact, regularly ploughed by earth-worms. It may be doubted whether there are any other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world as have these lowly organised creatures. Some other animal, however, still more lowly organised — namely, corals, have done far more conspicuous work in having constructed innumerable reefs and islands in the great oceans; but these are almost confined to the tropical zones. ( Charles Darwin. ) Intrinsic energy not to be gauged by magnitude J. Gregory. Remember that lofty trees grow from diminutive seeds; copious rivers flow from small fountains; slender wires often sustain ponderous weights; injury to the smallest nerves may occasion the most agonising sensation; the derangement of the least wheel or pivot may render useless the greatest machine of which it is a part; an immense crop of errors may spring from the least root of falsehood; a glorious intellectual light may be kindled by the minutest spark of truth; and every principle is more diffusive and operative by reason of its intrinsic energy than of its magnitude. ( J. Gregory. ) Censure should not interfere with duty Epictetus. Be not diverted from your duty by any idle reflections the silly world may make on you, for their censures are not in your power, and consequently should be no part of your concern. ( Epictetus. ) Fool's-bolts should be disregarded Bp. Hall. What action was ever so good, or so completely done, as to be well taken on all hands? It concerns every wise Christian to settle his heart in a resolved confidence of his own holy and just grounds, and then to go on in a constant course of his well-warranted judgment and practice, with a careless disregard of those fool's-bolts which will be sure to be shot at him, which way soever he goes. ( Bp. Hall. ) Petty criticism should be disregarded Christian Age. It is often more difficult to endure the stinging of insects than to face the bravest perils. Explorers in tropical countries find these tiny, noxious creatures much more destructive of their peace and comfort than the larger and more deadly animals which sometimes beset them. Many a man faces courageously a grave peril who becomes a coward when a set of petty annoyances have worn his nerves out and irritated him to the point of loss of self-control. Every man who attempts an independent course of life, whether of thought, habit, or action, finds himself beset by a cloud of petty critics, who are, for the most part, without malice, but whose stings, inspired by ignorance, are quite as hard to bear as they would be if inspired by hate. The misrepresentations and misconceptions which good men suffer are a part of the pathos of life. The real answer to criticism is a man's life and work. A busy man has no time to stop and meet his critics in detail; he must do his work, and let that be his answer to criticism. ( Christian Age. ) So we built the wall. Nehemiah 4:6 Fellowship in Christian service W. Hoyt, D. D. 1. They built it notwithstanding sneers. "What do these feeble Jews?" Sanballat said. All the Sanballats are not dead yet. Often, when you would attempt some new or difficult work for Christ, there are a good many modern Sanballats ready to stand about and say, "You can't do anything; you are not strong enough; you are not experienced enough; you haven't money enough; the idea of your attempting such a thing! 2. they built the wall, notwithstanding active opposition. they kept right on steadily building. Said the great William Carey — who wrought such wonders, and against such opposition, in modern missions — to his son Eustace, "Eustace, if they say I am a genius, it is not true; but if they say I can plod, that is true. Yes, I can plod, I can plod." And a plodding persistence, in the face of almost any opposition, is sure at last to triumph. 3. They built the wall, notwithstanding despairing friends. I have been reading how General Washington, only a little time before the battle of Yorktown, was in the very darkest time of the long, hard struggle. Friends on every side were despairingly saying, "You can't do it; you might just as well give up." But the great Washington would not let himself despair. Whoever else might, he would not. He would keep at it; and, keeping at it, notwithstanding the despair of friends, a nation's independence was achieved at Yorktown. 4. They built the wall by prayer. I asked Mr. Spurgeon once how he prayed. He answered, "I go to the Bible and find a promise applicable to my need, then I reverently plead that promise before the Lord, asking Him to keep it for Jesus' sake; and I believe God will, and He does." That is the prayer of faith — the prayer of great grip on the Divine promise. 5. They built the wall by working together. Did you notice that "we"? "So 'we' built the wail," our Scripture says. Even one is worth something, but two are worth more, and many striving together are worth immeasurably more. Associate others with yourself, or yourself with others. It was because the Rough Riders rushed up the heights of San Juan together, and because the coloured regiments rushed up together, and together with them they were enabled to plant Old Glory on the summit. Fellow ship is better than individualism in all noble service. 6. They built the wall by willingness on the part of each to do whatever he could. Sometimes they bore burdens; sometimes they grasped swords and spears; sometimes they stood sentinel. There was no selfish picking and choosing. There was no mean declaring "I will do this, but I won't do that." Each one was ready to do any. thing; the thing which seemed just then the thing best to be done. It is no wonder that the wall went steadily and triumphantly up. 7. They built the wall by courageous trust in God. Said Nehemiah, "Be not afraid of them; remember the Lord." ( W. Hoyt, D. D. ) For the people had a mind to work — Conditions of success in Christian work W. P. Lockhart. The chief characteristics displayed by Nehemiah and his fellow-citizens in prosecuting their work were — 1. Earnestness. Earnestness is an important factor in all Christian work and consists —(1) In a thorough persuasion of the truth of the message we make known — the efficacy of the remedy we convey to men.(2) A deep sense of the value of those we seek to save.(3) An intense conviction that it is God's work and not our own we are seeking to do. 2. Persistency. 3. Union. 4. Courage. 5. Prayerfulness.Summing up these characteristics, we may say to the Christian worker, "Add to your work earnestness, and to earnestness persistency, and to persistency union, and to union wisdom, and to wisdom courage, and to courage prayer"; "for if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" ( 2 Peter 1:8 ). ( W. P. Lockhart. ) A mind to work The Church. This implies — I. A RECOGNITION OF THE DUTY OF WORK. II. A RECOGNITION OF THE PRIVILEGE OF WORK. III. AN EARNEST SYMPATHY WITH, AND LONGING FOR, THE RESULTS OF WORK. ( The Church. ) A mind to work T. Davies, M. A. I. THE WORK. Circumstances have changed, and the methods are altered, but the work is the same. You are entitled to ask me, "What are we to do?" 1. Bear the insignia of your religion before the world. Let all men know that you are the followers of Christ. 2. Maintain His public worship. 3. Christianise the world. II. THE MIND. This implies — 1. Readiness. 2. Heartiness. 3. Cheerfulness. 4. Thoroughness amid discouragement and opposition. ( T. Davies, M. A. ) A mind to work Essex Remembrancer. I. THE WORK THE JEWS HAD TO PERFORM. The work they had undertaken was one in which it was natural to suppose they felt the deepest possible interest. It will be admitted that the work they had undertaken was a great work. Then as to the magnitude of the work, it is indescribable — it is, in a word, to seek the present and eternal salvation of a guilty, ruined, and perishing world. Nor must good men lose sight of the fact, that this glorious work is to be accomplished, not by miracle, nor by a Divine power or agency in the abstract, but by the feeble, and of itself powerless, instrumentality of Christian men, as accompanied with the sanctifying and saving influences of the Holy Spirit of God. II. THE OBSTACLES WHICH, IN THE PROSECUTION OF THEIR WORK, THE JEWS HAD TO ENCOUNTER. The Church, then, must never forget that her adversaries are both numerous and powerful. But have not the Church's greatest difficulties often proved her greatest blessings? It has led the Lord's people both to see and to feel more of their dependence upon Him. III. THE SPIRIT IN WHICH THE JEWS CARRIED ON THEIR WORK. They had their minds, that is to say, their souls, in it, and they were determined to accomplish it. They loved their Master, their work, and each other. IV. THE SUCCESS OF WHICH THEIR LABOUR WAS PRODUCTIVE. 1. Are there any of us who are engaged in the Lord's service, but whose hearts are not in it? 2. Are there any who have no disposition to labour for the Lord Jesus Christ? ( Essex Remembrancer. ) A mind to work Enoch Mellor, D. D. We have here — I. CO-OPERATION. "The people had a mind to work." Nehemiah was, of course, the ruling spirit. He was only one man, but he was one of those men who count for thousands. He was one of those men who not only embody but create the spirit of an age and lead it on to victory. He was only one man, but in this world men have not to be counted but weighed; and it is when men are weighed — weighed as to their intellect, their convictions, their courage, their principles, their self-denial — that it is seen that one man is not as good as another. All the great epochs of the world have gathered around one man, just as the restoration gathered around Nehemiah, and so filled his soul that the electric power of his patriotic purpose enkindled the hearts of the people with a flame that never expired till the work was done. Then as ever, it was seen that the world's work must be done by a combination of men who toil with the brain and who toil with the hands. Nehemiah was architect, clerk of the works, diplomatist, general, all in one. But he could have done nothing unless he had been able to secure the co-operation of the people. There is here a lesson on the value and the necessity of co-operation in work for Christ. Success in war is due to two principles — the one is divide your enemy, and the other is unite yourselves. On these two conditions success is certain. Real and vital co-operation in Church work will be equally successful. There may be a Church and no co-operation. It may be a mass, but not a body. Many individual men do far more than a society, because the individual men work, and the society does not, but thinks that it has fulfilled all its duty when it has appointed a committee, with its usual complement of officers. You would think that an army had strangely misconceived its mission if because it saw its staff-officers it lay down and left the fortunes of battle to be settled by them. But this is just what is done by societies which devolve on committees the whole work. II. CHEERFUL RESOLUTION. There is a great deal of work done in our world, and has always been, in which there has been no mind at all, either in the shape of intelligence or goodwill. I suppose that some of the greatest structures of the world were so built — the Pyramids, the great aqueducts of Rome and the Coliseum. The slaves had not a mind to work, but had an eye to the rod of the taskmaster. You will search this book in vain for the trace of a taskmaster. They had a mind to work, and not to criticise or cavil. This is a suggestive warning to all such characters in our day. Many have a mind only to think, and not to work. You ask them to come and set their shoulder to the wheel, but they prefer to spend their time in solving, so far as they can, sundry theological or religious fiddles. H by their thinking they accomplished anything, then they might think on, but they are like a corn-mill, the stones of which are perpetually revolving, but there is no corn between them, and so they only grind themselves. More doubts are removed and more difficulties are solved by working than by thinking. "If any man will do the will of God," etc. Some people have a mind to speak, but not to work. Speech is good enough in its place. The end of all talk should be action. As a rule most work is done where there is least noise. When a machine goes noiselessly, it means that the friction is reduced to the smallest possible quantity, and that the force is not wasted on the process, but comes out in the accomplished work. At the building of Babel there was far more noise than at the building of the temple, but the temple was the successful work. Their heart was in their work, and by their heart we mean chiefly their purpose and their cheerfulness. He that works without a will is nothing better than a machine, and may be worse. When people have a mind to work there will be no unseemly ambitions, no quarrels for posts of honour. The man who can lighten labour with a song is likely to be a good worker. He will be like a soldier, who marches best to the rhythmic throb of the drum, and to the sounds of inspiring music. As to Christian work, none can be entitled to such a name unless it be cheerful. God loveth, we are told, not a giver, but a "cheerful" giver. If we show mercy we are to show it cheerfully. We are to serve the Lord with gladness. We are to come into His presence with songs. Saints are to be joyful in the Lord. III. WORK CROWNED WITH SUCCESS. ( Enoch Mellor, D. D. ) The secret of success in the work of the Lord G. Richards. I. THAT WE HAVE A GREAT AND AN IMPORTANT WORK DEVOLVING UPON US: to aid in raising the world from the ruins of the fall, and restoring it to something of its former order and beauty, that the Lord may dwell among us. This work has been committed to the Church. It is her high corn, mission. This work must commence with our own hearts. II. THAT THIS WORK MUST RE ENGAGED IN WITH CONSECRATED ZEAL AND ACTIVITY. III. THE DILIGENT USE OF ALL APPOINTED MEANS. Nehemiah having set his heart upon his work, judiciously employed every means calculated to promote it. 1. Let us stimulate each other to engage vigorously and unitedly in this work. Generally speaking, there is only a small fraction of every Church that engages actively in the great purposes of religion. 2. Having brought all the truly pious up to a proper point, we should then address ourselves, every one to his proper sphere of labour. IV. THAT IN THE USE OF MEANS THE WORK MUST BE FOLLOWED UP WITH FORTITUDE AND PERSEVERANCE. Such was the perseverance of the Jews in rebuilding the walls, that they never pulled off their clothes, except for the means of cleanliness, during the whole of the work; but continued night and day working. There was no time for delay or indulgence. V. THAT TO INSURE THE SUCCESSFUL ISSUE OF THE WORK, THERE MUST BE AN ENTIRE DEPENDENCE ON THE BLESSING OF GOD. Here was the grand secret of Nehemiah's success. He first sought Divine direction, then employed the means, and then implored the Divine blessing. In no other way can we account for the rapid progress of the work, and its successful issue in so short a time. ( G. Richards. ) Rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem J. W. Cunningham, A. M. Consider — I. THE PERSONS BY WHOM THE WORK WAS MAINLY PERFORMED. II. THE SPIRIT IN WHICH IT WAS ACCOMPLISHED. In a great multitude of instances the work of conversion or reform is begun too near the surface. You ask the hand to work, and what is wanting is the mind to work. What we want is, not a new power but a new disposition, to have the mind newly cast in the image and character of God. It is in vain to change the hand of the watch if the mainspring is defective; it is in vain to heal the muscle or the sinew if there is no life's blood in the heart; it is in vain to mould the mere image of a man if the spirit of life is not communicated. All these typify the man without the mind, without the will. ( J. W. Cunningham, A. M. ) Advance in solid column to Christian work D. L. Moody. When General Grant was in front of Richmond, and his army had been repulsed in the Wilderness, he called together his co-commanders and held a council, and asked them what they thought he had better do. There were General Sherman and General Howard, now leading generals, and all thought he had better retreat. He heard them through, and then broke up the council of war and sent them back to their headquarters; but before morning an orderly came round with a despatch from the General directing an advance in solid column on the enemy at daylight. That was what took Richmond and broke down the rebellion in our country. Christians, let us advance in solid column against the enemy; let us lift high the standard, and in the name of our God let us lift up our voice, and let us work together, shoulder to shoulder, and keep our eye single to the honour and glory of Christ. ( D. L. Moody. ) Absorbing work is successful A gentleman who recently visited Mr. Edison's great laboratory, at Menlo Park, and whose son was about to enter upon business life, asked the Professor to give him a motto for his boy, so that he might remember it as a guide and stimulus in after-life. Mr. Edison laughed a little at the novel request, and then said, "Well, I'll give him this — tell him never to look at the clock!" Which means this — that the man who succeeds to-day is not the man who does just what he has contracted to do and no more, but the man who throws his heart into his work, feels a genuine interest in it, and does not grumble if he has to work ten minutes after office hours. Putting heart into work An employer, pointing to two men working side by side in his shop, said, "Though I pay them the same wages, one of them is worth twice as much to me as the other, because he puts his heart into everything that he does. He is interested. He is always anxious to do his best. His neighbour, on the contrary, thinks only of his wages. He will shirk whenever he thinks that he can do so and not be found out. I cannot trust him. I have to watch him closely, or he will send out work that is imperfect, and will injure the reputation of the shop." "Well, what does the man you commend gain by putting his heart in it, if you pay the same wages?" "Nothing at present except the satisfaction one feels in trying to do his duty." But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobtah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls...conspired all of them together. Nehemiah 4:7-18 Foes of the faith F. Hastings. It is well we should know our enemies, and then we can better resist them. I. THINK OF THOSE FOES OF THE FAITH Nehemiah had to withstand. 1. There was Noadiah the prophetess. She would have put Nehemiah "in fear." She used a sacred position and the name of God to cheek the efforts of a good man. Noadiah could threaten, instil doubts, and arouse dread. The Church to-day lacks courage. Too many Noadiahs are prophesying evil things, and leading others to believe that Christian missions, Christian social efforts, Christian gospel preaching, and Christian hopes of the final triumph of truth are only doomed to disappointment, but the Noadiahs are often wrong. Pessimists, philosophical or ecclesiastical, are all the prey of paralysis. 2. Then there was Shemaiah ( Nehemiah 6:10 ), who was "shut in the temple." He pretended that great danger approached. He sought to allure the Reformer into a state of inactivity. He said: "Let us shut the doors of the temple, for they will come and slay thee; yea, in the night, they will come and. slay thee." However, Shemiah had his price. He had been hired. Money dictated his actions as it does that of many mercenary hinderers of the truth, especially the men who say, "We exist for the benefit of the people." 3. Then there was Sanballat the Horonite. He was a most dangerous enemy. He had a position at Samaria, the nearest strong city. He had special influence also with the garrison. Of him it is said, "Sanballat was very wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews and spake before his brethren (relations), and the army of Samaria." He said, "What do those feeble Jews? Will they sacrifice? Will they make an end in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish that are burned?" He raged. His anger was like Nebuchadnezzar's furnace, heated seven times hotter than usual. It was like the fires of the Inquisition that did put out evangelical truth throughout Spain, and nearly through France. Sanballat was most irritating to Nehemiah, for he taunted him bitterly. He sought in every way to check the work by abuse of the courageous leader. Sanballat, indeed, was a bitter east wind. 4. Tobiah, who lived at Ammon, was another enemy. He had power over a province. He had probably reached his post by flattering when a slave in the imperial court. Nehemiah calls him the slave ( Nehemiah 2:19 ) (where servant should be rendered slave). He was a sprung-up, conceited opponent of the truth. He assumed that wisdom would die with him. This Tobiah was acquainted with the internal state of Jerusalem, and had shown contempt for the efforts of Nehemiah. He said, "Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall" ( Nehemiah 4:3 ). He ridiculed their aims, and kept up a constant intrigue with those within who were disaffected ( Nehemiah 6:17 ). This man, even after the temple was finished and the walls built, managed to establish himself in the sacred place itself, because he had relationship with the chief priest ( Nehemiah 13:8 ). This man may represent those who are traitorous betrayers, and who now cast ridicule upon the truth, or on efforts after the truth — those who, pretending to help Protestant truth, are its betrayers. 5. Another enemy was Geshem or Gashmu an Arabian ( Nehemiah 6:6 ). Geshem and Gashmu seem to have been identical. He was an Ishmaelite. He was a wild, characterless man —"an idle chatterer." He had nothing to lose and everything to gain by opposition. He brought false charges against Nehemiah as one who only wished to set up a sovereignty, and to be independent of the central power at Susa ( Nehemiah 6:6 ). Most dangerous of all enemies was this Geshem, or Gashmu, for he could insinuate that mean motives were the spring of holy efforts. He was a whisperer. Oh, how very many Gashmus there are even now! They are of no importance, save that they can spread reports, and do much damage. Gashmus will say that they pretend to be anxious about the cause of God, when they are only anxious to gratify their own ambition. Or Gashmu will say that Christians only desire advance in material prosperity. The Gashmus are too indifferent to understand the enthusiasm of Christians. 6. Noadiah, Shemaiah, Sanballat, Tobiah, and Gashmu were united. They were cunning and cruel. They had allies within Jerusalem. Some were half-hearted. Individually we have traitorous tendencies to indifference and ease in our souls. We have many enemies whom we find represented by the Ammonites and Arabians. They are such as these — doubts as to whether we are converted, or unbelief as to Christ's acceptance of us, or superstitious and self-righteous leanings, seductions of the world, of pleasure, of wealth, of fame, desire to have the good opinion of the world, desire to be known rather as "good fellows" than good Christians. To be without temptation would be to be without that element that goes to form character. "Better have the devil's war than have the devil's peace." II. Nehemiah teaches us HOW TO RESIST THE ENEMIES OF THE TRUTH. 1. He resisted by establishing sentinels, setting the watch to give warning; he resisted by placing weapons into the hands of all. Our weapons of defence are God's commands, God's promises, God's love. Nehemiah resisted by teaching the people to keep behind their defences. We, when assaults on our faith or temptations come, should get behind the walls, should keep within conscience — keep within the Word. 2. Nehemiah resisted his foes by pressing all into service. "None were despised." 3. Nehemiah resisted his foes by inspiring his people with confidence in God. God is mightier than our foes. 4. Nehemiah resisted also by insisting that there should be no parleying with the enemy. "Answer him not again." He resisted by leading the people to be as unrestful in toil as unceasing in outlook. "They laboured, and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared" ( Nehemiah 4:21 ). He inspired his followers with courage, saying, "Be not afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses." And again, "Our God shall fight for us" ( Nehemiah 4:14, 20 ). Words these worthy to be the battle-cry of the Church. Moreover, Nehemiah resisted best by setting an example of courage. "Should such a man as I flee?" All Christian life should be courageous. Shall we, in view of the value of our souls, yield to evil? The more we work for Christ and watch against evil, the stronger we shall become. Soldiers are not kept idle while in garrison; work of some kind is always found for them. If unemployed they would soon become flabby, weak, and without muscle. There is ever something in Christian life to develop the watchful and the heroic. Persistency prevailed. We are told that "when his enemies heard of the fact that the wall was finished they were much cast down in their own eyes" ( Nehemiah 6:16 ). Walls had risen which they could not batter. Crestfallen, the enemies had to depart. Chroniclers might have said of them, as it was written of Charles VIII. of France, and his expedition against Naples, "They came into the field like thunder, and went out like a soft shower." So went away, in the time of Nehemiah, the enemies of God's struggling Church. "God brought their counsel to nought." ( F. Hastings. ) And to hinder it. The builders interrupted Monday Club Sermons. I. THE WORK NEHEMIAH WAS COMMISSIONED TO DO. II. HOW NEHEMIAH'S WORK WAS HINDERED. 1. By ridicule. 2. By weariness (ver. 10). 3. By fearfulness (ver. 12).Many now feel that there is danger in building the walls of Zion. (1) In social life. (2) In politics. (3) In business. 4. By bribery. No other cause so weakens the Church as defection in her own membership. III. THE MEASURES BY WHICH NEHEMIAH ACCOMPLISHED HIS WORK. 1. Prayer. 2. Sagacious efforts. 3. Single-nes

Benson Commentary Nehemiah 4:1 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews. Nehemiah 4:1-2 . And mocked the Jews — Pretending contempt in his words, when he had grief, anger, and vexation in his heart. And he spake before his brethren — Before Tobiah, Geshem, and others, whom Nehemiah calls his brethren, because of their conjunction with him in office and interest. And the army in Samaria — Whom he hereby designed to incense against them, or, at least, whose minds he thought thus to learn. What do these feeble Jews? Will they fortify, &c. — Do they intend to begin and finish the work, and keep the feast of dedication by sacrifice, all in one day? For if they spend any long time about it, they cannot think that we and the rest of their neighbours will suffer them to do it. Thus he persuaded himself and his companions that their attempt was ridiculous; and this mistake kept him from giving them any disturbance till it was too late. So did God infatuate him to his own grief and shame, and to the advantage of the Jews. Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish? — Will they pick up their broken stones out of the ruins, and patch them together? Which are burned — Which stones were burned, and broken by the Chaldeans, when they took the city. Nehemiah 4:2 And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned? Nehemiah 4:3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall. Nehemiah 4:3 . If a fox go up — He mentions foxes because they were very numerous in those parts, and because in the late desolation of Jerusalem, the foxes did frequent the mount and city of Zion, ( Lamentations 5:18 ,) wherewith he seems to upbraid them. He shall even break down their stone wall — It is so low that a fox can easily ascend to the top of it, and so weak, and built so hastily and carelessly, that the least weight or thrust will tumble it down. Nehemiah 4:4 Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity: Nehemiah 4:4-5 . Hear, O our God — Nehemiah here interrupts the relation, to mention the prayer he made on the occasion. Turn their reproach upon their own head — Let them really be as contemptible as they represent us to be. This and the following requests must seem harsh to us, who are taught by the Lord Jesus to love our enemies, to bless those that curse us, and pray for those that despitefully use and persecute us. Probably they were uttered rather by a spirit of prophecy than a spirit of prayer, and are to be considered as declaratory of the judgments of God against persecutors. They certainly had their accomplishment in the subsequent doom of these nations. And give them for a prey in the land of their captivity — Let them be removed from our neighbourhood, and carried into captivity; and there let them find no favour, but further severity. Or, give them for a prey to their enemies, and let these carry them into the land of captivity. And cover not their iniquity — Let their wickedness be in thy sight, so as to bring down judgments upon them, that either they may be reformed, or others may be warned by their example. God is said to cover or hide sin, when he forbears to punish it. For they have provoked thee — They have not only provoked us builders, but thee also. Or, they have provoked, or derided, the builders to their face; that is, openly and impudently, in contempt of God, and of this work, which is done by his direction and encouragement. Nehemiah, in these petitions, if they be petitions, and not rather predictions, as has just been intimated, is not to be imitated by us, but rather he, whose disciples we profess to be, and who, when upon the cross, and under the bitterest agonies, prayed most fervently for the forgiveness of those that crucified him. Nehemiah 4:5 And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders. Nehemiah 4:6 So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work. Nehemiah 4:6 . All the wall was joined unto the half thereof — That is, the wall was built round the whole city, there being no space unbuilt, and it was carried up to half the height that it was intended to be. For the people had a mind to work — Were very much set upon it, and went about it cheerfully, notwithstanding the jeers and scoffs of their enemies. Nehemiah 4:7 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth, Nehemiah 4:7-8 . That the breaches began to be stopped — That is, the breaches which the Chaldeans had made and left in the walls were well nigh repaired. Then they were very wroth — They had flattered themselves with a notion that the work would soon stand still of itself; but when they heard that it went on and prospered, they were angry at the Jews for pushing it forward so hastily, and at themselves for being so slow in opposing it. And conspired all of them together — Though of different interests among themselves, yet they were unanimous in their opposition to the work of God. To come and fight against Jerusalem — Why? what quarrel had they with the Jews? Had the Jews done them any wrong, or did they design them any? No: they lived peaceably by them; but it was merely out of envy and malice that this Sanballat and his brethren opposed and persecuted them. They hated the piety of the Jews, and were therefore vexed at their prosperity, and sought their ruin. And to hinder it — Or, to cause the work to cease, as it is expressed Nehemiah 4:11 , which they doubted not but they should be able to effect. The hindering of a good work is that which bad men aim at, and promise themselves; but as a good work is God’s work, it shall prosper. Nehemiah 4:8 And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it. Nehemiah 4:9 Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them. Nehemiah 4:9 . We made our prayer unto God — They committed themselves to the protection of God, whose servants they were, and whom they considered as being engaged for them. This was the way of good Nehemiah and his associates: all their cares, all their griefs, all their fears, they spread before God, and thereby made themselves easy. And set a watch against them day and night — They seconded their prayers by their endeavours, and kept a constant watch, that they might not be surprised by their enemies, for they knew them to be very vigilant to do mischief. Nehemiah 4:10 And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall. Nehemiah 4:10 . And Judah said — That is, the Jews now dwelling in Judah; to wit, some of them, being partly terrified by their enemies, and partly wearied with continual labour: the strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed — The labourers have wrought so long and so hard that they are quite spent; and there is much rubbish — More than we are able soon to remove: so that we are not able to build the wall — Being forced to spend our time in removing the rubbish, and therefore we must desist for a season. Can Judah, that warlike, valiant tribe, speak thus? Active, leading men, have many times as much to do to grapple with the fears of their friends as with the terrors of their enemies. Nehemiah 4:11 And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease. Nehemiah 4:11 . Our adversaries said, They shall not know, &c. — Their enemies resolved not to appear with an army before Jerusalem, but to march so secretly that the Jews should have no notice of their approach till they saw them in the city, armed and prepared to attack them suddenly, and put them to the sword. Nehemiah 4:12 And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times, From all places whence ye shall return unto us they will be upon you . Nehemiah 4:12 . And the Jews which dwelt by them — Who were neighbours to that people; or dwelt among them, as the words may be rendered, whereby they became acquainted with their counsels. They said unto us ten times — That is, they came and informed us very often, for ten times, in Scripture, signifies a great many times. From all places whence ye shall return unto us, &c. — That is, they will attack you by all the ways by which we can come to you, or you to us, or wherever there is any communication between you and us; therefore take care to keep watches on every side. Hence it appears, that though those Jews, who dwelt near or among the Samaritans, had not zeal enough to induce them to come to Jerusalem to help their brethren in building the wall; yet, having discovered the enemies’ design, they had so much honesty, and affection to the cause, as to give intelligence of it: nay, that their information might be the more credited, they came themselves to make them acquainted with it, repeating it many times, as men in earnest, and under a concern to have it believed. Nehemiah 4:13 Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows. Nehemiah 4:13 . Therefore, in the lower places behind the wall — Within the walls, where they were not yet raised to their due height, and therefore most liable to the enemies’ assault. On the higher places — Upon the tops of the walls, where they were finished, and the towers which were built here and there upon the wall, whence they might shoot arrows, or throw stones. Nehemiah 4:14 And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses. Nehemiah 4:14 . I said unto the nobles, Be not afraid of them — All was at stake; therefore he exhorts them to be valiant, trusting in God. Remember the Lord, who is great and terrible, &c. — You think your enemies are great and terrible; but what are they in comparison with God? especially in opposition to him? Nehemiah 4:15 And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work. Nehemiah 4:15 . When our enemies heard that it was known unto us — When they heard that their plot was discovered, and they had no hope to surprise us, but found that we were ready to receive them, they laid aside their designs, and we went on with our work. Nehemiah 4:16 And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah. Nehemiah 4:16 . It came to pass from that time forth — Lest our enemies should repeat their enterprise; that the half of my servants wrought in the work — Of my domestic servants, and of my guards, who should have attended upon my own person. And the other half held the spears, the shields, &c. — That is, all their weapons: they stood in their arms, prepared for battle. And the rulers were behind all — Partly to encourage them in their work, sometimes assisting them with their own hands; and partly to direct and command them in case of an assault. Nehemiah 4:17 They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon. Nehemiah 4:17 . Every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other held a weapon — That is, they were well prepared either to build or fight; for the expression is figurative, it not being possible for them to work, if both hands had not been at liberty. Accordingly the next verse says, Every one had his sword girded by his side. Thus must we work out our salvation, with the weapons of our warfare in our hands. For in every duty we must expect opposition from our spiritual enemies. Nehemiah 4:18 For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me. Nehemiah 4:18 . He that sounded the trumpet was by me — To give the alarm, and call the people together, when and where it was necessary. It appears by this he was continually with them while they wrought upon the wall. Nehemiah 4:19 And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another. Nehemiah 4:20 In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us. Nehemiah 4:21 So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared. Nehemiah 4:21-22 . Half of them held the spears — For the use of every man, if there should be occasion. From the rising of the morning till the stars appeared — Working very early and very late. Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem — Not in the suburbs or adjoining villages, as probably many of them had done, returning thence to their work in the morning: but now he would have them all lodge in Jerusalem, for the greater security of the city; and in turns to watch by night, or work on the walls by day. Nehemiah 4:22 Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour on the day. Nehemiah 4:23 So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, saving that every one put them off for washing. Nehemiah 4:23 . None of us put off our clothes — Neither by day nor by night, as the manner is when people go to rest, but they constantly kept themselves in readiness to fight, if any assault were made on the city. Saving that every one put them off for washing — When they were to wash and cleanse themselves from some impurity, which might befall them or their garments. Benson Commentary on the Old and New Testaments Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.com . Used by Permission.

Expositor's Bible Commentary Nehemiah 4:1 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews. elete_me Nehemiah 2:19 ON GUARD Nehemiah 2:10 ; Nehemiah 2:19 ; Nehemiah 4:1-23 ALL his arrangements for rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem show that Nehemiah was awake to the dangers with which he was surrounded. The secrecy of his night ride was evidently intended to prevent a premature revelation of his plans. The thorough organisation, the mapping out of the whole line of the wall, and the dividing of the building operations among forty-two bands of workpeople secured equal and rapid progress on all sides. Evidently the idea was to "rush" the work, and to have it fairly well advanced, so as to afford a real protection for the citizens, before any successful attempts to frustrate it could be carried out. Even with all these precautions, Nehemiah was harassed and hindered for a time by the malignant devices of his enemies. It was only to be expected that he would meet with opposition. But a few years before all the Syrian colonists had united in extracting an order from Artaxerxes for the arrest of the earlier work of building the walls, because the Jews had made themselves intensely obnoxious to their neighbours by sending back the wives they had married from among the Gentile peoples. The jealousy of Samaria, which had taken the lead in Palestine so long as Jerusalem was in evidence, envenomed this animosity still more. Was it likely then that her watchful foes would hear with equanimity of the revival of the hated city-a city which must have seemed to them the very embodiment of the anti-social spirit? Now, however, since a favourite servant of the Great King had been appointed governor of Jerusalem, the Satrap of the Syrian provinces could scarcely be expected to interfere. Therefore the initiative fell into the hands of smaller men, who found it necessary to abandon the method of direct hostility, and to proceed by means of intrigues and ambuscades. There were three who made themselves notorious in this undignified course of procedure. Two of them are mentioned in connection with the journey of Nehemiah up to Jerusalem. { Nehemiah 2:10 } The first, the head of the whole opposition, is Sanballat, who is called the Horonite, seemingly because he is a native of one of the Beth-horons, and who appears to be the governor of the city of Samaria, although this is not stated. Throughout the history he comes before us repeatedly as the foe of the rival governor of Jerusalem. Next to him comes Tobiah, a chief of the little trans-Jordanic tribe of the Ammonites, some of whom had got into Samaria in the strange mixing up of peoples after the Babylonian conquest. He is called the servant, possibly because he once held some post at court, and if so he may have been personally jealous of Nehemiah’s promotion. Sanbaltat and his supporter Tobiah were subsequently joined by an Arabian Emir named Geshem. His presence in the group of conspirators would be surprising if we had not been unexpectedly supplied with the means of accounting for it in the recently deciphered inscription which tells how Sargon imported an Arabian colony into Samaria. The Arab would scent prey in the project of a warlike expedition The opposition proceeded warily. At first we are only told that when Sanballat and his friend Tobiah heard of the coming of Nehemiah, "grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel." { Nehemiah 2:10 } In writing these caustic words Nehemiah implies that the jealous men had no occasion to fear that he meant any harm to them, and that they knew this. It seems very hard to him, then, that they should begrudge any alleviation of the misery of the poor citizens of Jerusalem. What was that to them? Jealousy might foresee the possibility of future loss from the recovery of the rival city, and in this they might find the excuse for their action, an excuse for not anticipating which so fervent a patriot as Nehemiah may be forgiven; nevertheless the most greedy sense of self-interest on the part of these men is lost sight of in the virulence of their hatred to the Jews. This is always the case with that cruel infatuation-the Anti-Semitic rage. Here it is that hatred passes beyond mere anger. Hatred is actually pained at the welfare of its object. It suffers from a Satanic misery. The venom which it fails to plant in its victim rankles in its own breast. At first we only hear of this odious distress of the jealous neighbours. But the prosecutions of Nehemiah’s designs immediately lead to a manifestation of open hostility-verbal in the beginning. No sooner had the Jews made it evident that they were responsive to their leader’s appeal and intended to rise and build, than they were assailed with mockery. The Samaritan and Ammonite leaders were now joined by the Arabian, and together they sent a message of scorn and contempt, asking the handful of poor Jews whether they were fortifying the city in order to rebel against the king. The charge of a similar intention had been the cause of stopping the work on the previous occasion. { Ezra 4:13 } Now that Artaxerxes’ favourite cup-bearer was at the head of affairs, any suspicion of treason was absurd, but since hatred is singularly blind-far more blind than love-it is barely possible that the malignant mockers hoped to raise a suspicion. On the other hand, there is no evidence to show that they followed the example of the previous opposition and reported to headquarters. For the present they seem to have contented themselves with bitter raillery. This is a weapon before which weak men too often give way. But Nehemiah was not so foolish as to succumb beneath a shower of poor, ill-natured jokes. His answer is firm and dignified. { Nehemiah 2:20 } It contains three assertions. The first is the most important. Nehemiah is not ashamed to confess the faith which is the source of all his confidence. In the eyes of men the Jews may appear but a feeble folk, quite unequal to the task of holding their ground in the midst of a swarm of angry foes. If Nehemiah had only taken account of the political and military aspects of affairs, he might have shrunk from proceeding. But it is just the mark of his true greatness that he always has his eye fixed on a Higher Power. He knows that God is in the project, and therefore he is sure that it must prosper. When a man can reach this conviction, mockery and insult do not move him. He has climbed to a serene altitude, from which he can look down with equanimity on the boiling clouds that are now far beneath his feet. Having this sublime ground of confidence, Nehemiah is able to proceed to his second point-his assertion of the determination of the Jews to arise and build. This is quite positive and absolute. The brave man states it, too, in the clearest possible language. Now the work is about to begin there is to be no subterfuge or disguise. Nehemiah’s unflinching determination is based on the religious confession that precedes it. The Jews are God’s servants, they are engaged in His work, they know He will prosper them, therefore they most certainly will not stay their hand for all the gibes and taunts of their neighbours. Lastly, Nehemiah contemptuously repudiates the claim of these impertinent intruders to interfere in the work of the Jews, he tells them that they have no excuse for their meddling, for they own no property in Jerusalem, they have no right of citizenship or of control from without, and there are no tombs of their ancestors in the sacred city. In this message of Nehemiah’s we seem to hear an echo of the old words with which the temple-builders rejected the offer of assistance from the Samaritans, and which were the beginning of the whole course of jealous antagonism on the part of the irritated neighbours. But the circumstances are entirely altered. It is not a friendly offer of co-operation, but its very opposite, a hostile and insulting message designed to hinder the Jews, that is here so proudly resented. In the reply of Nehemiah we hear the church refusing to bend to the will of the world, because the world has no right to trespass on her territory. God’s work is not to be tampered with by insolent meddlers. Jewish exclusiveness is painfully narrow, at least in our estimation of it, when it refuses to welcome strangers or to recognise the good that lies outside the sacred enclosure, but this same characteristic becomes a noble quality, with high ethical and religious aims, when it firmly refuses to surrender its duty to God at the bidding of the outside world. The Christian can scarcely imitate Nehemiah’s tone and temper in this matter, and yet if he is loyal to his God he will feel that he must be equally decided and uncompromising in declining to give up any part of what he believes to be his service of Christ to please men who unhappily as yet have "no part, or right, or memorial" in the New Jerusalem, although, unlike the Jew of old, he will be only too glad that all men should come in and share his privileges. After receiving an annoying answer it was only natural that the antagonistic neighbours of the Jews should be still more embittered in their animosity. At the first news of his coming to befriend the children of Israel, as Nehemiah says, Sanballat and Tobiah were grieved, but when the building operations were actually in process the Samaritan leader passed from vexation to rage-"he was wroth and took great indignation." { Nehemiah 4:1 } This man now assumed the lead in opposition to the Jews. His mockery became more bitter and insulting. In this he was joined by his friend the Ammonite, who declared that if only one of the foxes that prowl on the neighbouring hills were to jump upon the wall the creature would break it down. { Nehemiah 4:3 } Perhaps he had received a hint from some of his spies that the new work that had been so hastily pressed forward was not any too solid. The "Palestine Exploration Fund" has brought to light the foundations of what is believed to be a part of Nehemiah’s wall at Ophel, and the base of it is seen to be of rubble, not founded on the rock, but built on the clay above, so that it has been possible to drive a mine under it from one side to the other-a rough piece of work, very different from the beautifully finished temple walls. Nehemiah met the renewed shower of insults in a startling manner. He cursed his enemies. { Nehemiah 4:4 } Deploring before God the contempt that was heaped on the Jews, he prayed that the reproach of the enemies might be turned on their own head, devoted them to the horrors of a new captivity, and even went so far as to beg that no atonement might be found for their iniquity, that their sin might not be blotted out. In a word, instead of himself forgiving his enemies, he besought that they might not be forgiven by God. We shudder as we read his terrible words. This is not the Christ spirit. It is even contrary to the less merciful spirit of the Old Testament. Yet, to be just to Nehemiah, we must consider the whole case. It is most unfair to tear his curse out of the history and gibbet it as a specimen of Jewish piety. Even strong men who will not give way before ridicule may feel its stabs-for strength is not inconsistent with sensitiveness. Evidently Nehemiah was irritated, but then he was much provoked. For the moment he lost his self-possession. We must remember that the strain of his great undertaking was most exhausting, and we must be patient with the utterances of one so sorely tried. If lethargic people criticise adversely the hasty utterances of a more intense nature, they forget that, though they may never lose their self-control, neither do they ever rouse themselves to the daring energy of the man whose failings they blame. Then it was not any personal insults hurled against himself that Nehemiah resented so fiercely. It was his work that the Samaritans were trying to hinder. This he believed to be really God’s work, so that the insults offered to the Jews were also directed against God, who must have been angry also. We cannot justify the curse by the standard of the Christian law, but it is not reasonable to apply that standard to it. We must set it by the side of the Maledictory Psalms. From the standpoint of its author it can be fully accounted for. To say that even in this way it can be defended, however, is to go too far. We have no occasion to persuade ourselves that any of the Old Testament saints were immaculate, even in the light of Judaism. Nehemiah was a great and good man, yet he was not an Old Testament Christ. But now more serious opposition was to be encountered. Such enemies as those angry men of Samaria were not likely to be content with venting their spleen in idle mockery. When they saw that the keenest shafts of their wit failed to stop the work of the citizens of Jerusalem, Sanballat and his friends found it necessary to proceed to more active measures, and accordingly they entered into a conspiracy for the double purpose of carrying on actual warfare and of intriguing with disaffected citizens of Jerusalem-"to cause confusion therein." { Nehemiah 4:8 ; Nehemiah 4:11 } Nehemiah was too observant and penetrating a statesman not to become aware of what was going on, the knowledge that the plots existed revealed the extent of his danger, and compelled him to make active preparations for thwarting them. We may notice several important points in the process of the defence. 1. Prayer.- This was the first, and in Nehemiah’s mind the most essential defensive measure. We find him resorting to it in every important juncture of his life. It is his sheet-anchor. But now "he uses the plural number. Hitherto we have met only with his private prayers." In the present case he says, "We made our prayer unto our God." { Nehemiah 4:9 } Had the infection of his prayerful spirit reached his fellow-citizens, so that they now shared it? Was it that the imminence of fearful danger drove to prayer men who under ordinary circumstances forgot their need of God? Or were both influences at work? However it was brought about, this association in prayer of some of the Jews with their governor must have been the greatest comfort to him, as it was the best ground for the hope that God would not now let them fall into the hands of the enemy. Hitherto there had been a melancholy solitariness about the earnest devotion of Nehemiah. The success of his mission began to show itself when the citizens began to participate in the same spirit of devotion. 2. Watchfulness.- Nehemiah was not the fanatic to blunder into the delusion that prayer was a substitute for duty, instead of being its inspiration. All that followed the prayer was really based upon it. The calmness, hope, and courage won in the high act of communion with God made it possible to take the necessary steps in the outer world. Since the greatest danger was not expected as an open assault, it was most necessary that an unbroken watch should be maintained, day and night. Nehemiah had spies out in the surrounding country, who reported to him every planned attack. So thorough was this system of espionage, that though no less than ten plots were concocted by the enemy, they were all discovered to Nehemiah, and all frustrated by him. 3. Encouragement.- The Jews were losing heart. The men of Judah came to Nehemiah with the complaint that the labourers who were at work on the great heaps of rubbish were suffering from exhaustion. The reduction in the numbers of workmen, owing to the appointment of the guard, would have still further increased the strain of those who were left to toil among the mounds. But it would have been fatal to draw back at this juncture. That would have been to invite the enemy to rush in and complete the discomfiture of the Jews. On Nehemiah came the obligation of cheering the dispirited citizens. Even the leading men who should have rallied the people, like officers at the head of their troops, shared the general depression. Nehemiah was again alone-or at best supported by the silent sympathy of his companions in prayer, There was very nearly a panic, and for one man to stand out under such circumstances as these in solitary courage, not only resisting the strong contagion of fear, but stemming the tide ant counteracting its movement, this would be indeed the sublimity of heroism. It was a severe test for Nehemiah, and he came out of it triumphant. His faith was the inspiration of his own courage, and it became the ground for the encouragement of others. He addressed the people and their nobles in a spirited appeal. First, he exhorted them to banish fear. The very tone of his voice must have been reassuring; the presence of one brave man in a crowd of cowards often shames them out of their weakness. But Nehemiah proceeded to give reasons for his encouragement. Let the men remember their God Jehovah, how great and terrible He is! The cause is His, and His might and terror will defend it. Let them think of their people and their families, and fight for brethren and children, for wives and homes! Cowardice is unbelief and selfishness combined. Trust in God and a sense of duty to others will master the weakness. 4. Arms.- Nehemiah gave the first place to the spiritual and moral defences of Jerusalem. Yet his material defences were none the less thorough on account of his prayers to God or his eloquent exhortation of the people and their leaders. They were most complete. His arrangements for the military protection of Jerusalem converted the whole city into an armed camp. Half the citizens in turn were to leave their work, and stand at arms with swords and spears and bows. Even in the midst of the building operations the clatter of weapons was heard among the stones, because the masons at work on the walls and the labourers while they poised on their heads baskets full of rubbish from the excavations had swords attached to their sashes. Residents of the suburbs were required to stay in the city instead of returning home for the night, and no man could put off a single article of clothing when he lay down to sleep. Nor was this martial array deemed sufficient without some special provision against a surprise. Nehemiah therefore went about with a trumpeter, ready to summon all hands to any point of danger on the first alarm. Still, though the Jews were hampered with these preparations for battle, tired with toil and watching, and troubled by dreadful apprehensions, the work went on. This is a great proof of the excellency of Nehemiah’s generalship. He did not sacrifice the building to the fighting. The former was itself designed to produce a permanent defence, while the arms were only for temporary use. When the walls were up the citizens could give the laugh back to their foes. But in itself the very act of working was reassuring. Idleness is a prey to fears which industry has no time to entertain. Every man who tries to do his duty as a servant of God is unconsciously building a wall about himself that will be his shelter in the hour of peril. The Expositor's Bible Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.com . Used by Permission.