"Now when Sanballat 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?'" (Nehemiah 4:1-2)
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Opposition is inevitable when you begin to do something new and unexpected. Nehemiah's experience was no different. When he proposed to the Jews that they rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, there were men who attempted to intervene (Neh. 2:19). They ridiculed Nehemiah and accused him of rebellion. Nehemiah responded to their accusations by pointing out that God would make them prosper, that they would work diligently even in the face of resistance, and that men like Sanballat had no part in the blessing that God had promised.
This appears to have silenced the dissenters for a while, but Sanballat and his followers did not give up their attempts to stop the work. In fact, Sanballat was furious that Nehemiah had disregarded him and went ahead with rebuilding anyway. Since the voices of just a few men were not enough to stop the Jews from rebuilding, he turned to his "brothers and…the army of Samaria." His tirade against the Jews was meant to stir up animosity and thus to recruit more people to join in the resistance.
Sanballat's denunciation was fierce, a mixture of sarcasm and contempt. He accused the Jews of being feeble; they were weak and didn't have the physical or mental fortitude to complete the work. He laughed at the idea that they would "restore [the wall] for themselves," especially when they were surrounded by others who did not want the wall to be restored. Their numbers were just too small to be of any significance. He was amazed that they thought that they would be able to reinstitute the sacrifice, or that doing so would do any good at all. The sacrifices that they used to offer hadn't done them any good. He ridiculed their optimism; they were working as if they could finish the wall in a day. He pointed out the impossibility of success by making fun of the "heaps of rubbish" that they were working with.
There will always be men like Sanballat when you attempt to do what God has called you to do. Your faith and your lifestyle looks ridiculous to them. They don't understand why it is that you are doing what you are. They talk about you behind your back. They avoid you in the grocery store. They give you funny looks when they see you in your front yard. Under the pretence of concern, they point out the difficulty of the task. Sometimes, they question your sanity to your face. It may be outright: "You're doing what?" Or it may be implied: "Bless your heart."
Starting a new church is not something that most people understand. It requires you to give up your time, your money, and your talents. Many times the result of your sacrifice doesn't equal the amount of effort put in. It is a long, strenuous process, marked by frustration, obstacles, and setbacks. The very nature of planting a church presents enough difficulties. If we are unprepared for the Sanballat's that will surely come, we are in danger of capitulating under their disapproval.
We must be ready for opposition before it arrives. We must be sure of the vision and work to which God has called us. We must be consistent in encouraging one another. We must be diligent in prayer.
How have you experienced opposition when you attempted to do what God called you to do? How did you respond?
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