NEHEMIAH CHAPTER 4 – WARFARE STRATEGIES
Chapter 4 of Nehemiah shares several accounts of opposition toward the reconstruction efforts of the Jews.
The work was being accomplished, and the walls around Jerusalem were being built; however, everyone was not happy with this project. Sanballat the Horonite who was the governor of Samaria and Tobiah the Ammonite, a local official continued in their ridicule and attempted to discourage the Jews. In response to their actions, Nehemiah prays and places them in God’s hands requesting severe judgment to be bestowed upon them.
Thankfully, the Jews were not deterred for they continued working and half of the intended height of the wall was reached which served to infuriate further the opposition who then gathered others to their side. Nehemiah 4:7-8 records their responds as, “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, And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.” Thus, this possible enemy convergence caused the Jews to pray and establish a 24-hour watch while continuing to work.
Consequently, the spirit of discouragement attempted to overtake some of the Jews. First, the people of Judah became discouraged because of the workload and secondly when the Jews that lived near to the vast surrounding opposition came privy to their plans of attack they repeatedly came and shared the information with Nehemiah. Therefore, Nehemiah placed guards behind the walls and on top of the walls by families with their weapons prepared to fight, and he spoke encouraging and inspirational words to the people, reminding them, they were fighting for Jerusalem and their families. As a result of these actions, the enemy abandoned their plan of attack.
Additionally, Nehemiah divided his servants into two groups: one group worked with their weapons on them, while the others stood guard with their weapons. Also, he kept a trumpeter near-by to sound an alarm which would assemble the people at a set place to war, and for extra precautions, during the building process, he persuaded the Jews to stay in Jerusalem rather than return to their homes in the surrounding communities.
The last verse of this chapter ends showing the determination and tenacity of Nehemiah and the people; it says, “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 everyone put them off for washing” (Nehemiah 4:23).
This chapter contained a myriad of gleaning points, so I am posting those that I feel will be beneficial and they are:
- The enemy becomes angry when he sees the work of God progressing.
- The enemy will attempt to discredit your efforts.
- When one plan of the enemy does not work, he comes with another; he has an arsenal.
- The enemy has people standing by to join his attack against you.
- Prayer should always be the foundation of problem-solving.
- God will allow the enemies plan to be exposed.
- Building and fighting are to be done simultaneously.
- Pray and watch.
- When people have a mind to work, they will not be easily deterred.
- Rather than speaking to a man about your problems, speak to God.
- Weak areas need to be fortified.
- Believers must be vigilant twenty-four hours a day.
- The greatness of our God helps us to overcome the fear of men.
- Don’t become complacent with past achievements continue to work; pursue new goals.
- Protect your accomplishments.
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