#sanballat

But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews. Nehemiah 4:1  When attempting to do something great, most people will have some enemies. There will be opposition to what is being done. There will be two main types of enemies that a person can have. One is the type that thinks what is being done is crazy and…

My humble beginnings that are often looked down upon. But I take comfort in Zachariah 4:10, “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.” (The seven lamps represent the eyes of the Lord that search all around the world.) How often do you say “no” to things that would interfere with your goals? I’m often swimming…

Sanballat's Anger

Adam Currence

I’ll give you $10.00 if you know who Tobiah & Sanballat are before reading this article (better catch me before it’s gone). Any guesses? Tobiah & Sanballat are two non-Israelite rulers who were a constant thorn in the side of Nehemiah. As you recall, Nehemiah was attempting to stir up Israel not only to rebuild their walls, but their faith. Both were in shambles. For so long Jerusalem had been the laughingstock of its neighbors. As Jerusalem began to prosper again, foreign rulers were opposed to it. They could no longer freely persecute and take advantage of the city and its citizens. Even worse, Jerusalem might become a legitimate threat in battle!

Tobiah & Sanballat are frequently mentioned together as they persecuted & mocked Nehemiah and his efforts. Among other things, they accuse Nehemiah of rebelling against the [Persian] king (Neh. 2:19). They consistently mocked the Jews (4:1), even once saying “if a fox should jump on it, he would break their stone wall down!” (4:3). They even once tried to trick Nehemiah into meeting with them in secret (6:2). As a side note, Tobiah & Sanballat, a Moabite and Ammonite respectively, had tribal lineages with a long history of opposition with Israel.

Why does any of this matter for us? Are there any lessons we can learn?

1.     Those who stand up and lead are noticed.

If you sit back and think about it, the world wants you to fit inside a pre-constructed box. Just keep your head down, don’t cause any trouble, and for sure don’t try and change anything. Christians are called to turn the world on it’s head (Acts 17:6). We’re called to stand out, not stand around. There were too many people in Jerusalem just standing around before Nehemiah arrived. And as soon as he stood up to lead Jerusalem, he made himself an easy target for pagans to want to bring down.

2.     Some people just want to see you fail.

This sounds really negative, but haven’t we all experienced something like this? At the very least, non-Christians love to see God’s people slip up and make mistakes. I don’t recall a single instance where Tobiah and Sanballat showed any kind of compassion or encouragement for Nehemiah & the Israelites. All they did was stand back as they persecuted and mocked the people for their efforts. Unfortunately in doing so they were also mocking God!

3.       Everyone has a Tobiah & a Sanballat.

Jesus had detractors, at times small crowds and ultimately an entire city of Jews. Paul had people who stood in his way either heckling him or attempting to take his life while he traveled and preached. A Christian who is living right and trying to teach the gospel to other will face persecution on some level. Paul makes that truth pretty clear in 2 Timothy 3:12: “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

4.     The way through: forward and up.

Nehemiah went forward and looked up. In other words, he continually pressed on in his efforts to rebuild the walls and reform the faith of his people. He had outstanding resolve and determination. How easy it would have been to sulk, pout, and give up because of all the distractions and persecutions he faced. However, he also looked up to God as we see frequently throughout the book. Nehemiah depended upon his relationship with God through prayer over and over. Thinking over the book in my mind, I can’t recall a moment of trial where Nehemiah didn’t bring it before God’s throne.