We already know the wall around Jerusalem got rebuilt. Nehemiah gave us a tour in chapter 3, including the names of families/groups who got credit for their sections. Why go back, and why three more chapters (from 4:1 to 6:19)? It’s reasonable for us to ask about the placement and the proportion? Why this order? Why so much attention?

Well, did you think building was going to be easy?

These lessons on expecting snark and setbacks, on expecting to adjust plans and to be tired, are easy to track and easier to ignore. We want patient progress and we want it NOW. We love the idea that we can do difficult things without difficulty, or, others have the idea that if it’s difficult then it must not be right. To them, “peaceful and quiet life” means no big projects.

But some things are worth disturbing others over. Some things are worth your life—schedule and budget—being disturbed.

As Christians we are not building a physical wall around our city. But by way of application, we can see how Jerusalem’s walls provided them with identity and consecration. They had a way of worship, and that shaped their way of life. The walls brought them together in the months of coordinated effort and then afterward in a community mindset.

These verses in Nehemiah 4:7-23 are for our encouragement and endurance in hope so that we also can live in harmony with one another and with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (see Romans 15:4-6).

A Show of Force (verses 7-14)

Nehemiah names opposition in verse 7 and references them again in verse 15. The wall was up to half the height according to verse 6, and some of the neighbors are big mad. Now they muster a mob.

But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and that 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. (Nehemiah 4:7–8 ESV)

Do you have a good guess as to why there are four groups mentioned? Representatives come from all four directions; Arabs were south, Ammonites were east, Ashdodites were west, Samaritans were north. Sanballat is named first; he seems to be the chief agitator. They hold council on how to mess up the building, if not to kill (see verse 11, though that might have drawn Artaxerxes’ less-than-pleased attention), at least to cause confusion.

And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night. (Nehemiah 4:9 ESV)

They prayed and assigned men for defense around the clock. More on the particulars later in the chapter. There’s a Benedictine motto for this: ora et labora = “Pray and work” (Fensham). Or we could call it the Oliver Cromwell principle—“Trust in God, and keep your powder dry.”

Thus far the external pressure, now we see some of the internal panic.

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.” At that time the Jews who lived near them came from all directions and said to us ten times, “You must return to us.” (Nehemiah 4:10–12 ESV)

It was said. The message of uncertainty spread fast. There is too much construction trash, and the grunts are getting worn out. “We’re never going to get this done.” In Hebrew the meter in verse 10 is a bit different, more poetic than prose. One commentator translated it into an English jingle:

The strength of the burden bearer is drooping,
The rubbish heap so vast;
And we are unable by ourselves
To rebuild the wall (at last).
— J. Myers

Do observe that this concern is sandwiched between news of enemies plotting (verse 8) and news of enemy propaganda (verse 11). The work seemed harder knowing they were surrounded. “Did you hear?” And it does sound bad. They are going to sneak in and kill us while we sleep.

Verse 12 reminds us that not everyone was living inside the walls. So what if enemies attacked the smaller villages while the builders weren’t home? There was a call to return home Ten times, again and again, pressure all around.

Nehemiah’s first after-prayer-response (APR):

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 and arose and said to the nobles and to the officials and to 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.” (Nehemiah 4:13–14 ESV)

It seems that gathering in the lowest parts was to let the enemies see that there were men ready to fight/defend. It was a show of force, a visual deterrent.

While gathered, Nehemiah also gave them a speech, he rallied them to a better fight. He started with the other leaders’ ( to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest); keep them encouraged and they would multiply Nehemiah’s confidence and message. He urged them all to courage which comes from faith, or from remembering the object of their faith, as well as the courage that comes from remembering who the battling was on behalf of. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome!

Swords at All Times (verses 15-23)

The gathering made clear that now the Israelites were alert, so the element of surprise was gone (and who knows if they were really going to try anything anyway).

When our 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. (Nehemiah 4:15 ESV)

The temporary regrouping worked. The rest of the chapter explains the policies and precautions put in place until the project was completed.

One apparent change: a division of labor. Some men were taken off the wall work and put on guard duty (verses 16-17a).

Another change: the men that were doing demolition/clean up and material supply kept a weapon in hand (verse 17b). One hand for holding/steadying, one hand for throwing/swinging.

The builders themselves needed both hands, but if they hadn’t already, each man was armed with a sword strapped at his side (verse 18). Less convenient to move around, but a required part of his EDC.

Add to that a clarification in communication (verses 19-20). A trumpet—not our three-fingered of course—was the shofar, typically made of a ram’s horn. It produced a pitch that, depending on terrain and weather, might be heard up to a mile away. Trumpets have been parts of military comms for generations, up until the 20th century when bugles were replace with radio technology.

Our God will fight for us. Obviously not let go and let God. But keep the gun powder dry. Trust God to bless their building and battling.

A recap in verse 21.

So we labored at the work, and half of them held the spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out. (Nehemiah 4:21 ESV)

Sunrise to sunset, dawn to stars.

And then another policy change.

I also said to the people at that time, “Let every man and his servant pass the night within Jerusalem, that they may be a guard for us by night and may labor by day.” (Nehemiah 4:22 ESV)

Men had been commuting. This new rule meant maybe a more equitable shift sharing, plus more hands in case of attack. It also kept the number of men known. What if the men were ambushed on the back or forth? It would have taken time to realize some were picked off.

So neither I nor my brothers nor my servants nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us took off our clothes; each kept his weapon at his right hand. (Nehemiah 4:23 ESV)

Vigilance and personal sacrifice. Nehemiah slept, but in his clothes. He slept, but with his sword at the ready. He slept, but his main concern was the project. He risked his place before Artaxerxes, and he wasn’t finished taking risks.

Conclusion

Threats? Yes. Scorn? Yes. Difficult? Yes. Doubts? Yes. Tired? Yes. Hurt or killed? None that we know of.

There’s still more challenges described in Nehemiah 5 and 6. And in terms of application, again, we’re not building physical walls, but we are recognizing our identity as the Lord’s and seeking to live as a consecrated people for Him.

TEC’s mission: we are laboring in joy to cultivate a Trinitarian community of worshipping, maturing disciples who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord over all the world. As we confess that Jesus is Lord, we are learning and laboring, as well as equipping and encouraging our kids, to live out our faith. We are trying to make a profit for our Master when He returns. Church, this is about the church as people, not church as our building/property. We want to make disciples in Marysville who live like, and like for, Jesus in all their vocations, with their own vocations/visions for how to advance the name of Jesus.

We are laboring to cultivate a Trinitarian community, in the midst of cultural rubble. We have to unlearn some modern ways and even unlearn little-faith and individualistic faith.

“as more and more of us see Him, we will also see the cultural fruit of seeing Him.” —Doug Wilson, Angels in the Architecture

Christians, this is your work. Are you worshipping? Are you maturing as disciples? Are you acknowledging that Jesus is Lord in all your work? Remember the Lord who is great and awesome!

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What is your AWR (after worship response)? It should be going out in gladness. The joy of the Lord is your strength. He is glad with you in Jesus, your godliness should be shown in gladness. And in His strength, you build and battle. Pray and work. Our God will fight for us!

Benediction:

[May] the God of all grace himself, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:10b–11 ESV)