What did Jews do when enemy attacked
(according to Nehemiah)?
What did Jews do when enemy attacked - after Babylon (according to Nehemiah)?
19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant,
the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and
despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the
king?
20 Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper
us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor
right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem. (Nehemiah 2:19-20)
It was a good answer!
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.
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?
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.
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:
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.
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 4:1-6)
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,
8 And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem,
and to hinder it.
9 Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them
day and night, because of them. (Nehemiah 4:7-9)
It is very important to pray to Hashem and to continue to do God's work!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. (The verses 10-16)
If satan do the obstacles for God's work believers need not to afraid.
Believers need to rely to God Who will help soon.
1 Now it came to pass when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and
the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was
no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon
the gates;)
2 That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in
some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me
mischief.
3 And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I
cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down
to you?
4 Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after
the same manner.
5 Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an
open letter in his hand;
6 Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu saith it,
that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall,
that thou mayest be their king, according to these words.
7 And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying,
There is a king in Judah: and now shall it be reported to the king according to
these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together.
8 Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest,
but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.
9 For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the
work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands. (Nehemiah
6:1-9)
Believers need not to meet with someone, to prove. They need to continue to
do God's work!
10 Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of
Mehetabeel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of
God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will
come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee.
11 And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I
am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.
12 And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this
prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
13 Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and
that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me.
(The verses 10-13)
Satan can use even believers for his aims.
16 And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the
heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their
own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God. (Verse 16)
Nobody cannot to stop God"s work!
17 Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah,
and the letters of Tobiah came unto them.
18 For there were many in Judah sworn unto him, because he was the son in law
of Shechaniah the son of Arah; and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of
Meshullam the son of Berechiah.
19 Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered my words to him.
And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear. (Verses 17-19)
4 And before this, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber of
the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah:
5 And he had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the
meat offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn,
the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded to be given to the Levites, and
the singers, and the porters; and the offerings of the priests.
6 But in all this time was not I at Jerusalem: for in the two and thirtieth
year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon came I unto the king, and after certain days
obtained I leave of the king:
7 And I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for
Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God.
8 And it grieved me sore: therefore I cast forth all the household stuff to
Tobiah out of the chamber.
9 Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers: and thither brought I again
the vessels of the house of God, with the meat offering and the frankincense.
(Nehemiah 13:4-9)
It is necessary to check the acts of believers.
10 According to the grace of God which is
given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another
buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. (1Cor.
3:10)
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