Hostile Plots Thwarted
1-2 Insults from Sanballat, who is enraged at the building: They are feeble, they’ll never finish it, they’ll never sacrifice.
3-5 Insults from Tobiah the Ammonite: A fox would break down the wall, they despise us, they taunt us, they are sinning. Typical attack from an unrighteous man: The righteous are weak and destructive. Reminds me of accusations against believers today. To paraphrase: “Religion will be the ruin of our nation.” Yes, “religion” might, but those who adhere to the teachings of Christ will build up any nation in which they reside.
6 Nehemiah: “So we rebuilt the wall, and all the wall was jointed together to half its height; for the people had a mind to work.”
7-9 When the opponents hear the breach is closed, they plot to fight against Jerusalem and cause confusion, so Nehemiah and his co-workers pray and set a guard – relying on both God and their own strength.
10-14 Reports of threats come from the enemies’ neighbors, so Nehemiah stations members of each family, with their weapons, at the lowest parts of the wall, reminding them of their “awesome God.”
15-20 With the enemies robbed of their sneak attack, the crew continues the work, with half guarding and half building, the burden bearers (removing the rubble) carrying weapons, and a trumpeter to sound an alarm for help if there is trouble anywhere along the wall.
21-23 They work and guard from “break of dawn until the stars came out,” staying inside the walls as a precaution all night. No one ever takes off his clothes, but always have a weapon in his right hand. This may explain why they hadn’t done this before. It was not just the work; it was the danger. People might work without passion, but they will seldom face dangers without it. Nehemiah had provided the passion and trust that God would see them through it.
