Week of October 17th, 2021

All Nations Church
Life Group Study
“Build Your Life Better”
Week of October 17^th, 2021

Study by Wayne Arcand

 

Sometimes life hands us a series of setbacks that has us running for cover. But then the Lord works in the situation to make something really positive come out of it. In the midst of our trials, Nehemiah shows us what can be accomplished when we pray, trust in the Lord, and commit ourselves to the vision he has given us. Pray that the Holy Spirit would reveal his vision for you that he might be glorified as a result of what he has and will accomplished through you.

 

Nehemiah 4 (NIV)

Opposition to the Rebuilding

4 When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, ² and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?”

³ Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!”

⁴ Hear us, our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. ⁵ Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders.

⁶ So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.

⁷ But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. ⁸ They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. ⁹ But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.

¹⁰ Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.”

¹¹ Also our enemies said, “Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.”

¹² Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”

¹³ Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. ¹⁴ After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”

¹⁵ When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to our own work.

¹⁶ From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah ¹⁷ who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, ¹⁸ and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.

¹⁹ Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. ²⁰ Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!”

²¹ So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out. ²² At that time I also said to the people, “Have every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night, so they can serve us as guards by night and as workers by day.” ²³ Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me took off our clothes; each had his weapon, even when he went for water.

 

1. Why was it important to God’s people to rebuild the walls around the city of Jerusalem? Consider what we have learned in the first three chapters of Nehemiah.

 

2. In Nehemiah 4:1-3:
   1. You will notice in the Book of Nehemiah, when naming those who opposed the rebuilding of the walls around Jerusalem, Sanballat is always mentioned first. He seems to be most vocal in his criticism and the others seemed to follow his lead.
      1. What does this suggest about his influence among his peers?
      2. What might this also suggest about his peers ability to think and draw their own conclusions?

• How was their opposition to rebuilding the wall demonstrated in these verses?

1. What impact do you think rebuilding the wall would have had on the relationship between those living within Jerusalem and the surrounding governors?
   1. Does this suggest why they may have opposed the rebuilding of the wall?
2. As God’s people, what are some symbolic walls we can erect to protect us from influences that would cause us to live in a way that does not honour God?
3. Discussion Question: What guidelines might we use to determine whether we are being positively or negatively influenced by others?

 

3. Consider verses 4 -6:
   1. How did God’s people react to the opposition led by Sanballat?
   2. What does verse 6 tell us about the heart and commitment of the people?

 

4. Verses 7 -9 would suggest an escalation of tension between the Jews and the opposition.
   1. How was opposition escalating?
      1. What form was the opposition moving towards?
   2. What was Nehemiah’s response?
      1. Is there a principle we might consider when faced with opposition to something God is calling us to do? What is it?

 

5. The people of Judah, under the leadership of Nehemiah, had a vision. There was opposition to the vision. They assessed the magnitude of the task, the resources available, the opposition, and then they prayed and got to work. The opposition wasn’t ignored but they did put into practice a plan that allowed them to protect themselves, with the Lord’s help, and still complete the task at hand.
   1. What role did God play in this account of the rebuilding of the wall?
   2. What role did Nehemiah play?
   3. What role did God’s people play?
   4. What does this suggest about how God might work to accomplish his purposes?

 

 

For Reflection:

It was important to God’s people to have a safe place. They committed their time, their resources and their lives to make this happen. In this safe place, this walled city, they would be protected from the dangers around them. What is our ‘walled city’? What is my level of commitment to ensure I am protected from the negative influences of the world around me? Pray that the Spirit of the Living God would empower you to accomplish the task he has called you to and protect you from those who would distract you.