We live in an age of conflict. While a Christian faces spiritual conflict on a daily basis there is also intellectual conflict and emotional conflict. Lastly, there will be times when the conflict get’s physical. These areas of conflict have existed among humanity ever since The Fall. And mankind has ever sought resolution to these conflicts, be it through prayer, cognition, love, or physical confrontation. It was in the areas of conflict resolution that Nehemiah found himself in Chapter Four. The prophet responded to God’s blessing and providence by taking the proper steps to deal with the situation. What Nehemiah faced was not unlike what Christians face every day here in America. Let us recall the scenario.
Nehemiah returned to Judah with King Artaxerxes permission to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls. Artaxerxes was king of Persia and his word and promise alone were more than enough to ensure Nehemiah’s return to Jerusalem and authority to rebuild the walls. But when word of the prophet’s purpose reached the ears of the Amorites, who despised the Israelites, they began a concerted effort to stop Nehemiah from both engaging in the rebuilding of the walls but more certainly from the completion of the task.
The conspiracy to dissuade Nehemiah and the Israelites included mocking them; scorning them; intimidating them; provoking them; and confusing them - all tactics used by Satan to stop believers in their tracks! In fact, it had escalated into such a heated frenzy that their enemies were even contemplating killing them! “And our adversaries said, “They will neither know nor see anything, till we come into their midst and kill them and cause the work to cease.” - Nehemiah 4:11. Is America not now at this very threshold. What can we possibly do to stop the further corruption of our nation and assault upon our Christian faith?
We must do what Nehemiah did when he and his people faced their tribulation. The very first action Nehemiah took was to pray (Nehemiah 4:4,9). Scripture speaks to us very seriously about the need for prayer and supplication to the Lord - “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” James 5:16. In this particular passage from James, we are told to confess and pray! We’ll return to this command shortly. However, in addition to fervent prayer, Nehemiah did something else; he had the Israelites prepare for war! “Therefore, I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings; and I set the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, ‘Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.’” - Nehemiah 4:13-15.
Now there will be the temptation to interpret the use of weaponry in the figurative sense. However, the threat the Israelites faced was a real and impending physical threat. “So it was, when the Jews who dwelt near them came, that they told us ten times, ‘From whatever place you turn, they will be upon us.’” - Nehemiah 4:12. The physical threat was real and so were the weapons of the Israelites.
With the fervent prayer and preparation of the Israelites the plans of the Amorites and their chief instigator, Sanballat, came to nothing. If only such a blessing would fall upon our tortured and beleaguered nation. Perhaps there is a glimmer of hope within Nehemiah that would surely ease our troubles. Remember the healing confession and prayer of James 5:16? “Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, in sackcloth, and with dust on their heads. Then those of Israelite lineage separated themselves from all foreigners; and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.” - Nehemiah 9:1-2. Prayer and a confession of sin. Is it below our dignity to pray and ask the Almighty to forgive us our trespasses? Do we dare ignore the command of Christ Jesus; “forgive us our trespasses?” If so, then perhaps our nation is beyond salvation. Perhaps we are only reaping what we have sown. So let prayerful confession in faith be our trowel and if need be, we must prudently ready our swords. As we rebuild and restore our faith in God as Nehemiah rebuilt and restored the wall, let us pray for healing, prepare for the enemy, and ask God to have mercy on our nation.
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