Valerie Rae Hanneman
Nehemiah 6:14 “Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who have been trying to intimidate me.”
Several years ago there was a woman in the fiscal department who took a strong dislike to me because I had done something foolish. (I had asked her to quit talking so much - I couldn’t get my work done!). From that time she started to oppose me in various little ways and by whispers behind my back. Now my back is big enough to shrug off any whispers and she did her job so I didn’t care about the rest. But one day I had a great idea on how to improve the work load in fiscal. She didn’t like the idea one little bit. She argued with me about the changes - she wasn’t whispering behind my back anymore - she was flat out telling everybody that I did not know how to manage anything - let alone the fiscal department of CCLS! I ignored her and kept moving forward in spite of her opposition. Her opposition grew into refusal. Finally I had to tell her that she had two choices - either comply with the changes or get written up for insubordination. Well there was a third choice that I had offered her - but that was the one she took. She went to my boss and gave him a whole litany of complaints against me - in particular about the changes I wanted to make. Imagine her surprise when my boss told her that I had already discussed the changes with him, he supported the changes, the rest of her complaints sounded like sour grapes to him - and therefore she was to either implement the changes as per my directives - or she would get written up.
Nehemiah was a Jewish exile who served as cupbearer to the Persian King Artaxerxes. When Nehemiah’s brother came to visit the court Nehemiah asked him about the remnant that remained in Jerusalem. Nehemiah was heartbroken by his brother’s response particularly because the walls of Jerusalem, the holy city, were torn down leaving the residents at the mercy of whomever came by. After King Artaxerxes questioned Nehemiah about his downcast face he gave Nehemiah permission to go and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. He gave Nehemiah letters of authority to insure that he would have everything he needed to rebuild the walls. When Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem and began to rebuild the walls he faced opposition from the political leaders and the religious leaders that were around Jerusalem. This opposition grew to be so intimidating that the workers were rebuilding the walls with one hand while they held a sword in the other. In this verse Nehemiah names the worst of these little pucker-pills and asks God to remember them because of the intimidation.
It is really disheartening when a good idea faces opposition and intimidation in the secular world - but it is even worse when a good idea for ministry faces opposition and intimidation in our faith world. Maybe you want to try some different styles of music to attract more diverse worshipers and you are told that if you do certain people are going to leave to find a church that plays only hymns. Opposition and intimidation. Or you want to broaden the way that the missions outreach is done and several people with their pucker-pill mouths tell you that that is not the way it has been traditionally done and they see no reason to change. Opposition and intimidation. Or you develop an outreach to a particularly unpopular group of people and you are told by others that their money isn’t going to support “those” people. Opposition and intimidation.
What do you do when you are faced by this type of opposition and intimidation?
If you are like Nehemiah, then you pick up a brick and build that wall that God told you to build.
Nehemiah’s plans - that were also God’s plans - upset the status quo of the countryside surrounding Jerusalem. They were comfortable with Jerusalem and the Jewish people remaining as they were. So they opposed and intimidated Nehemiah - even though Nehemiah had been commissioned to do the work by the King of the entire region. If you want to read a book of “one thing after another - each one worse than the one before” read Nehemiah. They did everything they could to stop Nehemiah from building that wall.
Sometimes our ministry plans - that are also God’s plans - upset the status quo of those around us. They are comfortable with the church and the church ministries staying the way that they are. So - in an often well-meaning way - they will oppose and use intimidation because “that’s the way we have always done it.” - even though we have been commissioned to do the work by the King of Eternity.
Nehemiah did not allow any of those who opposed him to distract him from his purpose - which was to build the wall. He turned them over to God - using their names even - but he never retaliated against them or took matters into his own hands. When others oppose you turn them over to God - use their names even - but do not take matters into your own hands and get distracted from your purpose.
Nehemiah 6:15 says, “The wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul. It had taken fifty-two days.” I get the impression that rebuilding the wall took longer than Nehemiah thought it would. The opposition slowed him down - but it didn’t stop him. In the end, the wall was finished. When opposition comes against us we must remember that it may slow us down but we should not let it discourage us, distract us or stop us. Our job is to pick up the brick and build that wall. It is God’s job to handle the rest.
And in the end - the wall will be finished and God’s purposes fulfilled. And He will be glorified both by the finished wall and by our faithfulness.
Father, sometimes when I am doing Your work there will be those who oppose me and try to intimidate me. Help me to be strong, help me to not be distracted, help me not to be discouraged. Help me to remember that the only important thing is that I build that wall.
Contact Valerie or subscribe to the e-Ministries of Fresno first Baptist Church at valerie@fresnofirst.org
Posted by Valerie at July 2, 2005 11:09 AM