COURAGE FOR THE GLORY OF GOD
Nehemiah 6:10-13 (NIV 1984) One day I went to the house of Shemaiah...He said, “Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple , and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you–by night they are coming to kill you.” But I said, “Should a man like me run away? Or should one like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!” I realized that God had not sent him… He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me.
Nehemiah is getting hit on every side. Who could he trust? The temple which had already been rebuilt was meant for grain, incense, temple articles, wine and oil for the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers. Nehemiah was offered to hide in the temple for protection against assassination attempts, but the offer was a plot to discredit him, cutting into his support base and weakening him politically. Nehemiah was resolute, for he had a moral compass based on the Word of God and his commitment to bring glory to God. He knew who He was – a man, and a man of God at that - “Should a man like me run away?… I will not go!” (Neh 6:10-11) Oh, in this spiritually wimpy Christian culture of ours, that God would raise up more Nehemiahs who “act like men” (1 Cor 16:13 ESV), and men of God at that.
God answered Nehemiah's prayer and gave him strength to follow through in obedience. He was being bullied and intimidated, but it didn't succeed in disheartening him, as Nehemiah continued to pray and keep working (Neh 6:14-15). In the midst of such political opposition, threats, intimidation and bullying, the hand of the Lord was displayed and the work was finished, against all odds. The enemies seemed to have all of the power. They had the political authority, powerful people in their favor, and even compromised religious people - Jews themselves working with them against the agenda of God and Nehemiah. It was not Nehemiah's boldness and steadfastness that backed them down; In fact, his unswerving attitude intensified and escalated the conflict. It was the display and recognition of the glory of God that backed them down, “So the wall was completed…. When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.” (Neh 6:15-16) Beloved, our calling is to stay steady in our calling, enduring the opposition with all of its political clout. Perhaps, we too will see the help of our God and watch our enemies either embrace Him in repentance and faith, or back down in fear. Indeed, we will see, whether on this side of eternity or the other.
