DON'T BE AFRAID

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests went to work and rebuilt the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and set its doors in place, building as far as the Tower of the Hundred, which they dedicated, and as far as the Tower of Hananel. The men of Jericho built the adjoining section, and Zakkur son of Imri built next to them.

The Fish Gate was rebuilt by the sons of Hassenaah. They laid its beams and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired the next section. Next to him Meshullam son of Berekiah, the son of Meshezabel, made repairs, and next to him Zadok son of Baana also made repairs. The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa, but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors.

The Jeshanah Gate was repaired by Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah. They laid its beams and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place. Next to them, repairs were made by men from Gibeon and Mizpah—Melatiah of Gibeon and Jadon of Meronoth—places under the authority of the governor of Trans-Euphrates. Uzziel son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired the next section; and Hananiah, one of the perfume-makers, made repairs next to that. They restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall. Rephaiah son of Hur, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section. Adjoining this, Jedaiah son of Harumaph made repairs opposite his house, and Hattush son of Hashabneiah made repairs next to him. Malkijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-Moab repaired another section and the Tower of the Ovens. Shallum son of Hallohesh, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section with the help of his daughters.

The Valley Gate was repaired by Hanun and the residents of Zanoah. They rebuilt it and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place. They also repaired a thousand cubits of the wall as far as the Dung Gate.

The Dung Gate was repaired by Malkijah son of Rekab, ruler of the district of Beth Hakkerem. He rebuilt it and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place.

The Fountain Gate was repaired by Shallun son of Kol-Hozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah. He rebuilt it, roofing it over and putting its doors and bolts and bars in place. He also repaired the wall of the Pool of Siloam, by the King’s Garden, as far as the steps going down from the City of David. Beyond him, Nehemiah son of Azbuk, ruler of a half-district of Beth Zur, made repairs up to a point opposite the tombs of David, as far as the artificial pool and the House of the Heroes.

Next to him, the repairs were made by the Levites under Rehum son of Bani. Beside him, Hashabiah, ruler of half the district of Keilah, carried out repairs for his district. Next to him, the repairs were made by their fellow Levites under Binnui son of Henadad, ruler of the other half-district of Keilah. Next to him, Ezer son of Jeshua, ruler of Mizpah, repaired another section, from a point facing the ascent to the armory as far as the angle of the wall. Next to him, Baruch son of Zabbai zealously repaired another section, from the angle to the entrance of the house of Eliashib the high priest. Next to him, Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired another section, from the entrance of Eliashib’s house to the end of it.

The repairs next to him were made by the priests from the surrounding region. Beyond them, Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs in front of their house; and next to them, Azariah son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, made repairs beside his house. Next to him, Binnui son of Henadad repaired another section, from Azariah’s house to the angle and the corner, and Palal son of Uzai worked opposite the angle and the tower projecting from the upper palace near the court of the guard. Next to him, Pedaiah son of Parosh and the temple servants living on the hill of Ophel made repairs up to a point opposite the Water Gate toward the east and the projecting tower. Next to them, the men of Tekoa repaired another section, from the great projecting tower to the wall of Ophel.

Above the Horse Gate, the priests made repairs, each in front of his own house. Next to them, Zadok son of Immer made repairs opposite his house. Next to him, Shemaiah son of Shekaniah, the guard at the East Gate, made repairs. Next to him, Hananiah son of Shelemiah, and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section. Next to them, Meshullam son of Berekiah made repairs opposite his living quarters. Next to him, Malkijah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs as far as the house of the temple servants and the merchants, opposite the Inspection Gate, and as far as the room above the corner; and between the room above the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and merchants made repairs.

When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, 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?”

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!”

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. 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.

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

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. They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.

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.”

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.”

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

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. 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.”

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.

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 who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.

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. Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!”

So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out. 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.” 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.

Nehemiah 3 and 4

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As the second chapter of Nehemiah closed, Nehemiah had convinced the people of Jerusalem to begin rebuilding the gates and walls around the city. In Chapter 3, we receive a detailed account of who built the different sections, an account that reveals the immensity of the work needed and the number of people who gave their time toward the project. The effort was massive.

Israel’s opposition was not very happy with the Israelite undertaking. We read where “Sanballat… became angry and…greatly incensed” when he “heard that (the Israelites) were rebuilding the wall.” Out of his anger, he “ridiculed the Jews…in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria.” He was joined in the mocking by “Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at (Sanballat’s) side.”

Nehemiah had words to speak as well but they weren’t words toward his enemies but rather words to God. He prayed:

“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. 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.”

Nehemiah invoked God’s judgment against those who despised Israel. He knew God was with him and his fellow Israelites. He also knew God had ordained the walls and gates to be rebuilt and would see that work through to completion.

Indeed, the Israelites, working “with all their heart”, continued to build until “all of it reached half its height.” This prompted “Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod” to come together and plot to “fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it.”

Again, Nehemiah and his people “prayed to…God” and “posted a guard day and night to meet (the) threat posed by Israel’s enemies.

But Israel’s scheming enemies weren’t the only thing the people of Jerusalem were up against. Their own fatigue and anxiety in the midst of the work and the potential for attack was taking its toll.

Scripture tells us that “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.” They were also wary that their enemies had threatened to “kill them and put an end to the work.”

To counter the threat, Nehemiah “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.” He then addressed the people with words that were meant to comfort them in the midst of their stress, fear and worry saying:

“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.”

Indeed, we read where Israel’s enemies realized that “God had frustrated” their plot and the people of Israel, buoyed by the confidence that God was with them, “returned to the wall, each to (their) own work.” They continued to keep watch and guard against attack as they built. Nehemiah kept the “man who sounded the trumpet” by his side to signal if an attack was occurring. This would allow the people to respond and defend the city. But it wasn’t just the people of Israel who would defend. For Nehemiah reminded “the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people” that “Our God will fight for us!”

Indeed, God can and will fight for us against our enemies, just as He did for Israel. So what are we worried about?

As we get set to enter a new year, hear the word of God from Nehemiah as it speaks to you and I. God is saying to us, “Do not be afraid. I am fighting for you.”

Are you up against problems in a relationship? God says, “Don’t be afraid. I am fighting for you.”

Have you lost a loved one, possibly your lifelong partner? God says, “Don’t be afraid. I am fighting for you.”

Are you dealing with an illness that is potentially life threatening? God says, “Don’t be afraid. I am fighting for you.”

Are you dealing with financial problems? God says, “Don’t be afraid. I am fighting for you.”

Are you unemployed and unsure when a job will come? God says, “Don’t be afraid. I am fighting for you.”

Friends, do not be afraid. Remember the Lord, our God, who is truly great, awesome, and willing to fight for us.

Stay encouraged and receive the good news from God’s word.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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