On FACING setbacks

 

Nehemiah 4:11

King James Version

11 And our adversaries said, 

They shall not know, neither see, 

till we come in the midst among them, 

and slay them, and cause the work to cease.

Jealousy seems to be deeply-ingrained in man.

While their walls and gates were being repaired, the Jews faced a new challenge.

Their enemies got all stirred up, eager to sabotage all their efforts.

Here's the backgrounder, wherein GOD's people faced evil.

Nehemiah 4:1-3

King James Version

4 But it came to pass, 

that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, 

he was wroth, and took great indignation, 

and mocked the Jews.

2 And he spake before his brethren 

and the army of Samaria, and said, 

What do these feeble Jews? 

will they fortify themselves? 

will they sacrifice? 

will they make an end in a day? 

will they revive the stones 

out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?

3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, 

and he said, 

Even that which they build, if a fox go up, 

he shall even break down their stone wall.

How the Jews responded:

Nehemiah 4:4-5

King James Version

4 Hear, O our God; 

for we are despised: 

and turn their reproach upon their own head, 

and give them for a prey in the land of captivity:

5 And cover not their iniquity, 

and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: 

for they have provoked thee to anger 

before the builders.

Nehemiah 4:6

King James Version

6 So built we the wall; 

and all the wall was joined together 

unto the half thereof: 

for the people had a mind to work.

More hatred from the enemies:

Nehemiah 4:7-8

King James Version

7 But it came to pass, 

that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, 

and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, 

and the Ashdodites, heard that 

the walls of Jerusalem were made up, 

and that the breaches began to be stopped, 

then they were very wroth,

8 And conspired all of them together 

to come and to fight against Jerusalem, 

and to hinder it.

GOD's people continued to pray, and watch:

Nehemiah 4:9

King James Version

9 Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, 

and set a watch against them day and night, 

because of them.

10 And Judah said, 

The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, 

and there is much rubbish; 

so that we are not able to build the wall.

Even as the threat was real.

Nehemiah 4:11

King James Version

11 And our adversaries said, 

They shall not know, neither see, 

till we come in the midst among them, 

and slay them, and cause the work to cease.

Nehemiah 4:12

King James Version

12 And it came to pass, 

that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, 

they said unto us ten times, 

From all places whence ye shall return unto us 

they will be upon you.

Faced with this new threat, what did the Jews do?

We shall find out on the next post.

*NOTE:

This incident seems to echo the time Israel was established a Jewish state in 1948.

Soon afterwards, their new-found freedom was challenged by Arab nations.

She had to go through the Arab-Israeli War.

With this, being the aftermath.

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