Different kinds of opposition

Yep, ole Donald is angry right there . . .  we'll get back to him in just a second.
We're talking this week about the fourth chapter of Nehemiah, and the opposition that the devil will use against believers -- at least against those of us who are determined to work for the Lord!
We need to be wise: to know what to expect.
We need to be prepared: to know how to respond.

 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. (Matthew 10:16)

You DID read the fourth chapter, right? (Grin) If you didn't, please go read it and come right back!
We will run across many different kinds of opposition in Nehemiah 4; the first one we will talk about is the anger of other people against us.
See, I told you I would get back to Donald, up there!
Recently, I mentioned to you that we would get re-acquainted with a character from chapter two called "Sanballat" this week. Look at verses one and seven here:

But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews.Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry, (Nehemiah 4:1,7)

Furious . . . indignant . . . very angry.
My study Bible notes that the word here in Hebrew actually means "burning mad."
Wow!
Now, this Sanballat was the governor of Samaria -- what's gotten a bur under HIS saddle? The scholars tell us that he probably feared the potential gains in power, wealth, and prestige that the Jews would experience when they were able to fortify their city. After all, that might diminish HIS power and influence in the region! So, not only did he not want the Jews in Jerusalem, as we saw in a previous chapter, but he also didn't want them to prosper.
One commentary that I studied mentioned the possibility of a trade route through the region - a re-established Jerusalem could hurt the economy of his territory, too. So, there was a lot at stake here, in Sanballat's mind.
For the time being, at least, he dropped his squabbles with the Ammonites to the east, the Arabs to the south, and the Philistines to the west. They all came together, angry about how the work of God in Jerusalem was going to threaten their lifestyle, their happy little empires they had created for themselves.

You might have seen the devil choose this type of opposition before . . . he often uses the anger of others to try to squash the joy and eagerness of a brand new Christian. Huh? Yes, it's true. I saw an instance once where a teenager grew up in a religious home and attended church diligently. Then he got saved -- he went home and enthusiastically told his parents and siblings that he has accepted Christ as Savior! What do you think happened? Lots of hugs and smiles? Uh, no. "What in the world are you talking about, now you are a Christian? What do you think you were before? Do you think we raised you as a pagan? What's all this nonsense about? What will the people at church think, if you say you were not saved before?"
Oy vey.
Why are they mad? Because if their son gets serious about the things of the Lord, it shows their worldly, self-centered lifestyle for what it is! It means they need to stop and think. And examine their own hearts. And, oh, they aren't ready for that . . .
It can happen the same way when one spouse gets saved and their eagerness and joy convicts the other marriage partner of their sin. They respond with anger. The devil wants to get that new believer to "cool down" their commitment to the Lord.
We all remember the familiar verses of counsel here:

A gentle answer turns away wrath,    but a harsh word stirs up anger. (Proverbs 15:1)

A man’s discretion makes him slow to anger,And it is his glory to overlook a transgression. (Proverbs 19:11)

Now, if anger doesn't work, the devil will haul out another tool from his kit: mockery.
Call it what we will . . . sarcasm, ridicule, mockery . . . . it still hurts, no? Still gets us irritated? Ahh, and the devil totally KNOWS that!!
Sanballat and his buddies gather within ear-shot of the workers on the wall, and they do their version of stand up comedy: they ask some rhetorical questions that they feel are so absurd, they are all howling with laughter.

He spoke in the presence of his brothers and the wealthy men of Samaria and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Are they going to restore it for themselves? Can they offer sacrifices? Can they finish in a day? Can they revive the stones from the dusty rubble even the burned ones?” (Nehemiah 4:2-3)

Sanballat is poking fun at their hard and dusty work. He's ridiculing their determination. He's implying that they are tackling a job that simply cannot be done. Next we hear from Tobiah -- maybe he will stand up for the Jews! After all, his name means "Jehovah is good," right? Well, yes, but I think his name is a reminder that all is not always as it appears!

Now Tobiah the Ammonite was near him and he said, “Even what they are building—if a fox should jump on it, he would break their stone wall down!” (v 4)

Ouch!
That's harsh!
Well, I had high hopes for Tobiah, but like in our world today, many who come in the name of the Lord don't have His ways at heart. They seek to be known as holy and committed, but hidden under a facade is their real agenda: deception, and even rebellion. Yes, Satan will try anger against us, and then he will probably try ridicule, too. If we are Christians and our fellow workers know it, they may laugh and call us "holy Joe" (or Josephine) or if they see us do something questionable, they will hoot about it on the rooftops. "We knew you were just the same as all the other Christians....you're all hypocrites!"
Why?
Our commitment to Christ threatens their godless lifestyle. We make it more difficult for them to sin and feel OK about it.

having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.  (I Peter 3:16)

And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth; 15 for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard. (Acts 22:14-15)

Our testimony doesn't just mean our words -- it also means what people see as they watch us go about our daily lives.

but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, (I Peter 3:15)

He has told you, O man, what is good;And what does the Lord require of youBut to do justice, to love kindness,And to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)

Help me, Lord, to reflect your love on all I meet today!