Around 444 B.C., when Nehemiah returned to the land of Judah and began the work of rebuilding the walls and gates of Jerusalem, the Gentiles, including Sanballat and Tobia, were jealous of it and plotted to hinder the work. Sanballat 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 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?”
His right-hand man Tobiah, who was at his side, also said:
“What they are building—if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!”
Then Nehemiah and the Israelites prayed more earnestly to God and devoted themselves to rebuilding the temple with one mind.
When the company of Sanballat and Tobiah saw the Jews devoting themselves to rebuilding the temple, working with all their heart, they tried to hinder their work more aggressively by hiring a false prophet to prophesy against Nehemiah. As the Jews were on the verge of losing their will and desire to rebuild the walls because of the continuous hindrance from their enemies, Nehemiah encouraged and inspired them by saying:
“Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families and homes!”
The people realized that God was with them, and from that day on they did their work, carrying materials in one hand and holding a weapon in the other to guard against their enemies. There were also the trumpeters appointed over the big and large walls; they always stayed with the builders, so that they could quickly gather together in case of an emergency and defend against their enemies. They did not even take off their clothes at night, nor did they put down their weapons even when they went for water. Thus, they continued to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, and it was finished in 12 years.
Wherever the work of the gospel proceeds, there are always hindrances from our enemies. When they slander and ridicule us, we may feel afraid. However, it is not our enemies that we must fear, but God Almighty who puts all things under His feet.
In this age when we are about to complete the spiritual temple, let us renew our faith. We should put forth more effort to build the temple, always relying on God through prayer and being armed with the sword of God’s word. As God’s soldiers, let us devote ourselves fully to the mission of a spiritual watchman and the completion of the heavenly temple.