The enemy scoffs; God's people pray.
When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, 2 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?”
3Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building—if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!”
Because of Nehemiah’s organization and the people’s eagerness, the work of rebuilding Jerusalem’s wall progressed rapidly. But wherever God’s work is being done, Satan works overtime to create opposition.
Sanballat, the ringleader of Israel’s enemies, was enraged to hear that the rebuilding project was making rapid progress despite his recent attempts to discourage the work. He angrily stepped up his campaign of intimidation. He publicly heaped scorn on the “feeble Jews” and their efforts to restore Jerusalem. Playing the role of Sanballat’s stooge, Tobiah sarcastically derided the Jews’ effort. City walls were supposed to be able to withstand the pounding of heavy siege machinery, he scoffed, but the Jews’ puny efforts wouldn’t even stand up under the weight of a little fox! With their scorn and sarcasm, Sanballat and Tobiah hoped to strengthen the confidence of God’s enemies and discourage God’s people.
Such scorn was nothing new, and it is still around today. Throughout history unbelievers have scoffed at the humble means God uses to fulfill his promises. It was that way in Abraham’s family. Ishmael scoffed at little Isaac as the bearer of the promise (Genesis 21:8-14). Goliath cursed David and the God in whose name David came (1 Samuel 17). Christ himself endured scorn throughout his life because he came in lowliness. Today the unbelieving world still heaps scorn on God’s Word and the quiet way it works. Many demand that the church perform the task of reforming society; they deride the fact that the church cannot even eliminate sin in the lives of its own members, much less in society as a whole. But God’s faithful servants ignore the scorn and stick to the job God has given them. In this way, God’s work is done, the gospel continues its quiet march, and God’s kingdom advances forcefully.