Nehemiah 4:7–11

The enemy threatens; God's people stand firm

But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the men of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. 8 They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. 9 But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.

10 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.”

11 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.”

When bluster and big talk failed to stop the work on the walls, the enemies had to put up or shut up. To stop the building, they would have to attack Jerusalem. Now they couldn’t just sit around and talk smart; they would have to risk their lives in battle.

Everything seemed to be in the enemies’ favor. Judah was surrounded by enemies on all sides—the Samaritans on the north, the Ammonites across the Jordan to the east, the Arabs on the south, and now Ashdod, a city of the Philistines, joined the coalition on the west. With such a coalition, the enemies must have assumed that the attack on the unfinished walls would be easy. Even if the attack was not entirely successful, perhaps King Artaxerxes would have second thoughts about supporting any project that was going to cause disorder in the provinces. He might well decide to cancel the rebuilding of the walls.

Nehemiah thwarted the enemies’ plans with a two-pronged defense. He entrusted Jerusalem’s cause to the Lord in prayer, and he set up a strong military defense. These two measures were complementary, not contradictory. It is not a lack of trust in God to use all the means that he has put at our disposal. For example, in time of sickness, we should pray for the sick person, but we should also use medicine and the other natural means that God has given us. We will pray for the spread of the gospel, but we will also get out and eagerly share the gospel with others. The motto of the medieval monks—“work and pray”—is a good policy in any undertaking.