as we ask, when opposition comes, how do you stand and whose side are you leaning on?

Once Nehemiah decided to build the wall of Jerusalem and repair its gates, the opposition surfaced. Now the opposition came from three sources that formed what I call the ‘diabolical trinity’. Their intention was keep the people of God in a state of perpetual disgrace. One of the three, Tobiah, was a descendant of the Moabites, from Lot’s incestuous relationship with his daughters. On the surface, he was a good man. In fact, his name means God is good. However, by aligning himself with Sanballat he was undermining the work that Nehemiah was doing. And Geshem the Arab, whose name means rain, was there to dampen the work of the Lord.

Once you decide to do something, be prepared for opposition even from people who are close to you. The opposition will mock what you are doing and ridicule you. Listen to what Sanballat said to Nehemiah and his colleagues when they started the building project. ‘What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore things? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish it is a day? Will they revive the burnt stones out of the heaps of rubbish? Moreover, Tobiah quipped, ‘Even if a fox were to go on the wall it would break up’ (4:1-3).

The opposition is there to discourage us, get into our mindset and cause us to abandon our God given call. The people of God wanted to break free from the shackle of slavery, the opponents wanted to keep them fighting each other. Today the choice is yours, are you part of the building project or part of the mockers?

Read Nehemiah chapter 3.