Nehemiah reminds the people of their calling

Nehemiah 4:7–14
» View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway)

Joining Sanballet and Tobiah were the Ammonites from the east, Geshem and Arabs from the south, and men from Ashdod which was a Philistine city from the west. They all plotted together to attack Jerusalem from all sides (vv 7-8). Again, in the midst of adversity the Jews are driven to God in prayer.  First they prayed; second, they worked; and thirdly, they posted guards around the clock to meet this threat (v. 9). However, the Jews were drained from the demands of their work; they are faced with the threat of their enemies; and they are discouraged by the Jews who lived in the country (vv 10-12). These neighbors told them they should return home since they are totally surrounded by the enemy.

Nehemiah responds to this threat of attack by placing soldiers at the weak places in the wall (v. 13).  Where the wall was not totally built up and most susceptible to attack, Nehemiah placed his strongest armed defenses. Naturally fear gripped the hearts of the people so he gathered them all together and charges them to place their faith and trust in the Lord (v. 13). Possibly, one of the most difficult decisions Nehemiah had to make was to place whole families in positions of defense (v. 14). This included the women and children and put tremendous pressure on the fathers.  In the case of attack they would have no choice but to fight for and with their families. This was an important motivation to build and defend the city and a decision Nehemiah had to make if they were to survive and succeed in rebuilding the walls.

Application

Nehemiah constantly combined prayer with preparation and planning. He reminded the workers of their calling, their goal and God’s protection. Too often we tend to pray without looking for what God wants us to do. I need to show God that I am serious by a combination of prayer, preparation, and hard work.