Page 44 - Principles of Leadership - Nehemiah

When the opposition saw that ridicule could not stop the building program, they decided to step up their
attacks. When Sanballat, Tobiah, and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the repair to the
walls of Jerusalem was progressing and that the gaps were being closed, they became furious. 8 They all
plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw it into confusion. Notice that the same words
that were used in verse one, he became furious, are the same words used in verse seven, except for one word,
they became furious. This furiousness had grown beyond Sanballat in verse one and now includes Sanballat,
Tobiah, and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites. I believe that our Lord intentionally repeated this phrase
to allow us to see the growing hostility that Nehemiah and the builders faced.

How then will Nehemiah deal with these attacks that have been taken to a new level? So we prayed to our God
and stationed a guard because of them day and night. Nehemiah realized that if the people began to focus on
the visible enemy alone and forget the invisible enemy, they would start trusting in their own resources, and
this would lead to defeat. Therefore, Nehemiah emphasized how we prayed to our God. Although Ephesians
6:12-20 was not yet written, we must remember that our battle is not against flesh and blood in today’s
spiritual battles. But now they would also have to station a guard because of them day and night. Notice that
this existential threat will remain constant day and night.

3. Discouragement is understandable (4:10-12)
10 In Judah, it was said: The strength of the laborer fails, since there is so much rubble. We will never be able
to rebuild the wall. 11 And our enemies said, “They won’t know or see anything until we’re among them and
can kill them and stop the work.” 12 When the Jews who lived nearby arrived, they said to us time and again,
“Everywhere you turn, ⌊they⌋ attack us.”

We are admonished in the scriptures not to become discouraged. Galatians 6:9 and let us not be weary in well
doing: for in due season we shall reap if we faint not. 10 As we have the opportunity, let us do good unto all
men, especially those of the household of faith. (KJV) However, the realism of the scriptures allows us to see
the many discouragements of the saints of God. As pointed out earlier, Nehemiah became fearful in the second
chapter when the king asked him what his request was. Romans teaches us that 15:4 For whatever was written
in the past was written for our instruction, we may have hope through endurance and the encouragement from
the Scriptures. (HCSB) Again, because of the realism of the scriptures, we can see that these workers became
discouraged, and Nehemiah became the great hope-giver once again.

Remember that they had rebuilt the wall until the entire wall was joined together up to half its ⌊height⌋, for
the people had the will to keep working. But in verse 10, discouragement began to set in, and in Judah, it was
said: The strength of the laborer fails since there is so much rubble. We will never be able to rebuild the wall.
Did you notice what the people said? There is so much rubble. The people began to lose their vision of God and
began to focus on the rubble. Leaders must realize that in most building projects or similar projects, the second
half of the job is always more difficult than the first half. To compound the problem, 11 our enemies said,
“They won’t know or see anything until we’re among them and can kill them and stop the work.” And to
compound the problem even further 12, when the Jews who lived nearby arrived, they said to us time and
again, “Everywhere you turn, ⌊they⌋ attack us.” Remember that many of the Jews who were helping in the
building project were from other cities that surrounded Jerusalem. There was widespread fear among these
people that they might also be attacked. So the builders became discouraged because of fatigue, threats of
being attacked in Jerusalem, and fear of being attacked everywhere they turned.

O. S. Hawkins makes this observation about these verses. “We are about to discover the law of the YAC, which
so often determines the success or failure of the rebuilding project-whatever it may be. Those who make the
most of their yards after contact do so because they truly believe…It’s never too late for a new beginning!” 151
Let me explain what YAC means. This is a term used in American football. The job of the defense is to keep the
football from moving forward. The term YAC means Yards After Contact. The defense tries to tackle the person
with the ball, but the offensive runner continues to run as far as possible after the initial contact. Nehemiah
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