When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites (Nehemiah 2:10). Nehemiah finally makes it to Jerusalem. With letters from the king, he is official – coming with royal authority. And he did not come alone, but with an escort of officials and cavalry. His coming did not go unnoticed, but very much disturbed Sanballat and Tobiah, who were the local powerbrokers. They were endeavoring to keep Israel weak, thereby securing their own power and influence. They recognized that his coming was a threat to their grip on power. And they would continue to be a thorn in Nehemiah's side, seeking to undermine both the physical and spiritual progress he sought to bring. We may find this a mere curiosity with little relevance for us today, being far removed in time and geography. But Sanballat and Tobiah are included in this story for our edification. They are part of the long resistance to God's kingdom which will continue until Christ returns. As Jesus said to his disciples, "Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy" (John 16:20). He also taught us to pray, "lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." Sometimes we may face people like Sanballat and Tobiah: people who really do not want God's church to grow and thrive, or Christians to mature. More often our enemies are not physical, thus the Heidelberg Catechism includes the line, "our sworn enemies-the devil, the world, and our own flesh-never stop attacking us" (A 127). This is seen when the hidden sins of Christian leaders are exposed. The church bears the shame, and many have given up on the church, and even on God, because of these failures. But we, who fly under the public radar, are no less afflicted by 'our sworn enemies'. What about you? How have you experienced the attacks of our enemies? Has your faith weakened in the preceding months? If so, are you going to do something about it? Nehemiah writes that 'the gracious hand of God was on him.' Here is the key. As the Catechism says, "By ourselves we are too weak to hold our own even for a moment." So, asking, "are you going to do something about it?', is asking the wrong kind of question. The Catechism gives us a better avenue when it teaches us to pray, "And so, Lord, uphold us and make us strong with the strength of your Holy Spirit, so that we may not go down to defeat in this spiritual struggle, but may firmly resist our enemies until we finally win the complete victory." Like Nehemiah, we can trust in God and pray that he strengthens us. As you journey on, go with his blessing: May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
