Just Keep Building Just Keep Building

It's a refrain familiar to us from one of Pixar's most beloved films. Dorey, the absent-minded fish tells Nemo's father to "just keep swimming, just keep swimming" through the ocean. Why? Because that's all you really can do. 

Well, for Nehemiah, we see that his decision was very similar. No matter what he faced, no matter what he heard, no matter what people said, he just kept building, just kept building the walls around Jerusalem. 

Nehemiah 4:1-2 (ESV) Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews. 2 And he said in the presence of his brothers and of the army of Samaria, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?”

Notice the context of the opposition here. Sanballat attacks them "in the presence of his brothers and of the army of Samaria". You have to see this. It's not just some simple-minded critique from a stranger, these were the people of the land, resettled and intermarried there by Assyria years before the Jews returned. They had clout and they had an army. And this jeer was intended to stir up aggressive opposition against Nehemiah and his brothers.

To make matters worse, a man from one of Israel's oldest adversaries joins in: 

Nehemiah 4:3 (ESV) Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Yes, what they are building—if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!”

What is Nehemiah's response?

Nehemiah 4:4 (ESV) Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunt on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are captives. 5 Do not cover their guilt, and let not their sin be blotted out from your sight, for they have provoked you to anger in the presence of the builders. 

At this point, the people continue building and they are only halfway done when their enemies come at them with another round of attacks accompanied by a plan of attack.

Nehemiah 4:7-8 (ESV) But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and that the breaches were beginning to be closed, they were very angry. 8 And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it.

Now the situation gets worse. Not only are they angry, but they have also moved to plotting and planning an assault on the Jews for rebuilding this city. What do you do when you pray and things get worse? You PRAY again!

Nehemiah 4:9 (ESV) And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.

But notice it's not just prayer. Nehemiah is not dumb. He puts a guard schedule in place to make sure the work can continue. Yet even this only subdues the challenges shortly. 

Nehemiah 4:10–11 (ESV) In Judah it was said, “The strength of those who bear the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble. By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall.” 11 And our enemies said, “They will not know or see till we come among them and kill them and stop the work.”

Nehemiah is now seeing frustration from within (In Judah it was said). But herein lies the reality. The work of the Lord, building the body of Christ, is always met with frustrations and challenges from within and without. But Nehemiah calls on the people to keep working, to RESIST fear and press on. And in short fashion, verse 15 sums up the result:

Nehemiah 4:15 (ESV) When our enemies heard that it was known to us and that God had frustrated their plan, we all returned to the wall, each to his work.

Here's the deal Christian. When you're facing challenges in your work, do NOT give up. Press on and encourage those around you to press on with you. God will come through. We might not see it at the first attack or the second. But God will work. 

The enemy only wants you to stop. Because he knows if you keep going you'll succeed. 

Just keep building.