Nehemiah 4:9-16

Ne 4:9

Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.

Nehemiah was very aware that they were planning something, even military action against them.  So they did things in proper order, first they prayed to God no doubt telling him of the danger they were in and then they set a watch or guards to observe any movement of any enemies coming toward Jerusalem.  This verse is very important because it gives a spiritual principle.  We make our petitions to the LORD but we also plan to the best of our knowledge.  We don’t just pray and then go sit on a couch, we pray and do.  For example, we may pray to the LORD that we would like to see our city evangelized.  So then what do we do, sit down and stare at our phones or get some tracts and get to the street?

Ne 4:10

And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.

Then it seems a little fear had begun to set in.  Some of the men of Judah had stated that their strength had decayed or diminished from the intense work that they were doing.  There was also much rubbish which was still laying around from the Babylonian invasion that they did not have the strength to remove it and thus complete the wall.  Maybe these men heard of the possibility of a military movement against them so they made up some type of excuse to halt the rebuilding at this time. 

Ne 4:11

And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.

Then the enemies of Israel stated among themselves that if they do a quick military move against Jerusalem, then they will not have any foreknowledge nor will they be prepared if they move on them really fast.  They will have no time to prepare a defense and therefore they would be slain very easily and then the others would see this and then surrender and the work on the wall would cease.  They wanted to plan a “blitzkrieg” which means “flash war.”  With the wall still needing repairs, entrance to the city would be easily attainable.

Ne 4:12

And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times, From all places whence ye shall return unto us they will be upon you.

Then there were Jews who lived in the surrounding areas of Jerusalem who came back from Babylon had told the workers on the wall that they should stop the rebuilding of the wall and come back to their homes and live peaceably.  Maybe these Jews did not mean any intentional harm but heard of the plans of the enemies and did not want to incur the wrath of these enemies who had allowed them to return and live in peace but they saw the rebuilding of the walls as an agitating event which may cause them once again to be attacked and removed from the land.  Those in outlying areas probably did not know that the Lord himself had sanctioned this work and dispatched Nehemiah to head up the project.  They were unintentionally instilling fear in the workers.

Ne 4:13

Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

Then Nehemiah knowing that God was more powerful than any enemy had prepared defenses if there was an onslaught by the enemy of which rumors were spreading that they could attack.  Being prepared does not mean you lack faith and therefore it is a necessary part of life.  Nehemiah placed people on the lower parts of the walls where there was easy accessibility by any invading enemy plus he also placed people on the

higher parts of the wall which contained the towers and the completed sections.  Then Nehemiah set the different families in array with swords, spears, and bows to repel any attackers.  The families were probably set up as those who may have had military experience who would guard the most vulnerable parts of the city and those who were less trained, the parts of the city which would be less likely to be attacked nevertheless Nehemiah wanted all the places ready for action.

Ne 4:14

And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.

Then Nehemiah speaks to all the people in a speech reminding them that they should not believe that God would bring them to complete this project and then abandon them.  He told them to remember the Lord and not to forget that the Lord is the one who would ultimately fight for his people.  ³ And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them; ⁴ For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you. (Deuteronomy 20:3-4)  Nehemiah then tells the people that they should be prepared to fight for all the things that are near and dear to them especially their families and their property here they lived.  The Lord fought many battles for Israel in the time of Moses and Joshua.  Israel did not sit still and do nothing but prepared themselves to the battle and went into battle with the confidence of knowing the Lord would give them victory.

Ne 4:15

And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.

Once the plans of the enemies were known to Nehemiah and the workers, they knew the element of surprise was gone and that they would have a fight on their hands, especially if they knew that God was defending the workers and the project.  Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us? (Isaiah 29:15)  Many times rulers of nations and other people in elevated positions plan nefarious things behind the scenes thinking that no one will ever find out their plans only to have them thwarted.  Once the enemies of Nehemiah had abandoned their plans for attack, the people returned to the work.  Sometimes God defeats the plans of those who oppose him before any type of conflict occurs.

Ne 4:16

And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.