There will be those who oppose you, try to discourage you, and stop the work that you are doing.
We find not everyone is happy about the Jews restoring the walls of Jerusalem.
Nehemiah 2:10
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.
As progress was being made, these guys tried to discourage the people.
Nehemiah 2:19-20
But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. “What is this you are doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?”
20 I answered them by saying, “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.”
We see that their lies and attempts were rooted in their fear of the Jews’ success. They would lose influence and power if the Jews succeeded. So, as the wall was coming together so, the attacks got stronger.
Nehemiah 4:1-2
When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, 2 and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?”
The mocking and ridicule are designed to discourage. We need to not be taken off guard or persuaded by those who oppose what God has put in our hearts to do.
In fact, as things heat up, you can pretty much tell you are making progress. We need to remember what God has said and what is true and not allow lies and mockery to keep us from what God has asked of us.
