Nehemiah 2:10When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard this, it distressed them exceedingly that a man had come to inquire for and require the good and prosperity of the Israelites.
Sanballat was probably the governor of Samaria, the region immediately to the north of Jerusalem. Tobiah, probably the governor of Ammon, the region just to the east of Jerusalem across the Jordan River, was most likely Sanballat’s friend and business partner. These men had become rich and powerful under Persians, exercising control over Jerusalem and its inhabitants. These two cared nothing as long as Jerusalem was weak and vulnerable; as long as the people of God were not strong, not secure, and lived in disgrace. But when Nehemiah stepped in to remove the disgrace, they became exceedingly distressed.
This is how our enemy behaves too. He doesn’t bother as long as we remain prayer-less, in sin, in pleasures, in discouragement, in fear, in unbelief and of no use to the Kingdom of God. But when we repent of our sins, step in obedience, when we aspire to grow in holiness, when we walk in Spirit, when we long for God’s name to be glorified in our lives, when we try pulling out someone out of fire, that is when he becomes agitated.
Some people fear ever stepping out for the LORD, because they know opposition will come.
Few think their life will be better or easier if they stay in their low, mediocre state before God.
What a deception it is!
May we not settle for anything less out of fear of opposition. May we be as bold as the little David, when the entire nation and the army was trembling in fear of Goliath, he boldly stepped in alone for the name of the Lord to be glorified!
1 Samuel 17:26And David said to the men who stood by him, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
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