Nehemiah 4:7-9 "But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth, (8 ) And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it (9) Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them."
Good ole Sanballat and Tobiah - you can count on them to be right in the middle
of the action. But their being in the middle of the action is not a good thing.
They are there trying to disturb and disrupt the work that was petitioned by
God. They were angry because the people were dedicated to the wall with a mind
to get the work accomplished.
They tried to discourage with their words but that didn't work. So now they
are planning an all out attack on the workers. They apparently failed to
realize just how dedicated these people were concerning the work of rebuilding.
The lesson that we see concerning this attack is that we must be constantly
on guard against the wiles of Satan. He will try to get into our heads with
negative thoughts. If that doesn't work, he will try to discourage those around
us. If that doesn't work, he will plan an attack on us in some form or fashion.
We must be ready. Listen to the words of Peter. "Be sober, be
vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about,
seeking whom he may devour:" (1 Peter 5:8) Paul tells us to be strong
in the Lord as we are being diligent in guarding against the wiles of
Satan.
The path to victory in life comes by following the steps of the Captain of
our salvation, the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us keep our eyes focused upon Jesus
as we seek to do His will. How did the workers combat against their
adversaries? "Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a
watch against them day and night, because of them." Again we see the
importance of prayer in our daily lives. Pray without ceasing. The Lord will be
your protection and strength.