THE - KING’S BUSINESS
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the walls of God’s city become discouraged because there is so much “rubbish,” and certainly our churches are well filled with "rubbish;” but in the strength of God we are able to build the wall and we should never yield to discouragement, not even in the face of great obstacles, and say we “are not able to build the wall.” v. 11. “And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, until we come in {unto) the midst among (of ) them, and slay them and cause :the work to cease.” While Judah talked within, their “adver saries” were also talking without. They said, “they shall not know, neither see, till we come into the midst of them.” But they did know. Their adversaries had for gotten that God was on the side of His people. That is what the adversaries of God’s people constantly forget. So it was impossible for . the adversaries of Judah to catch them unawares and slay them and cause the work to cease. If we will look to God by watching and praying our enem ies can never catch us unawares. They are toO- subtle for us, but God knows all their plans from the outset and will frustrate them if we only look to Him. v. 12. "And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times, From .{Ten times from ) all places whin ye shall {, ye must) return unto us they will be upon you (omit, they will be upon you).” The Jews, those who dwelt among their adversaries, added to the difficulties by seeking to dis courage other people. They came from all directions and over and over again said to the people “ye must return unto us.” Just so believers today who live among the ' world try to confuse those who are sep arate with “ye must return unto them.” v. 13. “Therefore set I in the lower places (lowest parts of the places) behind the wall, and on (, in) the high {open) places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.” Nehemiah acted with great prudence. He saw to it that the people were well armed and he especially
“but”) with which verse nine begins. It looked dark and stormy, but Nehemiah knew to whom to look in such an hour, so it all came out all right. And just -so with us, no matter how many our enemies- are and how cunningly they conspire together, we can say “but we made our prayer unto God,” and all will come out right. There can never xany possible emergency arise in Christian life and service where prayer is not the key to the situation (Ps. 50:15; Acts 4:23-31). Again and again has God delivered His people, in answer to their prayers, when deliverance has seemed abso lutely impossible (2 Chron. 32:20, 21; 20:1- 4, 17, 22-24). Not only has this been true in Bible history, but it has been proven over and over again in the experience of Christians today. Often the people of God in their extremity cry, “What shall we do, what ) shall we do ?” God’s answer is, “Pray.” If Nehemiah and the people had taken themselves to their own resources in this hour of overwhelming emergency, the work would have come to nothing; but instead of taking themselves to their own resources, they took themselves to God, and so they escaped all the devices of their enemies. But while they prayed, they did not pray and sit down and do nothing, “they set a watch against them day and night.” Watching and praying should always go hand in hand (Matt. 26:41; Luke 21:36). “Casting all your care upon Him” is not in any way inconsistent with being vigilant ourselves (1 Peter 5:7, 8). v. 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.” This was a more serious trouble than the former; for the former was a trouble from without, but this trouble was from within. Opposition from without is never as serious a matter as discouragement from within. The peo ple in Nehemiah’s day really had no suffi cient cause for discouragement. It is true there was “much rubbish” but it was in their power to clear all this rubbish away. Many today who are attempting to build
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