Fight for Your

In the book of Nehemiah chapter 4 Nehemiah has rallied the Jews to begin to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem that have been down for many years. The gates had burned and all kinds of things went in an out with no restraints what so ever. As they started to rebuild the words of discouragement came from the outside by Sanballat and Tobiah. Sanballant made fun of them while Tobiah belittled them about how weak their work was. When others see you doing something it is easy for them to make fun of what you are doing; and then tell you that what you are doing is useless and you’re wasting your time by doing it. Now Nehemiah encouraged the Jews to keep working and they did.  This displeased Sanballat and Tobiah and they and their people decided that the only way to stop them was by attacking them.

Nehemiah 4:7  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,

Nehemiah 4:8  And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it. What is Nehemiah going to do? I think you’ll be surprised to see what he instructs his people to do. Now these Jews had been working on the wall independently but Nehemiah does something different. I think if I had been in charge I would have put what I thought to be the biggest and the meanest out front. I then would have worked back from that and finally would have put the women and the children in the rear. No, that’s not what Nehemiah did; he put the families together and said don’t worry about the walls or Jerusalem. Then what are we fighting for Nehemiah? I love what Nehemiah said.

Nehemiah 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.

Nehemiah 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.

Nehemiah stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places; but here’s the twist he placed them by families. He then told them to not be afraid remember the Lord who is great and terrible and he tells them to fight for your brethren, your sons, daughters, your wives and your houses. Nehemiah knew that if they were fighting for the city and the wall, then the people might not fight for the wall could be rebuilt and so could the city. Now the family is much different. I think it should be the same in our lives you and I can replace things but not lives and to use the word fight; our families are worth fighting for. Our friends are worth encouraging and our Lord deserves our praise for He is still Great and awesome. Encourage someone you love today. It will do you both good.