EPISODE 0087 | Sword and Trowel
THESE NOTES ACCOMPANY EPISODE 0087
Faith requires both action and vigilance. In this episode, Pastor Stephen shares his message, "The Sword and the Trowel," inspired by Nehemiah’s story. It’s a call for believers to build their faith and stand firm against spiritual challenges, just as Nehemiah’s workers balanced construction and defense. Learn how this principle applies to living with courage and purpose in your daily walk with Christ.
The Background:
1. Nehemiah’s Background
· As a reminder, we know Nehemiah was living in exile in the Persian Empire and he was likely born there.
· He served as a cupbearer to King Artaxerxes, a high and trusted position in the Persian court.
· Nehemiah was a layperson, not a priest or prophet, yet deeply spiritual and devoted to God.
2. Historical Context: Fall of the Southern Kingdom (Judah)
· The Babylonian Empire, led by King Nebuchadnezzar, invaded Judah.
· In 586 BCE, Jerusalem was conquered, and the temple was destroyed.
· Many Jews were taken into exile in Babylon, marking a significant period of suffering and displacement.
3. Transition of Power: From Babylon to Persia
· The Babylonian Empire fell to the Persians led by King Cyrus in 539 BCE.
· King Cyrus allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple, a decree made in 538 BCE.
King Cyrus: God’s Unexpected Instrument
1. He Issued a Decree to Rebuild the Temple: Cyrus issued a proclamation that allowed the Jewish exiles in Babylon to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. This decree marked the end of the Babylonian exile and the beginning of the restoration of the Jewish community in their homeland.
2. He Acknowledged Yahweh: In his proclamation, Cyrus recognized the God of Israel, stating that it was God who had given him the kingdoms of the earth and appointed him to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem (Ezra 1:2).
3. He Returned Stolen Temple Property: Not only did Cyrus allow the Jews to return to Jerusalem, but he returned the gold and silver vessels that had been taken from the temple by the Babylonians, ensuring they were restored to their rightful place (Ezra 1:7-11).
4. He Guaranteed Safe Passage: Under his decree, the Jews were given safe passage through the territories on their way back to Jerusalem. This ensured their protection and safe arrival in their homeland.
5. He Promoted Religious Freedom: By allowing the Jews to return and practice their faith freely, Cyrus set a precedent for religious tolerance and freedom within the Persian Empire.
6. He Acknowledged Jewish Leaders: Cyrus acknowledged and appointed Jewish leaders, such as Sheshbazzar, to lead the first group of returning exiles and oversee the rebuilding of the temple (Ezra 1:8).
7. He Was a Fulfillment of Prophecy: Cyrus' actions fulfilled the prophecies of Jeremiah and Isaiah, who had spoken of a ruler named Cyrus who would be chosen by God to release the Jewish captives and rebuild Jerusalem (Isaiah 44:28; 45:1-4).
Why is this significant?
It speaks volumes about the nature of God and His ability to use anyone and everyone for His divine purposes.
· We often have a tendency to put people in boxes, labeling them as "good" or "bad," "believer" or "non-believer."
· Some people want Jesus as president, but Jesus isn’t on a ballot and never will be.
Opposition
· You want a small life, you will have little opposition, you want a big life you will have a lot of opposition.
Here is where we are in the story of Nehemiah:
· He was a part of a small remnant of those still faithful to Yahweh.
· Culture was against him and God’s People.
· They were working in the midst of difficult circumstances.
· As he sees the need, God gave him a burden for the people of God, specifically the City of Jerusalem and God’s people there.
· As he was praying, God gave him a vision and it required WORK.
· First had to get his own house in order. He repented.
· Corporately, for his family and personally.
· And then... he got to work.
6 Ways To Handle Opposition
1. Embrace and Ignore Mockery and Ridicule.
I know that sounds contradictory, but let’s look at a few verses from Chapter Four to show you what I mean by embracing and ignoring. The last verse will be familiar if you were here last week.
Nehemiah 4:1–6 (NLT)
1 Sanballat was very angry when he learned that we were rebuilding the wall. He flew into a rage and mocked the Jews, 2 saying in front of his friends and the Samarian army officers, “What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they’re doing? Do they think they can build the wall in a single day by just offering a few sacrifices? Do they actually think they can make something of stones from a rubbish heap—and charred ones at that?” 3 Tobiah the Ammonite, who was standing beside him, remarked, “That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!” 4Then I prayed, “Hear us, our God, for we are being mocked. May their scoffing fall back on their own heads, and may they themselves become captives in a foreign land! 5 Do not ignore their guilt. Do not blot out their sins, for they have provoked you to anger here in front of the builders.” 6 At last the wall was completed to half its height around the entire city, for the people had worked with enthusiasm.
EMBRACE: As Nehemiah experiences the mockery and ridicule of Sanballat and Tobiah, he turns to God in prayer and embraces it.
IGNORE: But, he also ignores them. Nehemiah never actually engages Sanballat or Tobiah. He gives them to God through prayer, and then he continues the work. And I love how it says, in the context of the opposition that they worked with enthusiasm.
Give them to God, and work enthusiastically.
2. Anticipate Conspiracy and Plotting
Nehemiah 4:7–8 (NLT) But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the work was going ahead and that the gaps in the wall of Jerusalem were being repaired, they were furious. 8They all made plans to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw us into confusion.
The enemy will initiate it, but he’ll use people to execute the plans. So again... don’t be surprised.
Expect it, and then remember:
Psalm 21:11 (NLT) "Although the wicked plot against you, their evil schemes will never succeed."
2 Corinthians 2:11 (NLT) "... Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes."
Now, speaking of expecting things – you should expect a few other things too... as strong as we want to be, we are still human.
So...
3. Expect Discouragement and Fear
Nehemiah 4:10–12 (NLT)
10Then the people of Judah began to complain, “The workers are getting tired, and there is so much rubble to be moved. We will never be able to build the wall by ourselves.” 11Meanwhile, our enemies were saying, “Before they know what’s happening, we will swoop down on them and kill them and end their work.” 12The Jews who lived near the enemy came and told us again and again, “They will come from all directions and attack us!”
We see this instruction over 10 times in the Old Testament, here’s a few examples.
Deuteronomy 31:6 (NLT) "So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them..."
Joshua 1:9 (NLT) "This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged..."
And then if we take a simplified version of this – we find the phrase “Do not Fear” 366 times in the bible.
Once for everyday - including leap year!
When you are not consumed with fear and instead focused on faith and courage, you can:
4. Be Ready to Fight.
Now let’s keep reading: (Verse 9, 13-14)
9 But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves." 13So I placed armed guards behind the lowest parts of the wall in the exposed areas. I stationed the people to stand guard by families, armed with swords, spears, and bows. 14Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the nobles and the rest of the people and said to them, “Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes!”
Example with pastors in COVID: I Didn’t sign up for this!? We are not called to go looking for a fight, but we are called to expect and be ready for spiritual attacks.
1 Peter 5:8 (NLT) "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour."
And remember what James tells us:
James 4:7 (NLT)7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
5. Resist Through Endurance and Action
When Sanballat and Tobiah and their buddy Geshem tried to plot against Nehemiah and distract him and his people with rumors and threats – This is his response:
Nehemiah 6:9 (NLT) "They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater determination."
The writer of Hebrews has this to say about Jesus:
Hebrews 12:3 (NLT)3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.
Sometimes resistance looks like Endurance and sometimes it looks like action. Usually, it is both. And that’s why it’s so important that when you set out to follow Jesus, and do what God has called you to do – no matter what opposition you face:
6. Don’t Get Off the Wall
No matter who it is trying to pull you off the wall and away from the work... Don’t give in.
And don’t be surprised if who and what tries to pull you off the wall comes from inside the house.
Nehemiah 4:17-18 (NLT):"The laborers carried on their work with one hand supporting their load and one hand holding a weapon. All the builders had a sword belted to their side. The trumpeter stayed with me to sound the alarm."
The SWORD & THE TROWEL
One of the greatest strategies of the enemy is division.
But usually, it doesn’t start with division. The devil is sneaky, and he knows how to work the process we are most susceptible to.
Three Characteristics of Divisive People
1. First, They aren’t fruitful.
They criticize and attempt to distract those with fruit from continuing. They may do busy work, but they don’t do fruitful work.
2. Second, They don’t fear God.
What a contrast we see from King Cyrus and King Artaxerxes to Sanballat and Tobiah.
Cyrus was not a follower of Yahweh, but fear him.
Sanballat & Tobiah knew the scriptures and even knew Yahweh, but he had no fear of God.
3. Third, They are disloyal to God’s People. Nehemiah’s job was to shepherd Gods work and Gods people in His time.
Often times disloyalty and division doesn’t start there.
In fact it often starts with suspicion.
CS Lewis said “Suspicion often creates what it suspects”.
I heard Dr. Michael Brown this week say that:
“We are so effective at attacking and tearing down one another that the devil could take a vacation. We’re doing all the work for him.”
Resources
The Better Planner™ is a personal planner designed by Pastor Stephen to help you map out all the different aspects of success and personal growth on your way to better.
The foundation of the Better Planner™ is the practice of defining and reaching your personal vision. The other principles for growth all integrate with and flow out of this essential step. As you develop and record the insights you receive from God and His design for your life, the Better Planner™ will lead you through a step-by-step process to become better.
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