Sermon Tone Analysis

*Nehemiah 4:1-6*

* *

Big Idea:  We can be secure in our weaknesses knowing who we are in Christ.

I.

Introduction

A.       Secular

1.         Went into a store the other day where I saw a two year-old playing.

He immediately looked up at me like we were the best of friends and confidently said, “Hi!”

2.         Didn’t have time to talk, but I’m sure we could have gotten along like we knew everything about each other.

3.

He possessed a certain amount of confidence and assuredness that many of us lack as older people.

B.       Personal

1.

As we get older, we begin to hear things, read things, experience things and think things that chip away at our confidence and create emotional insecurity in us.

2.         Can start very early

a.         Too much or not enough discipline at home

b.

Too much or not enough love at home

c.

Perhaps we were mistreated or abused by someone we loved and trusted

d.

Or we’ve seen our parents fight too much

3.         Sociologists say that the pre-teen and teenage years are the toughest

a.         Bodies are going through changes physically and hormonally that make us susceptible to teasing

b.         Peer pressure forces us to make decisions that others may react poorly against

c.

On top of all that, we have to worry about keeping up with the latest fashion trends.

4.         It doesn’t end when we graduate High School

a.

The pressure to perform and compete and compare ourselves to others extends the rest of our lives in every area of life.

b.

What car we drive, what job we have, how much we’re paid, who we’re married to, and how smart, cute and obedient my kids are compared to yours.

5.         As you can see, insecurity affects all of us.

6.         What’s difficult is that insecurities show themselves in a variety of ways.

a.         On one extreme, you can have the shy, disengaged person that simply keeps to herself.

b.

On the other, you can have the boisterous, loud person who’s everybody’s pal.

c.

You can have a person who is weak-willed and won’t stand up for himself in any situation.

d.

Or you can have the person who is domineering and degrading, constantly trying to bring people down to her level.

e.         Insecurities can be seen in jealousy, outbursts of anger, controlling others or in a person being an adulterer or a drug addict.

C.       Biblical

1.

In King Saul’s life, his insecurities led withdrawal

a.

When it was time for him to be announced as king over Israel in 1 Samuel 10, he was hiding in the baggage room.

b.

Later, his insecurities showed themselves in rebelling against God’s Word

i.

The Lord through Samuel gave Saul clear directions in how he was to engage Amalek in battle in 1 Samuel 15.

ii.

Saul disobeyed and the kingdom was torn from him and given to David.

2.         Gideon was so insecure in Judges 6 that even though the angel of the Lord told him that he was a mighty man of valor who had been chosen by God to defeat the Midianites, he doubted God and it took three miracles before he started to believe Him.

3.         Peter’s insecurity caused him to sink like a rock and Paul’s insecurities caused him to persecute the church.

4.         Insecurities exist in everyone, it’s only how they show themselves that’s different.

D.       Textual

1.

In Nehemiah 4, we see the issue of insecurity come up in a very profound way.

2.         Let’s see how Nehemiah handles it and what God has to say about it.

II.

Exposition

A.       Enemies Taunt (1-3)

1.         Sanballat’s taunt (1-2)

a.         Sanballat got a report that the people of Judah were continuing to work on the wall.

i.           Sanballat was the governor of Samaria, and as such was not stationed in Jerusalem.

He wasn’t personally aware of what they were doing.

ii.

Once he got the report, he became fiercely angry

a)         Literally reads “he burned with anger until he grew in vexation”

b)        The reason he got so angry was that he was in charge of this area.

And now this guy named Nehemiah comes in and stirs up the people to do this thing without seeking his permission.

c)         Remember in chapter 2, Nehemiah had King Artaxerxes’ permission, but Sanballat probably saw that as going around and above him, so I’m sure he felt disrespected.

b.

He threw jeers and taunts at the builders in front of his comrades

i.           Increasing his responses to their progress

i)          When Nehemiah first came to Jerusalem, Sanballat and Tobiah had heard of it and were displeased, but didn’t say anything (Neh.

2:10)

ii)        After Nehemiah stirred up the people to join together to build, Sanballat and Tobiah, with Geshem the Arab, jeered at them and accused them of insubordination and insurrection against the king (Neh.

2:19).

iii)      This time, once they hear that the building is actually underway, the reaction increases.

ii.

Attacks them verbally in five different areas.

He taunts them with questions:

a)         “What are these feeble Jews doing?” – /attacked their strength/

b)        “Will they restore it for themselves?”

i)          Better said, “Do they think that they can accomplish this themselves, without any professional help?”

ii)        Remember who was building the wall: priests, Levites, goldsmiths, perfumers, government officials and merchants.

No mention of stone masons or building contractors.

/iii)      //Attacked their ability/

c)         “Will they finish up in a day?”

i)          Or, “Do they have the stamina and fortitude to see this thing to completion?”

/ii)        //Attacked their zeal/

d)        “Will they revive the stones…”

i)          The stones were made of limestone, which gets very soft when it is burned (cf.

1:3)

ii)        /Attacked their materials/

e)         “Will they sacrifice?”

i)          Intentionally saved this one for last.

ii)        Or, “Do they think that their effort will be acceptable to God, so that He will come down to help?”

iii)      Most scornful and disdainful and mocking taunt

/iv)       //Attacked their God/

2.         Tobiah’s taunt (3)

a.         Tobiah was a leader in neighboring Ammon, but was apparently junior to Sanballat.

b.

His taunt was a piling on insult that attacked the strength of their wall.

3.         The purpose of these taunts was to make the Israelites feel inadequate in what they were doing, so that they would stop building the wall.

B.       Nehemiah Prays (4-5)