When on the road, you need reminders that you’re going the right way. Your GPS will tell to you to “continue on this road for X miles.” Someone may have given you directions that include an important landmark along the way. For folks on mission for God, there’s another very critical indicator that you’re headed in the right direction. Opposition. Many times when you’re following God’s lead, you run into conflict. Just ask Nehemiah (Neh 2:9-10). The LORD has moved the king’s wine steward to leave the palace and head to Jerusalem in order repair the broken down city walls. He not only expected opposition, but he got it. Resistance let Nehemiah know that he was headed in the right direction.
We pick up the story with our man Nehemiah getting very close to his final destination. “Then I came to the governors of the province Beyond the River and gave them the king’s letters” (v9). The journey to Jerusalem from Susa takes right at three months. He hits the border of a place called Beyond the River. It’s like a state or province in the Persian empire. The dictator Darius dubbed the region of Syria and Palestine with this name. He gave it that name because it was west of the great Euphrates River, or beyond the river from the perspective of someone living in Persia.
Just like we know to be ready for customs when crossing international borders today, Nehemiah is prepared. Back in the ancient Near East, local rulers and bureaucrats would see anybody rolling onto their turf as an immediate threat. Not handling his encounters with the Beyond the River officials could sink the entire expedition. But Nehemiah had this covered. Or should I say God did. While the king’s cupbearer made the request, it only comes through because the “good hand of God” was all over Nehemiah (Neh 2:8). Nehemiah made a point of presenting the proper royal paperwork that Artaxerxes had given him. His mission had the king’s seal of approval. These documents acted like a combination of both a passport and permission slip. This trip was legit. It’s another example of Nehemiah’s detailed planning for his mission to the Promised Land. He asks for all the necessary legal papers from the king so local authorities would leave him alone (Neh 2:7). Nehemiah had all his papers in order. He did what he could to eliminate any unnecessary opposition in advance.
As part of his prep, he was able to obtain a military escort from the Persian army. “Now the king sent me officers of the army and horsemen” (v9). He’s traveling 1,000 miles through some of most dangerous deserts in that part of the world. Think of the post-apocalyptic world of Mad Max. While bandits didn’t drive souped-up muscle cars, there was fear of attack for any traveler making such a journey. Unlike his predecessor Ezra the priest (Ez 8:22), Nehemiah had a military escort. This was visible evidence that this mission had the king’s muscle behind it. He might be simple cupbearer, but Nehemiah is no fool. He knows that when you are following God’s lead, you should expect opposition.
Presenting all the proper documentation to the local authorities doesn’t eliminate resistance. It simply changes it. Enter the bad guys. A pair of thugs named Sanballat and Tobiah. These local sleazeballs are going to be a pain in Nehemiah’s backside every time he turns around. “But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant heard this, it displeased them greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel” (v10). So just who is this dastardly duo? Dusty old documents outside the Bible say that Sanballat served as the governor of Samaria. The fact that he’s a Horonite most likely means “native of Horonaim of Moab. If you’ve read much of the Old Testament, your warning lights should be flashing. The Moabites are a thorn in the side of God’s people.
Then there’s Sanballat’s sidekick Tobiah. The author describes him as a “servant” (v10). This might mean that he’s also a local governmental official. It probably means he’s Sanballat’s toadie. We also see that he’s an Ammonite. That means he’s a member of the tribe of Ammon, a people who live n the Transjordan region, on the east bank of the Jordan River from the Promised Land. Here’s an interesting thing about the Moabites and the Ammonites. They both trace their family line back to Lot (Gen 19:36-38). Just another example that the Bible is not a bunch of goofy independent unrelated accounts. God’s story revealed in Scripture is actually one mammoth mega-story. The opposition of the Moabites and Ammonites is nothing new. Sanballat and Tobiah are the latest in a long line of bad guys.
These two thugs see Nehemiah as a huge threat to their power in the region. Local bullies have had the run of the joint ever since Nebuchadnezzar bulldozed the Hebrew capital and hauled the Israelites back to Babylon. And now this is the third resettlement and rebuilding effort. The first was under Zerubbabel. The second under Ezra. While each had it’s own problems and issues, God’s move to bring His people home is unrelenting. Sanballat and Tobiah will consistently try to shut down Nehemiah’s effort to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem every time he turns around. As a matter of fact, these two goons were probably behind the sabotage that shut down the rebuilding of the temple that Ezra describes (Ezra 5:7-23). They “heard this” news of Nehemiah expedition and freak out. The two troublemakers continually keep their ears to the rumor mill. They apparently have a network of folks tipping them off (Neh 2:19; 4:1, 7; 6:1). To say “it displeased them greatly” is a huge understatement. They blew their stack. They were hot. They were irate. How dare somebody come into our turf and do something good for the Israelites! But Sanballat and Tobiah have one little problem. When Nehemiah presents all of the proper royal documents, they’ve lost any leverage to openly attack the Israelite rebuilding efforts. That would be a direct violation of King Artaxerxes’ orders. As a result, they would resort to terrorism and intimidation.
On this side of eternity, there’s ALWAYS going to be opposition to God’s and His purposes. When we respond to God’s call to get busy building His kingdom, we should expect problems. People will oppose you. People will hope you fail. Expect the pushback. Expect criticism. Expect resistance. If anything, we shouldn’t be surprised. Why? Our fallen world hates Jesus and His people (Jn 15:18-20; 1Jn 3:13). Lots of times, opposition to serving God is actually an indication that we’re headed in the right direction. The Lord has an amazing way of taking the garbage thrown at His people and turning into a blessing (Gen 50:20). And knowing that Jesus has His hand on you should be a huge encouragement during tough times. Sometimes we wonder if we’re headed in the right direction. Many times that’s revealed through opposition. Nehemiah not only expected opposition, but he got it. Often times, resistance lets know we’re headed in the right direction.
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