Nehemiah, by anyone's standards, achieved success in the face of great opposition. Although a Hebrew captive in Babylonia, he had become the king's cupbearer. Later he was given permission by the king to go to Jerusalem to rebuild its walls. Once there, however, Nehemiah encountered opposition from Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem—non-Jews from neighboring territories. They tried to sabotage the job—both from outside the city and from within.
Ridicule, conspiracy, accusations, subversion, and plots—Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem were at the bottom of them all. The approaches taken by these three could represent any resistance to individual and collective spiritual progress.
We're all Nehemiahs, really, and if we're not, we should be. We all need to learn the powerlessness of whatever appears hostile to the accomplishment of spiritual good in our lives. It is always the carnal mind, not people, which would oppose our efforts to obey our highest understanding of God's purpose. And Nehemiah's experience can help us see how to handle this baseless opposition to God.
