Discernment for Great Work | Sunday, July 3, 2022

When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard I had rebuilt the wall and that no gap was left in it, though at that time I had not installed the doors or the city gates, Sanballat and Geshem sent me a message, "Come, let's meet together in the villages of the Ono Valley." They were planning to harm me. So I sent messengers to them saying, "I'm doing an important work and I cannot come down. Why should this work cease while I leave it and go down to you?" Four times they sent me this same proposal and I gave them the same reply... My God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat for what they have done, and also the prophetess Nodiah and the other prophets who wanted to intimidate me. (Nehemiah 6:1–14)

Nehemiah refused to come down from his God-given work—and his example teaches us the discernment that overcomes temptation.

The Setting of Nehemiah's Great Work

Nehemiah records the reconstruction of the walls of Jerusalem, Judah's capital city. Together with Ezra, he led the people in a spiritual, political, and religious restoration after the Babylonian captivity. Under his leadership the Jews withstood great opposition and came together to accomplish a great work.

Nehemiah is known for leading by example. He gave up a respected position serving as cupbearer to one of the most powerful kings of his time, exchanging that comfort for hard labor in a politically insignificant region. He made this decision because it was the will of God. The physical reconstruction of the wall made it possible for the remnant of Jews to survive—and this mattered, because our Savior was born of Jewish parents about 500 years later, as prophesied by Scripture.

Doing great work for God always comes with opposition. The devil is hard at work against the church today; you can see it in the turmoil and chaos around the world, and even in division within the church. The devil is the father of lies who masquerades as an angel of light, but he is really the angel of darkness. Today we will learn from Nehemiah how to build discernment that overcomes temptation.

The Devil Comes When We Are Most Vulnerable

A great battle was fought in the Judean wilderness before Jesus began His public ministry—a battle between Jesus and the devil, who tempted Him for 40 days. This wasn't a battle for physical territory but for the territory of our hearts. Satan tempted Jesus three times: for food, for glory, and for obedience. Ultimately Satan was after Jesus's position, because Satan has always desired worship and the position of God.

I believe the devil is after our position too. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, born again into the family of God and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, the devil wants to distract you from the work God has given you. Notice that the devil came when Jesus was most vulnerable—after 40 days without food, alone in a desolate desert, having been affirmed at His baptism but before His public ministry began. The devil always finds us when we are most vulnerable, and he wants to trip us up and distract us from using the gifts and abilities God has given us for His kingdom.

Sanballat's Scheme: Distraction Through Enticement

Like Jesus, Nehemiah cared about God's people. He heard that the walls of Jerusalem were torn down and that the worship of God had ceased because the people weren't safe in the temple. He left his comfort to rebuild walls that had been demolished for over 150 years. He faced military opposition from the Samaritans outside the walls and civil unrest inside them, and he saved the people both from their enemies and from themselves.

Now comes an even greater scheme aimed directly at Nehemiah. By verse 1 the wall is complete except for the doors and gates, so a direct military attack would no longer work. The Samaritan governors—Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem—therefore targeted the leader, scheming to slow Nehemiah down before he could finish the work. The devil does the same with us: he schemes to slow us down by distraction so the work God began in us never gets finished.

Point One: The Devil's Desire Is for Us to Leave the Will of God

What these men called Nehemiah to do was leave the place God had planted him and meet them in the Valley of Ono—about 30 miles away, outside the protection of the newly built walls. It would have cost him precious time away from his work, and it was a perfect place for a political assassination attempt, even though Ono was supposedly politically neutral.

The devil's desire is for us to leave the will of God. He is either scheming to keep you from God and His purposes, or, if you are a Christian, scheming to halt your growth into spiritual maturity and the transforming work of the Holy Spirit in your life.

Why might this meeting be enticing? It was a meeting of equals—governors with prominent positions. Nehemiah might have thought, "This is my chance to sit down with important people." In our context, imagine someone with a huge following inviting you into the camp you've been idolizing. If Nehemiah had been insecure in himself, he could have fallen for it. There is great danger when we are not secure in who we are in Christ or when we are emotionally unhealthy—we easily fall for enticing offers of friendship that are meant to lead to our ruin.

Point Two: I Am Doing a Great Work for the Lord

Four times they sent the proposal, and four times Nehemiah replied: "I am doing an important work and cannot come down." The devil's goal is to drag us down—down out of God's will and into doing our own thing, something that makes us feel important. But God says, "I've given you a task greater than anything else you could ever do."

Nehemiah knew the truth of Psalm 1:1: "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly." Who we hang out with, spend time with, and identify with matters. Christian, remember: I am doing a great work for the Lord, and I cannot come down. That is the proper response to constant temptation, especially when the same temptation comes again and again.

We have all felt that "come" in our lives—come look at these pictures, come over here and I'll show you a better time, come to that party. Many of us have been damaged in the Valley of Ono because we sinned simply because we wanted to, because it was enticing. Sin promises great things but leaves us empty, famished, and looking back saying, "Oh no, what have I done?" Thank God our God is a God of second chances. When the devil tempts you with the same temptation over and over, resist it with the same reason and resolution over and over.

Point Three: A Focused Heart and Clear Priorities Shield Us

Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6:12 that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, authorities, and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. The real enemy of man is the devil. A person focused on what God said, on God's will, and on the great work God has given will withstand the schemes of the devil.

Nehemiah knew the Scriptures and knew God's will through His Word and prayer. Jesus had the same clear focus: "For I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but to do the will of him who sent me" (John 6:38). That focus drove Him to the cross without sin.

Are your priorities clear? Do you put God first, your spouse second, your children third, and your job and ministry fourth? Idols are anything that takes more of our time, talent, and treasure than God. It is easy to take God off the top, and then easy to put our children above our spouse. We must fight to keep these in order. I believe one reason so many pastors fail is that they put ministry above family. When our priorities are clear, all of our decisions are pre-made for us, and it becomes easy to say no to the enticements and schemes of the devil.

The Second Scheme: Blackmail Through Defamation

The fifth message came by Sanballat's aide carrying an open letter. Defamation hurts because it attacks our character. Notice that the devil loves to partner with others to draw us into rebellion. He even partnered with Peter, who tried to keep Jesus from the cross, prompting Jesus to say, "Get away from me, Satan." Guard your witness and your credibility—be the same person at home, at work, and at church. This is why I try to avoid commenting on social media; be careful what you post, for there are times to speak and times to be silent.

The open letter read that it was reported among the nations, with Geshem agreeing, that Nehemiah planned to rebel and make himself king. In those days letters were sealed with the sender's wax seal to authenticate them. An open letter was akin to gossip—every town the messenger passed could read it. It was designed to spread rumors and weaken Nehemiah's work, even threatening to reach the king. In our culture this is the "they said" and "everyone said." Don't panic over the "they saids"; ask who actually said it.

Point Four: Obedience Is Greater Than Deliverance

Nehemiah could have stopped the work in fear, but he didn't. Instead he prayed, "God, strengthen my hands." Obedience is greater than deliverance. Nehemiah didn't pray to escape his circumstances but for strength to be resilient and finish the work. Perhaps you need to pray that prayer today.

Often our prayers are, "God, get me out of here." But where God has placed you may involve pain, suffering, and temptation. We should pray not so much for deliverance as for obedience and strength where God has placed us. God is faithful to strengthen us. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow and were thrown into the furnace, the king saw a fourth man like the Son of God in the fire. Jesus is faithful to meet you in the fire and to strengthen you through it.

Following Christ does not mean health, wealth, and prosperity. The Apostle Paul had a terrible reputation, caused riots simply by teaching God's Word, was beaten, and had to sneak out of cities to survive—yet he was faithful. We can't control what others say, but we can control our response. Nehemiah responded with truth and with prayer. That is discernment.

The Third Scheme: Deception

Next they tried deception. A man named Shemaiah, supposedly a prophet, told Nehemiah to hide inside the temple because men were coming to kill him that night. But Nehemiah said, "Should a man like me run away? How can someone like me enter the temple and live? I will not go." He realized—that is, he discerned—that God had not sent this man; Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him to make Nehemiah sin and gain a bad reputation so they could discredit him.

How did Nehemiah have that discernment? He knew the Word of God and responded with truth and prayer. As Charles Spurgeon said, discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong; it is knowing the difference between right and almost right. The devil loves to take Scripture and twist it just a little—"Did God really say...?" When Jesus was tempted for 40 days, He responded each time, "It is written." We need to know the Word of God to have discernment.

Discernment Leads to Intercession

Discernment is a divine knowing inspired by the Holy Spirit within us. As we grow in our knowledge of God and His Word, and as we grow in prayer, we grow in discernment. The best lies are not white lies but half-truths, and Satan is a professional at that kind of lying.

Oswald Chambers said, "God never gives us discernment in order that we may criticize, but that we may intercede." We often mix up discernment with being critical. Discernment is the ability to see things as they really are, not as we want them to be; it is grounded in reality. Chambers also said, "God does not exist to answer our prayers, but that by our prayers we might come to discern the mind of God." As we pray, we begin to discern God's mind, will, and heart. Be aware, too, that discernment comes with division—it divides the believer from the unbeliever and even the mature from the immature.

A Great Work to Finish

Nehemiah organized ordinary people to do an extraordinary work, rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem in just 52 days, as we'll learn next week, because he was focused and his priorities were clear. Cross Connection, you are involved in a great work—building the thing Jesus left behind, His church. The church is worthy of your time, giving, service, and sacrifice. When the schemes of the devil come, respond like Nehemiah: "I will not come down; I'm doing a great work."

Another Man Who Refused to Come Down

If you are tuning in for the first time, still wondering whether you believe this whole Jesus thing, or perhaps backslidden, let me turn your attention to another man who refused to come down—Jesus Christ. Hanging on the cross, demonically inspired men told Him, "If you really are God, come down and save yourself." But Jesus refused, because He was doing a great work for you and for me—to save the world from sin and reconcile us to God. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

Perhaps you are in the Valley of "Oh No," looking back at where temptation took you and asking what you will do. You need a second chance, and God offers you one today. Come to Jesus and find that there is no sin too great that He won't forgive. He will meet you right where you are, but He won't leave you there. He offers you new life as a reborn son or daughter of God, and He begins the lifelong work of transforming your character to match your calling. Don't delay—come to Jesus and let Him begin that great work in you.

Closing Prayer

Father, as we close this morning, I pray that You would give us clear focus and clear priorities. Give us the entire armor of God to withstand the schemes of the devil. A clear mind and clear focus shield us, but they aren't perfect; we still trip and fall. For those who have fallen, pick them back up. For those tempted over and over again, give them the resilience to respond the same way over and over—with Your truth and Your Word, that it is written.

May we not play or toy with temptation, but take it seriously and be freed from it. Help us resist the evil one, that Your name might be glorified and that many might come to know You and the good news of Jesus Christ. Lord, You are doing a great work in Your church, in our nation, and in the world. I know the gates of hell will not prevail against the church. I pray for spiritual revival in our country and our people, the revival Nehemiah sought in rebuilding the walls and restoring the people to worship. May we be a nation that returns to You. In Jesus' name, amen.