Scripture Daily

Context No. 1566 of 4322 · Nehemiah

Context · Reflection

Nehemiah 4:6-11: in context

6So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work. 7But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem went forward, and that the breaches began to be filled, they were very angry; 8and they all conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cause confusion among us. 9But we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night because of them. 10Judah said, “The strength of the bearers of burdens is fading and there is much rubble, so that we are not able to build the wall.” 11Our adversaries said, “They will not know or see, until we come in among them and kill them, and cause the work to cease.”

The rebuilding of Jerusalem's wall is going well, joined together to half its height, because the people have a mind to work. But their enemies, Sanballat, Tobiah, and others, are enraged that the work is progressing, and conspire to attack and throw the builders into confusion. Nehemiah records the response: we prayed to our God, and set a watch against them day and night. Meanwhile the workers grow weary, the burden-bearers' strength failing amid so much rubble, and the enemies plot to strike suddenly and stop the work.

The line worth catching is Nehemiah's response to the threat: we prayed to our God, and we set a watch. Faced with a real danger, a conspiracy to attack, Nehemiah did two things, and it is the combination that instructs. He prayed, taking the threat to God, trusting him for protection. And he set a watch, posted guards day and night, took the sensible, practical precaution the situation called for. He did not pray instead of guarding, as though trusting God meant ignoring the danger and taking no action; nor did he guard instead of praying, as though the practical measures were all that mattered and God need not be involved. He did both: prayed and set a watch. There is wisdom in that balance, which we often get wrong in one direction or the other. Some, in the name of faith, neglect the practical action a situation requires, expecting God to do what they should be doing themselves, and call their negligence trust. Others rely wholly on their own precautions and effort, taking every sensible measure but never bringing the matter to God, as though it were all up to them. Nehemiah shows the whole: trust God enough to pray, and take responsibility enough to act. Prayer and practical vigilance are not rivals; they belong together. We pray to our God, and we set a watch. To do only one is to neglect part of what faithfulness requires; the faithful response to danger is to commit it to God in prayer and to take the responsible action the danger calls for.

When I face a threat or a problem, do I hold together, as Nehemiah did, both prayer and practical action, trusting God enough to pray and taking responsibility enough to act, or do I lean to one side, neglecting sensible action in the name of faith or relying on my own effort without bringing the matter to God?

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