"Begin Again" Bible Study - Pt. 9 (Nehemiah 4:1-12)

SCRIPTURE: Sanballat was very angry when he learned that we were rebuilding the wall. He flew into a rage and mocked the Jews, 2 saying in front of his friends and the Samarian army officers, "What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they are doing? Do they think they can build the wall in a day if they offer enough sacrifices? Look at those charred stones they are pulling out of the rubbish and using again!" 3 Tobiah the Ammonite, who was standing beside him, remarked, "That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!" 4 Then I prayed, "Hear us, O our God, for we are being mocked. May their scoffing fall back on their own heads, and may they themselves become captives in a foreign land! 5 Do not ignore their guilt. Do not blot out their sins, for they have provoked you to anger here in the presence of the builders." 6 At last the wall was completed to half its original height around the entire city, for the people had worked very hard. 7 But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the work was going ahead and that the gaps in the wall were being repaired, they became furious. 8 They all made plans to come and fight against Jerusalem and to bring about confusion there. 9 But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves. 10 Then the people of Judah began to complain that the workers were becoming tired. There was so much rubble to be moved that we could never get it done by ourselves. 11 Meanwhile, our enemies were saying, "Before they know what's happening, we will swoop down on them and kill them and end their work." 12 The Jews who lived near the enemy came and told us again and again, "They will come from all directions and attack us!" - Nehemiah 4:1-12 (NLT)

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS:
1)   What did Sanballat do when he learned that the Jews were rebuilding the wall? (v.1)
2)   What did Sanballat say to mock the Jews? (v.2)
3)   What did Tobiah say about the wall? (v.3)
4)   How did Nehemiah respond to their mockings? (v.4-5)
5)   What were the Jews able to do despite the taunts of the opposition? (v.6)
6)   How did the opposition react when the Jews continued to build, despite their taunts? (v.7)
7)   What did the opposition decide to do against the Jews? Why? (v.8)
8)   How did the Jews respond to their enemies plans? (v.9)
9)   Why did the Jews begin to complain? (v.10)
10) What were their enemies saying they would do to end the Jews work? (v.11)
11) How did the Jews respond to the enemies threats? (v. 12)


APPLICATION QUESTIONS:
1)   Have you ever faced opposition at the workplace or in your ministry?
2)   If so, describe what happened?
3)   What, if anything, did you pray about those who opposed you?


LIFE LESSONS:
1)   Great work for the Lord will always be opposed by the enemy!
2)   The best recourse that we have against our foes is prayer!
3)   The enemy will attempt to intimidate us through threats or actual attacks, but we must continue to do what the Lord has given us to do!

To read today's devotional, go to Writer Roxanne Rogiers' blog.