But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. “What is this you are doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?”


Nehemiah 2:19-20

19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. “What is this you are doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?” 20 I answered them by saying, “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.”

Today’s title is “God , His Servants and the Mockers”

There is a spiritual trilateral relationship between God, His servants, and the mockers that all Christians should be aware of. God rules us in His love and justice. The mockers try to disrupt and interfere in God’s reign of love and justice. Usually, the devil which is the fountain of all evils sneaks in quietly and works secretly. The way the devil tempted Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden is a good example of such a sly approach. But there are also times that the devil rather boldly attacks the reign of the Lord. We see it in the temptation of the Lord Jesus in the wilderness. The devil, perhaps knowing that he cannot hide his identity before the Lord, disclosed himself to the Lord and tried to tempt the Lord. The devil’s attempt to interfere and disrupt the will of God never succeeds. But he will not give up on it until he is finalized by the Lord. The servants of the Lord love the Lord. They desire to serve the Lord appreciating His love and justice. They strive to lift up the name of the Lord all over the world by declaring His glory and goodness through words and deeds. The devil does not like it. So the devil and his servants try to stop it one way or the other. Because of such attacks and assaults, The servants of the Lord go through many sufferings. But the Lord sees through it all. Then He comes to their aid at the right time and gives His servants the final victory. We see such a spiritual triangle in today’s passage. Nehemiah, the servant of the Lord, embarked on a mission of restoring the broken walls of Jerusalem to bring back the glory of the Lord. But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed him. Spiritually viewed, they were the servants of the devil. They thought they tore down God’s city and claimed it as their own. They presumed that it will never be built again as God’s territory. But they were wrong. A servant with the heart after God suddenly surfaced over the ruined wall. They tried to deny and discourage him. He was with God. And God was with him. So he said, “ The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.” Similar spiritual triangles are in our life too. Are you aware of it? The devil and his servants deny and deride our devotions to the Lord. They will mock us. At such a time, we should see God at the top of the triangle and say to them, “God is with me. He will give me success! You have no share in His kingdom.”. Can you do that like Nehemiah? Then God surely will give you success. Amen!