“Confront the Brutal Facts” is the title of chapter 4 in From Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Others Don’t. Jim Collins contrasts two older grocery stores that responded differently to the brutal facts. The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company or A&P Grocery Store, was at one point ranked second only to General Motors in the 1950s. Kroger was one-half the size of A&P.
By the 1960s, the two stores were neck and neck. But for the next 25 years, Kroger outsold A&P. What made the difference?
A&P had the perfect model for the first half of the 20th century with the two world wars and the frugality that resulted. People wanted simple grocery stores with low prices. By the 1960s with new affluence, what the American consumer desired had changed. Now they no longer wanted a simple utilitarian store but a Superstore. “They wanted nicer stores, bigger stores, more choices in stores. They wanted fresh-baked bread, flowers, health foods, cold medicines, fresh produce, forty-five different types of cereal, and ten types of milk. They wanted offbeat items, like five different types of expensive sprouts and various concoctions of protein powder and Chinese healing herbs. Oh, and they wanted to be able to do their banking and get their annual flu shots while shopping.”
A&P refused to face the brutal facts. The CEO, Ralph Burger, would not adapt to the new consumer. He reasoned “You can’t argue with a hundred years of success.”
Kroger faced the same brutal facts of a changing market and chose to change the old-model grocery store which meant changing 100% of their stores. By 1999, Kroger was the number one grocery store in America and A&P had one-half of its stores based on the old 1950 model.
One company faced the brutal facts and the other did not (Jim Collins. Good to Great. Pages 65-69).
A. Opposition is not the same as Constructive Suggestions
Proverbs 9:8 says, “Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate you, rebuke a wise man and he will love you.” When we as individuals or leaders of ministries are confronted with the brutal facts of sin or even doing ministry differently to minister more effectively, we must act on the brutal facts.
B. Opposition is Inevitable
What Nehemiah faced and all Christian leaders face, is the illegitimate opposition by the enemies of God. This is not constructive but destructive criticism.
In chapter 4, Nehemiah faced opposition from without from Sanballat.
In chapter 5, Nehemiah faced opposition from within from selfish believers.
In chapter 6, Nehemiah faced opposition again from without.
What is the point? Opposition is inevitable if you are trying to accomplish anything significant. Nehemiah was rebuilding the walls of God’s city and faced opposition.
In the book of Acts, believers were building the church and faced opposition
In Acts 4, there was opposition from without (the church’s first persecution).
In Acts 5:1-11, there was opposition from within from selfish believers (Ananias and Sapphira).
In Acts 5:17-42, there was opposition again from without (the church’s second persecution).
Charles H. Spurgeon, who knew much about opposition said, “The devil never beats a dead horse.” Spurgeon was the most loved pastor in London at one time and at the same time the most hated. You can read Spurgeon’s three major battles in The Forgotten Spurgeon (click to open).
C. Opposition Requires Humility
“No leader is exempt from criticism, and his humility will nowhere be seen more clearly than in the manner in which he accepts and reacts to it” (J. Oswald Sanders. Spiritual Leadership. page 110). A leader needs the hide of a rhinoceros and the tender heart of a mother. Paul rebuked Peter in Galatians 2 and apparently, Peter responded properly. Whenever Peter referred to Paul afterward, it was always positive (2 Peter 3:15).
D. Opposition Comes because of Change
Swindoll in Hand Me Another Brick wrote, “The heart of the habitual critic resists change. To him change is a threat” (page 72). All change is not good but change is necessary for growth and is the result of growth.
Imagine a father of a 15-year-old, sitting his son down for a talk. “I know you probably have one more growth spurt left. I don’t mind you growing just don’t change. When you change it is expensive. I can’t afford more shoes and new clothes. Grow, that is fine. Just don’t change.”
By as early as Acts 6, the growing early church had to change its organization and add deacons to help meet the growing need for visitation of widows. Nehemiah is about to introduce change to Jerusalem which will be resisted by God’s people and God’s enemies.
1. The Opposition of Ridicule (4:1-6)
Ridicule is the no brainier response. When the opponents cannot defeat us with reason, they turn to ridicule. Shakespeare called ridicule “paper bullets of the brain.” These bullets, however, are very harmful.
A. The Ridicule (4:1-3)
A new episode begins in 4:1 marked with the words: “But it came to pass” (וַיְהִ֞י vayehi) which marks scene changes and an episode change in this case. At the end of chapter three, it looked like Nehemiah’s well-oiled organizational machine was humming perfectly with no issues. Actually, Nehemiah is dealing with opposition on multiple fronts.
Someone asked, “Where is the perfect church?” and then answered, “One thousand miles away!” The perfect church only looks perfect from a long way off. I remember David Jeremiah stating on the radio that he was starting a new series on Sunday morning at his church because Sunday morning was prime time. Then he added, that if he preached the series on Sunday evening half of his congregation would not hear it.
Also, there is a content change in 4:2-3 with two dialogues. Marking scene changes helps the preacher or teacher to identify the main divisions for narrative sermons or lessons.
The workers are ridiculed in 4:1-2 [with Sanballat’s dialogue] and the work is ridiculed in 4:3 by Tobiah’s dialogue.
When you are criticized here is a simple principle I once heard, “Consider the source.” It sounds like Nehemiah had also heard that bit of wisdom. He does not even give them the dignity of a response. Sanballat and Tobiah had already criticized Nehemiah in 2:19, 20. So he is not surprised to hear from them again.
B. The Response (4:4-6)
1) The response was not retaliation against the opponent. The response was an imprecatory prayer to God perhaps based on Genesis 12:2 where God promised, “I bless them that bless you and curse them that curse you.” Nehemiah turned his enemies over to God. Read Charles C. Ryrie in Basic Theology for the three different promised blessings in the Abrahamic Covenant in chapter 81 “God’s Covenant with Abraham.”
Ryrie notes the personal promises to Abraham in Genesis 12:2
The universal promises in Genesis 12:3
The national promises in Genesis 12:7
Ryrie includes under the universal promises the blessing in Genesis 12:3: “I will bless them that bless you and curse them that curse you.”
This is one of many imprecatory prayers in God’s Word. It is not a prayer of vengeance but a prayer for justice. These imprecatory prayers are used against the leaders of God’s enemies, not the rank and file sinner.
For example in Psalm 139:19-22, David prayed an imprecation against those “bloody men” i.e., those leaders of God’s enemies who killed God’s people.
Another example is found in Psalm 137 written by a Jewish exile in Babylon. The book of Lamentations records that the Babylonians sieged Jerusalem causing the elderly and infants to die (2:21). So the Psalmist in exile in Babylon prayed for equal justice in Psalm 137:8-9.
In the New Testament, the apostle Paul pronounced an imprecation against false teachers in Galatians 1:9 who were teaching salvation by works. Paul declared, “Let them be accursed” that is, let them be judged by God. Again, the declaration for justice was leveled against the preachers of a false doctrine and not the deceived church members.
In Revelation 6:9-10, the martyred believers from the Tribulation Period now in heaven pray for God to avenge their innocent blood on their persecutors: “How long, O Lord, holy and true, do you not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth.” Their prayer is answered in the sixth seal judgment (6:12-17) and seventh seal judgment (8:1). All of these imprecations are against leaders, false prophets, and teachers. Nehemiah is praying this imprecation against the leaders opposing God’s work in rebuilding the walls around God’s City. Our prayer for the unsaved is more often like Paul’s in Romans 10:1, “My heart’s desire and prayer for Israel is that they might be saved.”
Fensham wrote this about Nehemiah’s imprecation: “The iniquities and sins were committed by sneering at the work God had commanded. The prayer was thus not vindictive because the Jews were insulted, but because God’s work was ridiculed” (Charles F. Fensham, The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah. New International Commentary on the Old Testament series. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1983. 48).
John publically rebuked an antagonist in 3 John 9-11 who was opposing John. The antagonist, Diotrephes, was a leader in the church. John said he was going to confront Diotrephes if he came to the church.
Warren W. Wiersbe noted: “The temptation to use a role in the Christian assembly as a means of self-gratification remains a real one that all servants of God need to resist.”( Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary. 2 vols. Wheaton: Scripture Press Publications, Victor Books, 1989.)
For sure we should pray for the salvation of these antagonists who may be lost (Rom 10:1).
Also, we should pray for our enemies as Jesus taught (Mt 5:43-44).
There may be rare times when we pray for God’s justice to be exercised against antagonistic leaders to protect God’s people. Jesus pronounced woes or judgments against the Pharisees in Matthew 23:13-36.
2) The next response was a return to the work of rebuilding the walls in 4:6. Nehemiah was not a quitter. He did not constantly run from his problems. If you run from one problem when you get to the next place, person, or set of circumstances, what will you face? Problems.
“One job applicant commented on his application, ‘Please don’t misconstrue my 14 jobs as ‘job-hopping.’ I have never quit a job’” (Henry Blackaby. Spiritual Leadership. Page 108). I have heard it said by different church consultants that a pastor does not start seeing real change until after his sixth or seventh year at a church. That of course is an oversimplification. But the message is it takes time to weather storms and win your people’s confidence. Notice that Nehemiah was halfway through the building project. Being halfway is sometimes an easy time to stop and not finish the task. I have read that half of the doctoral students who finish all of their coursework, quit during the dissertation process. Half! They complete nine years of classes and then do not finish the dissertation. They are more than halfway.
John Maxwell calls this the Law of Buy-in (click to open) (People Buy Into the Leader, Then the Vision). Usually, we win people to ourselves before we win them to Christ or His mission (1 Thess. 1: 5, 6). We could add 1 Timothy 4:12: “Let no man despise your youth; but you be an example of the believers, in word, in manner of life, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” I tell young pastors who have leaders in the church old enough to be their fathers, to be an example and you will win their confidence and eventually they will follow your leadership.
2. The Opposition of Threats (4:7-9)
A. The Threats (4:7-8)
The opposition intensified from ridicule to threats (4:7-8). While prayer helps us face our problems, prayer does not always end our problems. The opposition increased in numbers and danger.
B. The Response (4:9)
Nehemiah faced intensified criticism with intensified prayer (4:9a). The first response must always be prayer. In addition to prayer, guards were placed on the walls (4:9b). Prayer is usually never the only response. We pray and work (4:6). We also pray and watch or do what is a common-sense response.
What do you do to protect your home from home invasion? Pray! Lock your doors! Install an alarm system! Pack some heat!
What do you do when you are out of a job? Pray! Create and post your resume. Fill out applications. Pound the pavement!
What do you do when you are opposed? Jesus said, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).
Samuel Brengle was noted for his genuine holiness. He was a commissioner in The Salvation Army around 1900. On one occasion, he was injured when a drunk threw a brick at him. He was unable to preach for 18 months because of the injury. On another occasion, a biting, censorious attack was made on his spiritual life. His answer was: ‘I thank you for your criticism of my life. It set me to self-examination and heart-searching and prayer, which always leads me into a deeper sense of my utter dependence on Jesus for holiness of heart, and into sweeter fellowship with Him” (J. Oswald Sanders. Spiritual Leadership, page 110).