Read Nehemiah 4:1-3

In order to thwart the work of the Israelites as they strive to rebuild the walls and gates of Jerusalem, Sanballat and Tobiah, leaders from the surrounding people groups, resort to childish mockery and ridicule of the workers.

While their mockery may have seemed childish, their words were not empty and were specifically directed to demoralize the Israelites in their work. They focused their mockery on four specific areas that were true areas of concern for the Israelite people.

First, they mocked the workers themselves, describing them as “feeble Jews”. It was very true that the people of Jerusalem had been living in disgrace as long as anyone could remember. The nation of Israel as it stood was not wealthy, strong, or confident but Nehemiah had changed the narrative and had the people thinking positively for the first time in a long time.

Secondly, these leaders ridiculed the work itself. Rebuilding the wall and gates in a way that the city would be protected from foreign armies was a formidable task that most likely seemed nearly impossible to the Israelites. This mockery only echoed the doubts they carried in their own minds. Even the workers knew it would take more than prayer and worship to fortify the city.

Third, Sanballat and Tobiah mocked the materials the workers were using to rebuild the walls. 140 years after the destruction of Jerusalem, the city was still mostly in ruins. What few resources were available had already been used. The workers were literally building with whatever they could find. Sanballat mused, “Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?”

Finally, Tobiah specifically ridicules the project and the progress that had been made.

Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!” Nehemiah 4:3 NIV

Obviously, this was an exaggeration that was meant to shake the confidence of the workers in the wall they were working so hard to build. Even so, the reality of the progress on the wall would have been obvious to everyone involved.

Questions to consider:

When have you faced ridicule in your life? How did it make you feel?

How do you think this ridicule affected the mindset of the workers?