Distractions

Nehemiah 3-6

God gives His children work to do. We make plans for our future. It is often the case that we never complete the work. Also, our plans are not realized. There are many reasons that these things are true. We may lack faith in God, and we may not be willing to act on His words. We may not have sufficient resources to get things accomplished. One young person is going to college, but they have to drop out because mom gets sick and the funds that were set aside for college are now needed for vital health care. Time may become a factor. We run out of time because of other concerns that dwindles away our time. In this article I want to focus on distractions because I believe that more than anything else distractions hinder our progress. I will use the Old Testament book Nehemiah as a guide and source for what I say here.

So, why do I focus on the word distractions? The word “distractions” can be defined as an act or condition that causes one to be distracted. We are distracted when something or someone causes us to turn away from the original focus of attention or interest. We are distracted when are diverted from our original path or direction to an alternate path or direction. Distractions may be external or internal. Distractions may be physical, mental, emotional, or behavioral. Distractions may be caused by situations and circumstances. All of the reasons that are mentioned in the first paragraph are really only distractions. So, let us look at the writing in the book of Nehemiah.

Let us began by establishing what is taking place in Nehemiah’s life. Who is Nehemiah and what is he trying to accomplish? Who are the people and the circumstances that are distractions as he tries to accomplish his goals? First, Nehemiah is an Israelite in exile in Susa. The Babylonians take Israelites into exile in 586 B.C. Nehemiah is in Susa the capital of King Artaxerxes king of the Medes and Persians that have defeated the Babylonians (Daniel 5:25-31). Secondly, Nehemiah is the cupbearer to the king (Neh. 1:11). Nehemiah hears about the conditions in Jerusalem. He prays to God and the king gives him permission to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall of the city (2:7-8). The king gives him letters to all the government officials instructing them to give Nehemiah the supplies that are needed to rebuild the wall. Nehemiah has the time and resources needed to do the work, but Nehemiah’s problem is the distractions that have the potential to stop the work. Let us uncover these distractions.

After arriving in Jerusalem, Nehemiah inspects the wall of Jerusalem. He includes other leaders in his investigation and convinces them to join him in the task of rebuilding the wall (2:17-18). So far, all is well. Wait. Not so fast. The distractions are about to begin. Throughout the remainder of the building of the wall Nehemiah will have to deal with theses distractions and their tactics. “But when Sanballet the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard it, they mocked us and despised us and said, ‘What is this thing you are doing? Are you rebelling against the King” (2:19, NASB)? We can see that in this case the distractions come in the form of people who stand in opposition to Nehemiah and the work that God gives him to do. The tactics of Nehemiahs’s distractions include discouraging words and lying accusations. Nehemiah, however, gives us an example of how to deal with human distractions. He says, “So I answered them and said to them, ‘The God of heaven will give us success; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no portion, right or memorial in Jerusalem” (v. 20).

Nehemiah responds in three ways that I believe are important when we are faced with distractions. First, we must know who our God is. Nehemiah calls God the “God of heaven.” This name is used here because the Persians recognize many gods. So, Nehemiah makes it clear that his faith is in the God who is above all gods. His God is able to give them success regardless of all distractions. Nehemiah has faith in his God. No discouraging words or lies are able to prevent him from accomplishing his goal. Secondly, Nehemiah receives his instructions and wisdom from the Lord. He knows God’s words, and he is able to discern what is of God as opposed to what is of the enemy. We see this played out in 6:12-13. Thirdly, Nehemiah establishes boundaries for his relationship to others. He tells his distractions that they are not included in the work and they share none of the blessings in outcome of the work (2:20).

I want to pause here because I am aware that in our society today that many people may see this statement as words of discrimination. They will read into this statement as words of hate toward people based on race, skin color, lifestyle, and other reasons. I believe that those who take this view fail to see that Nehemiah’s statement is not based on his own personal preferences alone. Rather, Nehemiah is saying that God is not including them. One would do themselves a great service by studying God’s right to choose who He wants to as well as eliminate those that He wants to. It is helpful to know that God makes choices based on God’s own purposes and for God’s own glory.

It is also helpful to know that distractions are deceiving. For example, Adam and Eve live in an ideal environment. They have all that they need to do the work that God assigns them to do. Adam and Eve have no problems until they are distracted by the words of the serpent. The serpent convinces them to disobey God and eat from the tree on the pretense that they will become like God (Gen. 3:1-6). The man and the woman lose their fellowship with God. They lose their ideal home in the garden as God banishes them to the field. All plans for their good are lost. The good news is that in Jesus Christ God redeems us to Himself and restores us to the position and status that was lost. In Nehemiah’s story, Nehemiah discerns that his distractions are not looking out for his good. Rather, their goal is to destroy Nehemiah and his people so that they can preserve their own status in the land.

In Nehemiah 4 the enemies use threat to try to dissuade Nehemiah and his people from building the wall. Nehemiah answers this threat by stationing the people in strategic positions and arms them with swords to defend themselves. In chapter five distractions come in the form of the people using usury (interest) as a means of enslaving their brothers and sisters. The use of usury is forbidden in the Law by Moses (Lev. 25:36-37; Deut. 23:19). Nehemiah forbids the use of usury and the people agree (5:12).

When Sanballet, Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab receive a report that Nehemiah has rebuilt the wall, they ask for a meeting (6:1-2). Nehemiah refuse to meet with them because he discerns that they are planning to harm him. Nehemiah’s enemies hire Shemaiah to convince Nehemiah to hide in the temple but again Nehemiah refuses to fall for the distractions’ tactics. Again Nehemiah discerns that this false prophet is hired by Sanballet and Tobiah. “He was hired for this reason, that I might become frightened and act accordingly and sin, so that they might have an evil report in order that they could reproach me” (6:13, NASB).

Nehemiah does not allow distractions to divert him from his goals. He completes the wall. “When all of our enemies heard of it, and all the nations surrounding us saw it, they lost their confidence; for they recognized that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God” (6:16, NASB). Lord God, give us a discerning spirit so that distractions will not keep us from you and the assignment that you give to us. Amen.