If This Disturbs Them They Can’t Be Helped

Nehemiah 2:10
When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.

Nehemiah had just secured permission to go and rebuilt Jerusalem and its temple. Along the way, he had been given a safe passage by various governors of other nations. They had no problem with Nehemiah and his team going back to rebuilt Jerusalem.

The governors who permitted Nehemiah to have a safe passage were not Israelites nor friends of Israel. They were not bothered or threatened by the revival of life in Jerusalem. They didn’t oppose and they didn’t support, they just let what happens to happen.

However, Nehemiah observes in our text today that Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite were seriously disturbed and angry because Israelites were going to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple. These two had a choice like others to mind their own business and let Israelites live their life, but they couldn’t ignore the prosperity of Israel. They felt hurt and threatened but they welfare of Israel. It caused them anxiety to know that Israel was recovering.

Contemporary English Version
But when Sanballat from Horon and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about what had happened, they became very angry, because they didn’t want anyone to help the people of Israel.

Amplified Bible
When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard this, it caused them great displeasure that someone had come to see about the welfare and prosperity of the Israelites.

Israel had not provoked or disturbed them. They just didn’t like Israel for no reason at all. Their problem was the success and prosperity of Israel. The success of Israel threatened their peace of mind. The prosperity of Israel aroused jealousy in them. No offense from Israel, just envy and jealousy.

When someone is disturbed by your achievements, there is no medication. If you treat them well, they will still be disturbed. If you let them have their way, they will still be disturbed. If this is what disturbs them, they can’t be helped!

You are not the problem. Don’t change anything about yourself, you will still be hated. The problem is in the hater and not you. Don’t stop, keep going. If this is what disturbs them, they can’t be helped!

Don’t be disturbed when they are disturbed, mind your business. If you get disturbed, you would have joined them in their low-level thinking. Raise your standards and keep going. If this is what disturbs them, they can’t be helped?

Nehemiah 4:1-3
(1) When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, (2) and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble —burned as they are?”
(3) 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!”

Those who are disturbed by our prosperity and success will not stop there. They will try to provoke us by hurling abuses. Do not fall into the trap of getting angry when they want you to be angry. Verbal and even physical attacks have no place in our civilized society. When the provoked, rise up above it and mind their business, they will defeat these haters. If this is what disturbs them, they can’t be helped!

Nehemiah 4:7-9
(7) But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. (8) They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. (9) But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.

The more you succeed the angrier they become. Don’t stop succeeding. Even if you relocate, such people exist everywhere. Shine where you are. Increased hate for no reason at all is a sign of excellence in what you are doing. If this is what disturbs them, they can’t be helped!

They will plan to fight you and destroy you after their initial hatred and abuse fail to bring you down. Pray to God for help, but also take measures against food poisoning, against attacks in dark deserted places, etc. Such people are ruthless, merciless, and heartless. Pray to God asking for help against such people, but also put measures in place to ensure they don’t harm you. If this is what disturbs them, they can’t be helped!

Such people are everywhere. They are in secular and even religious settings. They are among the rich and among the poor. They are among the clergy and among the laity. They are everywhere in every country and region. Learn to excel amidst their low-life hatred. If this is what disturbs them, they can’t be helped!

Nehemiah 6:1-4
(1) When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it—though up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates— (2) Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono. ”
But they were scheming to harm me; (3) so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” (4) Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.

When your success is unstoppable, the enemies will send emissaries to suggest that you can work together. The peace deal is intended to interrupt the work you are doing. Do not accept any deal from the enemy that stops the good work you are currently doing. Politely refuse and be firm regardless of how long they plead. The truce is false and a trap to fail the work you are doing. What is disturbing them is your success, and the truce and related offers are supposed to stop that work. Don’t fall into the trap.

The haters next used false accusations and allegations against Nehemiah and team, Nehemiah 6:5-8. After that, the haters hired a man to scare and intimidate Nehemiah and team, Nehemiah 6: 12-13. All methods will be employed to stop the good work you are doing. Don’t stop. Jealousy drives their endless attempts. If this is what disturbs them, they can’t be helped!

Nehemiah 6:14-16
(14)Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophet Noadiah and how she and the rest of the prophets have been trying to intimidate me. (15) So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.
(16) When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.

The work will end successfully and enemies, haters, and their hirelings, sympathizers and informers will be defeated forever. They will be put to everlasting shame. They will realize too late that they were fighting against God who was helping us. May it be so, even today, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

1. Rei Kesis YouTube Channel (subscribe, click on notification and share) –http://youtube.com/reikesis
2. Rei Kesis books on Amazon (Amazon will sell and deliver anywhere in the world. For those in Kenya you can buy from any ABC close to you. ABC is Adventist Book Center) –https://www.amazon.com/s?k=rei+kesis&ref=nb_sb_noss
3. Rei Kesis daily blog –https://reikesis.com/