Commentary - Nehemiah 2:9-10

Bird's-eye view

In these two verses, we see the formal beginning of Nehemiah's mission on the ground, and with it, the immediate crystallization of the opposition. The work of God does not advance into a neutral vacuum; it advances against a hostile and entrenched foe. Nehemiah arrives not as a revolutionary or a rogue agent, but as a lawfully commissioned official of the Persian empire, bearing the king's letters and protected by the king's army. This demonstrates God's sovereignty in using pagan authorities to accomplish His redemptive purposes. But the arrival of this lawful authority, with its purpose of seeking the welfare of God's people, is immediately perceived as a profound threat by the local powers, Sanballat and Tobiah. Their deep displeasure reveals the spiritual antithesis that lies at the heart of all such conflicts. The health and restoration of the covenant community is, to its enemies, a "very great evil." This is the first rumble of a spiritual war that will define the entire book.

The scene is set for a central biblical theme: any attempt to rebuild the ruins, restore true worship, and re-establish godly order will inevitably provoke the rage of those who have a vested interest in the rubble. Nehemiah's papers are in order, his escort is formidable, and his mission is righteous. But none of this pacifies the enemy. In fact, it is the very legitimacy and seriousness of his mission that so deeply grieves them. This passage teaches us to expect opposition, to recognize its spiritual nature, and to proceed with the full authority God has given us, whether through the state or directly from His Word.

Outline

Context In Nehemiah

This passage marks a crucial transition in the narrative. Chapter 1 established Nehemiah's godly character through his grief, prayer, and repentance on behalf of his people. The first part of chapter 2 (vv. 1-8) detailed his wise and prayerful appeal to King Artaxerxes, which resulted in the king granting him permission, letters of safe conduct, and provisions for the rebuilding project. Nehemiah's mission was conceived in prayer and authorized by the highest human authority. Now, in verses 9 and 10, Nehemiah moves from the court of Susa to the province "beyond the River." The theoretical has become practical. The mission is no longer a prayer request or a royal decree; it is a man with a motorcade arriving on the scene. This arrival immediately shifts the conflict from Nehemiah's internal burden and his dealings with a benevolent king to an external confrontation with local adversaries who will stop at nothing to halt the work.

Key Issues

The Unwelcome Good

Whenever God determines to do a good work, the devil and his lieutenants are immediately vexed. It is one of the surest signs that a work is truly of God. If no one is bothered, if the status quo is not threatened, if no Sanballat is deeply displeased, you may be engaged in a hobby, but you are not engaged in spiritual warfare. The world is quite content for Christians to be harmlessly religious within the four walls of a church. But when a man like Nehemiah shows up with a commission from the king and a steely look in his eye, a man who intends to "seek the good of the sons of Israel" in a tangible, wall-building, culture-shaping way, the masks come off.

The reaction of Sanballat and Tobiah is not one of polite disagreement or political maneuvering. The text says it was a "very great evil to them." Their response was visceral, deep-seated, and spiritual. The mere prospect of a restored and secure Jerusalem was an evil in their sight. This is the antithesis established in the Garden. The seed of the serpent hates the seed of the woman, and is grieved at her welfare. We must understand that the world's opposition to the advance of the gospel is not a misunderstanding. It is not that they simply fail to see the benefits of what we are doing. No, they see it quite clearly, and they hate it. Our good is their evil. Our joy is their grief. Our building is their undoing. Recognizing this is the first step in godly wisdom, for it keeps us from the naive belief that we can ever appease the ungodly by compromising our mission.

Verse by Verse Commentary

9 Then I came to the governors of the provinces beyond the River and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent with me commanders of the military force and horsemen.

Nehemiah begins his work not with a secret, subversive plot, but with an open and lawful declaration. He presents his credentials to the existing authorities. This is crucial. He is not a rebel; he is an authorized agent of the king. God often works through established, secular authority, and it is the part of wisdom to operate lawfully whenever we can. Nehemiah had the king's full backing, and he was not ashamed to use it. This is followed by the second point: the king had provided him with a military escort. This was not a failure of faith, but an exercise of prudence. Nehemiah lived in the real world, a world of bandits and political enemies. He had prayed to the God of heaven, and the God of heaven had answered, in part, by providing him with horsemen. Faith is not opposed to means. Faith uses the means God provides. This is the church militant, prepared for a fight, understanding that the work of God in a fallen world requires both prayer and protection, both piety and practicality. Ezra, in a different circumstance, was ashamed to ask for a guard (Ezra 8:22), but Nehemiah, a civil governor on official business, rightly accepts the protection afforded his station. Both were acting in faith appropriate to their situation.

10 Then Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about it, and it was a very great evil to them that someone had come to seek the good of the sons of Israel.

The response to Nehemiah's lawful arrival is immediate and hostile. The opposition is given names and faces: Sanballat and Tobiah. These are not abstract forces; they are real men with political power and spiritual animosity. Sanballat was likely the governor of Samaria, the region to the north, a place of syncretistic and compromised worship. Tobiah was an Ammonite, a people who were historic enemies of Israel. They represent the entrenched opposition, the powers that be who thrive on the weakness and disarray of God's people. And what is their reaction? They are not merely concerned or politically wary. The scripture says they were grieved exceedingly, that it was a "very great evil to them." And what was this great evil? It was simply this: "that someone had come to seek the good of the sons of Israel." This lays the spiritual issue bare. The enemies of God are not motivated by a different political philosophy. They are motivated by a deep-seated hatred for the welfare of the saints. The prosperity of Zion is a grief to them. The rebuilding of the walls is a threat. The restoration of godly order is, in their eyes, a declaration of war. This is the heart of the antithesis. There is a spiritual enmity that cannot be negotiated away. When God's people begin to flourish, the wicked are filled with a spiteful sorrow.

Application

This short passage is a field manual for Christian reconstruction in any era. First, we are to do our work in an orderly and lawful manner. We should seek to have our papers in order, to be good citizens, to operate above reproach in the public square. Our work is one of restoration, not of anarchy. We are builders, not bomb-throwers. When God gives us favor with the magistrate, as He gave Nehemiah, we should receive it with thanksgiving and use it for the good of the church.

Second, we must not be naive. The world is not neutral territory. When we set our hand to do any significant good for the people of God, we must expect immediate and visceral opposition. This opposition will come from the Sanballats and Tobiahs of our day, those who have a vested interest, whether spiritual or material, in the continued ruin of our culture. We should not be surprised when they are "deeply disturbed" that someone has come to seek the good of God's people. In fact, their disturbance is a confirmation that we are on the right track. If the enemy is not complaining, you are likely not taking any ground.

Finally, the enemy's grief must not be our discouragement. It is simply the background noise of faithful work. Nehemiah does not record that he stopped to debate with them or seek their approval. He presented his letters, noted their wicked reaction, and pressed on to Jerusalem. Our task is not to make the Sanballats happy; our task is to make God happy. And what makes God happy is the building of His city, the restoration of His worship, and the seeking of the good of His sons and daughters. Let the world be grieved at that good; we are called to rejoice in it and to pursue it with all our might, trusting in the God who provides both the commission and the cavalry.