Ridicule of a good work.
Sanballat and his friends had at first thought it impossible that Nehemiah would attempt to repair and restore the wall of Jerusalem, But when they found that the work was actually begun, and making good progress, their anger was equalled only by their astonishment, and they gave vent to their wrath in scoffs and ridicule. Happily they seem to have been so misled by their contempt for the feebleness of the Jews as to have deemed it impossible that they could really complete the undertaking; and so they contented themselves with ridicule until the work was so far advanced, and the people so organised and inspirited, that more formidable measures were unavailing. Nehemiah, however, was much wounded by their scorn, expressed as it was not only before "the army of Samaria" (verse 2), but "before the builders" (verse 5), and adapted to discourage them; and he expressed his feelings strongly in prayer to God. But he and the people, so far from being disheartened, had only the greater "mind to work," and speedily completed the restoration up to half the height of the wall. Note—
I. THE CONTEMPT AND RIDICULE WHICH GOOD WORKS HAVE OFTEN TO ENCOUNTER, ESPECIALLY AT THEIR COMMENCEMENT. Many discoveries and inventions of a secular character might be cited in illustration. The Copernican system. Gas. Railways, and the speed of travelling expected on them. Ocean steam-ships. But, confining ourselves to Christian enterprises, the first preaching and avowed aims of the gospel, the efforts of Christian reformers and evangelists, the work of modern missions, may be referred to; and many an effort on a smaller scale to evangelise a dark and godless population.
1. The circumstances which are thought to justify contempt and ridicule.
2. Their actual causes.
II. THE EFFECT WHICH CONTEMPT AND RIDICULE SHOULD HAVE ON THOSE ENGAGED IN GOOD WORKS.
1. Care not to deserve them. It must be confessed that sometimes those engaged in religious enterprises invite ridicule, if not contempt; by manifest ignorance, by cowardly fears of advancing science, by clap-trap and worldly policy, by cant or weak sentimentalism, by glaring inconsistencies between their lofty professions and their actual conduct, etc. It is one of the wholesome functions of raillery to banish such follies from good undertakings, and thus make the work truer and stronger.
2. Prayer. Not like Nehemiah's, for vengeance on the despisers; but forgiveness, and that God would "turn their reproach on their head" by granting signal success to the work.
3. Calm confidence. In the assurance of that Divine favour and assistance of which the world takes little account, and thus of good success.
4. Steady, persevering toil. All the more vigorous because of the opposition. Thus Christian workers will live down contempt, even if, as in this case, it give place to violent hostility. It may, however, be followed by applause when the work has proved itself good by results which even the world can appreciate.