Why Does God Allow the Resistance? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Nehemiah 6:17-19,

"Also, in those days the nobles of Judah were sending many letters to Tobiah, and replies from Tobiah kept coming to them. For many in Judah were under oath to him, since he was son-in-law to Shekaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah. Moreover, they kept reporting to me his good deeds and then telling him what I said. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me."

Nehemiah was a godly man and placed himself squarely in the plans and purposes of God when he set himself to rebuild the walls and gates of Jerusalem. The city had been destroyed earlier when the Lord took steps to eradicate the persistent idolatry Israel engaged in. Those steps included destroying most of the people of Israel, razing the city and sending a remnant into Babylonian captivity.

Now that the seventy year captivity had come to an end, the Lord arranged for the Jews to be returned to the homeland where walls and gates for the city needed to be rebuilt for the security of it. Nehemiah set himself to the task and thereby placed himself in the midst of the plans of God.

What Nehemiah discovered there was a lot of opposition. In our passage here we see that some of that opposition came from within the ranks of the returnees themselves due to convoluted relationships. Letters were going out from Jerusalem to the chief "#Resistance" figure of the day, Tobiah. And, he in turn contacted various Jews within Jerusalem. We read of letters Tobiah sent designed to intimidate Nehemiah.

Since it was the Lord's desire that the Jews return to their homeland, rebuild the temple and reestablish the city by rebuilding its walls and gates, why all the opposition that came Nehemiah's way? Why didn't the Lord just take care of it and squash the opposition?

Those who read their Bibles already know the answer to this question. God rarely does it all himself when he makes his moves. He most often employs those who are given to his agenda, provides the necessary help that may be beyond what his people can deliver, and allows those who do his bidding to work out the many issues and challenges that may be faced. The book of Psalms is replete with such accounts.

In fact, it is my view that often during the pursuit of accomplishing the core of what the Lord wants done, these attending challenges provide opportunity for the Lord to accomplish all kinds of things we may struggle to understand.

Here is a very simple example: which version of Nehemiah inspires God's people the most? A man who went through the motions of achieving things for God as God made every provision for him to do so? Or a man who through great difficulty achieved things for God, a man driven through many struggles by his love and desire to do things for God in the midst of what appears to be the impossible? That is just one thought. I'm sure the Lord was doing dozens of things when he allowed the #Resistance movement to challenge his own people at every turn.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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