The Mockery of Sanballat Text: Neh 4:1-2 I. The Mockery of Disability Neh 4:2 …What do these feeble Jews? II. The Mockery of Deficiency Neh 4:2 …will they fortify themselves? III. The Mockery of Dedication Neh 4:2 …will they sacrifice? IV. The Mockery of Duration Neh 4:2 …will they make an end in a day? V. The Mockery of Debris Neh 4:2 heaps of the rubbish

1. The Mockery of Sanballat
Text: Neh 4:1-2
Luke 12:51
Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth?
I tell you, Nay;
but rather division:
2Cor 7:5
For, when we were come into Macedonia,
our flesh had no rest,
but we were troubled on every side;
without were fightings,
within were fears.
Neh 4:1-2
1 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we
builded the wall,
he was wroth,
and took great indignation,
and mocked the Jews.
2 And he spake before his brethren and the army of
Samaria, and said,

2. What do these feeble Jews?
will they fortify themselves?
will they sacrifice?
will they make an end in a day?
will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish
which are burned?
Sanballat has good reason to fear the Jews, if Jerusalem is
built it won’t be long till Samaria is in jeopardy.
A real Christian is a threat to Satan, if the body of Christ is
built up like it should be, it won’t be long till the kingdom
of darkness is in jeopardy.
Satan, like Sanballat will often attack by mockery, but
that’s just bringing a pen knife to a gun fight.
Neh 4:14-15
14 And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles,
and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye
afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and
terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your
daughters, your wives, and your houses.
15 And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it
was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to

3. nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one
unto his work.
The Mockery of Sanballat
4:1 …Sanballat… mocked the Jews.
Neh 4:2
2 And he spake before his brethren and the army of
Samaria, and said,
I. The Mockery of Disability Neh 4:2
…What do these feeble Jews?
Pres. Woodrow Wilson- severely dyslexic
Tom Cruise- severely dyslexic
Helen Keller- Blind, Deaf, Mute
Pres. F.D.R.- Polio
Alexander Graham Bell- learning disability
Albert Einstein- learning disability
Thomas Edison- learning disability, couldn’t read
till age 12
Pres. George Washington- learning disability, could
barely write and had poor grammar
1Cor 16:9

4. For a great door and effectual is opened unto me,
and there are many adversaries.
2Cor 12:9
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee:
for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most
gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities,
that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2Cor 12:5
Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not
glory, but in mine infirmities.
2Cor 11:30
If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which
concern mine infirmities.
II. The Mockery of Deficiency Neh 4:2
…will they fortifythemselves?
Neh 4:10
And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of
burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so
that we are not able to build the wall.

5. Ps 71:7
I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong
refuge.
Matt 10:16
Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of
wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and
harmless as doves.
John 9:28
Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple;
but we are Moses' disciples.
Heb 12:3
For consider him that endured such contradiction of
sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in
your minds.
III. The Mockery of Dedication Neh 4:2
…will they sacrifice?
Ps 76:10
Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the
remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.

6. Ps 51:17
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and
a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Phil 3:13-14
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended:
but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which
are behind, and reaching forth unto those things
which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high
calling of God in Christ Jesus.
IV. The Mockery of Duration Neh 4:2
…will they make an end in a day?
Gal 4:4
But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent
forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
Mark 1:15
And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of
God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

7. V. The Mockery of Debris Neh 4:2
…will they revive the stones out of the
heaps of the rubbish
which are burned?
Ps 22:26
The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise
the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.
Joel 2:25
And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath
eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the
palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.
Conclusion: Neh 6:2-3
Neh 6:2-3
2 That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying,
Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages
in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me
mischief.
3 And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am
doing a great work, so that I cannot come down:
why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and
come down to you?

8. Oft in danger, oft in woe,
Onward, Christian, onward go.
Fight the fight, maintain the strife,
Strengthened with the bread of life.
Onward then to glory move,
More than conquerors ye shall prove:
Though opposed by many a foe,
Christian soldiers,
Onward go.
1) The Temple authorities Mocked Jesus- Luke 22:52, 63
2) Herod and his men of war Mocked Jesus- Luke 23:11
3) Pilate’s soldiers (in Pilate’s hall) Mocked Jesus- Mat 27:29
4) The soldiers at the cross Mocked Jesus- Luke 23:36
5) The thieves on the cross Mocked Jesus- Mat 27:44
1Pet 2:23
Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he
suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him
that judgeth righteously:
Rev 19:11

9. And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and
he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in
righteousness he doth judge and make war.
Gal 6:7
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a
man soweth, that shall he also reap.
The Mockery of Sanballat
Text: Neh 4:1-2
I. The Mockery of Disability Neh 4:2
…What do these feeble Jews?
II. The Mockery of Deficiency Neh 4:2
…will they fortify themselves?
III. The Mockery of Dedication Neh 4:2
…will they sacrifice?
IV. The Mockery of Duration Neh 4:2
…will they make an end in a day?
V. The Mockery of Debris Neh 4:2
heaps of the rubbish