FEATURE ARTICLE

Sam AwedaTuesday, June 23, 2015
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NEHEMIAH, SANBALLAT, TOBIAH & CO


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ery recently, our association, "The Inter-Religious Summit for the Rehabilitation of Nigeria through Righteousness" had the rare opportunity of meeting with some eminent personalities. They were people who have contributed their quota to the building not only of Kwara State but the nation in general.

The hoary (grey) heads asked our association, comprising of Christians and Moslems to summarize for them our activities.

In my narration, I thanked God for His faithfulness to have answered our long time prayer to give us a leader with the character of Nehemiah. I explained how the profile of our new President matches very well, with that of the Biblical Nehemiah, who put an end to the suffering of his people at a particular time in the history of the Israelites.

Among the eminent people, is a learned man in law; in fact, one of those who laid the foundation of Kwara State. He asked for our preparation for the emergence of Sanballats and Tobiahs; spoilers. I replied him that all those are already outlined in a book, which I authored and which they all will have a copy each.

Those who have been reading my articles in the nigeriaworld.com or who have been listening to my broadcasts for sometimes now, will have been familiar with who Nehemiah was and how he ended the suffering of his people who were being tyrannized and oppressed by the Political leaders of their time.

But did Nehemiah had it smooth to achieve his lofty plans?

No one should expect it because there will always be some people who are not interested in the well-being of others but only in their personal interest. Of course, they will behave as if they are working in the interest of the populace when in reality they are only working for their selfish interest and building empire for themselves.

So Nehemiah had detractors in the persons of Sanballat, Tobiah & others who tried every means to disturb his plans but God gave Nehemiah victory over these evil people.

As of today in Nigeria, I see President Buhari as the Nehemiah God bestows on us.

But can we already smell the uprising of people with the spirit of Sanballat and Tobiah; spoilers, who want the business of government to remain as usual, who want to cover their tracts of theft? If we can, what can we do to make our Nehemiah succeed?

So today, the topic of my sermon is "Nehemiah, Sanballat and Tobiah"

Let us pray as Dn. Dr. Kayode Samuel prays.

The topic of my sermon again is "Nehemiah, Sanballat and Tobiah"

The story of the characters I am talking about today is found in the book of Nehemiah of the Bible.

All the time I have been speaking and writing about the Biblical Nehemiah, I have been outlining just one duty he tasked himself of the two he did. I have been writing and speaking about how he called to order, the gluttonous Political leaders before him, who pauperized their countrymen.

But there was one other thing he did, which I have not written or spoken about before, which I will mention today and which set enemies of mankind against him.

After the children of Jacob returned to their home land in Jerusalem from the Babylonian captivity (539 BC), they had re-constructed the Temple, which was earlier built by their ancestor, king Solomon but which was destroyed by king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, present Iraq when he attacked Jerusalem.

But the fence round the city was still in dilapidation. Nehemiah was yet to return to Jerusalem when the reconstruction of the Temple was done. He had remained in Persia, present day Iran serving king Artaxerxes as the cup bearer. The story is in the book that bears his name, Nehemiah.

Nehemiah got distressing news about Jerusalem and other captives who had returned there (Neh 1:11).

The news was that the people were in great affliction and reproach, while the wall of the city was broken down and the gates burned with fire. He became burdened for his country and he was prompted into prayers and fasting. The result was that his boss, the king of Persia not only permitted him to go and rebuild the city wall; but he was provided with protective escort and every material that were needed to re-build the city wall (Neh 1-2:9). He was Governor in Jerusalem between 444 and 432 BC

Then arose detractors, distracters and scoffers. Sanballat, Tobiah and others were filled with rage (4:1-3,7). They insulted and mocked. They plotted to kill the workers. They tried to persuade the workers to abandon the work (4:11-12). They threatened and frightened Nehemiah (6:19). On four occasions they invited Nehemiah to a meeting, but it was a trap. It was a plot to kill him. They slandered Nehemiah in order to lure him to their meeting.

They accused him of planning a rebellion and planning to become the king as the reasons behind the project.

President Buhari when he was younger, has paid his dues to this country and at his present age, he should be resting. But seeing that all infrastructures built by previous national leaders who had the interest of the nation at heart, including himself had been torn down by crooks who came later, he was restless and he came to rebuild the wall.

But do we envisage that he will find it smooth sailing?

Just as the Biblical Nehemiah did not find the building of Jerusalem city wall easy, so we should expect that President Buhari too will not find it smooth sailing.

Why?

Because those who have enjoyed sitting on the wealth of the people will now discover that business can no longer be as usual and they will gang up to put themselves in strategic positions in order to make it possible for them to mock, supplant and truncate President Buhari's war on corruption just like the previous Political leaders in the days of Nehemiah did.

Shemaiah who was supposed to be a man of God, a prophet even, was an agent (6:10). He was hired by the enemies to lure Nehemiah to abandon the project. No-adiah a prophetess and other prophets (6:14) tried to discourage Nehemiah, including some wealthy politicians and others from Judah (6:18-19) who had sworn allegiance to Tobiah.

One can understand the ordinary man opposing the state of well-being of the citizens in order to maintain their inordinate goals. It however becomes disturbing when those who are supposed to be religious leaders stand against the general well-being of the people.

May God save us from enemies within.

The elderly legal luminary asked our association of Christians and Moslems trying to rehabilitate Nigeria to the path of prosperity through spiritual means how people with the evil spirit of Samballat & Tobiah will not incapacitate and subterfuge the effort of our Nehemiah in person of President Mohammadu Buhari?

What a good question?

Let us ask, "How did Nehemiah overcome his detractors?"

Nehemiah applied the mighty correct weapon to deal with them all - prayers (4:5-6,9; 6:8,14). And it worked.

The Holy Spirit, as a result of those prayers, certainly directed him to take some appropriate steps, which he took at different stages. He had appropriate replies to all the insinuations (crafty suggestions), which the enemies proposed in order to have the work stopped (2:20; 6:1-8). He encouraged the people when it was necessary (4:14). He arranged for the protection of the people even militantly when necessary (4:9, 13, 16-23; 7:3).

Nehemiah divided the workers into two. Half were stationed round behind the builders, armed to the teeth. The common laborers supported the loads they carried with one hand and had weapon on the other hand. Even those that were building, had a sword belted to their side.

The President must borrow and modify where necessary these ideas in order to achieve his plans of re-building the country.

Everyone who loves Nigeria cannot sleep yet with the joy that we already have a Nehemiah.

The spoilers are so many than we have imagined who are not interested in the nation building but building of themselves.

They are not ready to put off their clothes of greed and selfishness.

They have enjoyed oppressing the people and sitting on the peoples' wealth and will want these businesses to continue as usual.

They only wanted to use Buhari's uprightness tract record to win the election. Now, they already had their way but they are not ready to tow Buhari's path of integrity.

Rather than repent of their past theft and restitute, return all monies belonging to the people, which they have stolen, they are busy devising methods to have the tracts of their atrocities covered. They are putting themselves in positions, which they hope will seal them from been questioned of their past atrocities.

But the Bible in Proverbs 28: 13 says "People who cover their sins will not prosper. But if they confess and forsake them, they will receive mercy"

So everyone who loves the prosperity of Nigeria must still keep up with the midnight prayer that gave rise to the enthronement of our Nehemiah to make the spoilers repent, restitute and tow the path of the President's integrity so that they can receive mercy from God and not go to hell.

I have said it many times, for any leader to be able to end our suffering, everyone in a civilian government must be upright because however righteous or godly or determined and disciplined, any head of government, whether at the Federal or State can be, he cannot succeed in the midst of ungodly majority. Such a righteous president or Governor will be speedily frustrated and impeached by the ungodly majority. Reasons for impeachment cannot be in want. The Bible says that Righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a reproach to any nation (Prov.14:34)

Mr President himself cannot sleep with his eyes closed, he must be prayerful because the bulk rests on his table. He cannot afford to have the CV he has built over the years destroyed. So he must be able to discern every pranks and tricks of the Sanballats & Tobiahs like the Biblical Nehemiah did. The Biblical Nehemiah was able to discern appropriately all the tricks of Sanballat, Tobiah & co and had appropriate responses.

The President must behave like the Biblical Nehemiah to encourage and support fully, members of his cabinet who frown at corruption. He must not hesitate to let go anyone not on the same page of anti-corruption with him.

Now that we have a President whose heart seeks God, who wants the prosperity of the nation, we all must reciprocate. We all must go godly.

The Bible cannot be faulted. It says "Righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a reproach to any nation" (Proverb 14: 34)

We need a collective commitment in order to achieve a Nigeria where we all live in comfort.

Why? Why a collective commitment?

The reason for a collective commitment is because the morale of the godly, meanwhile has reached an all time low. Unrighteousness confronts him/her wherever he/she turns to, leading to discouragement. The temptation to join in the ungodly behaviour is high but a collective commitment will boost the morale of everyone and serve a big encouragement because if I know that others are striving in their different positions and locations to do what is righteous, I will be encouraged that I am not alone in the effort to be godly and from time to time, we can compare notes and pray together.

So in order to allow the President to succeed with his good will for us, we urgently must start to hold Inter-Religious Solemn Assembly in every region where we will all take a firm commitment with the enabling power of God to renounce and repent of all our selfishness, cheating behavior, lack of concern for the other fellows, renounce and repent of all our greed and ask God to give us power to love our fellow human beings, to do our duty in all sincerity without taking gratification in the performance of our duties, to be helpful to all people who have transactions on our official tables, not to be difficult to them but be helpful to them. This is in line with the Bible, which says "Righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a reproach" (Prov. 14:34)

At such assemblies, we shall ask God to cleanse our land from all things that are militating against us to living a good qualitative life, things that are hindering our progress as a nation, knowing that poverty is making many to backslide. It has made many youths to become tools of hooliganism in the hands of politicians.

Let us pray.

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