Neh 4:1 But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews.
Neh 4:2 And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish–stones that are burned?”
Provocation is the act or something deliberately put fourth to incite, stir the emotions of the recipients calculated to elicit a reaction. When it is negative, it incites the recipients to react and respond negatively . The likes of Sanballat and Tobiah were not happy with what Nehemiah and the Jews were doing. They intentionally provoked them so that they could react and slow down the building of the wall.
Sanballat and Tobiah did not only ridicule them but their words were also calculated to discourage them . They alleged that the construction was so inferior that even small weights ( foxes and jackals) would collapse it. However, Nehemiah prayed about it( Neh 4:4,5) and continued working. They completed the project within fifty two days.
Our adversaries will always rejoice whenever they successfully facilitate a provocation that eventually throws us off balance. May God give us the ability to overcome all negative provocations sent purposely to derail us from our God given purpose in Jesus name .
Further readings:
Num 12:
1Sam 25:
Job 2:9,10
🙏 Blessed Weekend 🙏