RELATIONSHIPS TO BEWARE OF (2)

Some years back, we were in a secondary school get-together. During one of the presentations, a young man and some other folks started laughing. I got angry and told him, “Stop that. These are young ones making an effort.” Recently, he sent me a note saying “thank you” for correcting him that day. He said he did not know why I singled him out but that he can never forget.

There are people who take delight in mockery. They are jesters. There is laughter that can kill the confidence in the heart of someone making an effort. Some laugh when others are corrected when they make mistakes. We did it a lot as students. But there are things growth should take away. 

Those who talked down on the progress of others rather than celebrate or commend it have been in existence since Bible times. It is the Sanballat and Tobiah Syndrome. They mocked Nehemiah and the Jews publicly.

But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews. 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?” Now Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall.”

Nehemiah 4:1-3 NKJV

What you may not know is that they secretly admired what they were doing and wanted to be a part or at least a beneficiary. Let me give you proof: 

When Nehemiah was not around for a short while, Tobiah schemed a way to get a room to stay in the temple: 

Before this had happened, Eliashib the priest, who had been appointed as supervisor of the storerooms of the Temple of our God and who was also a relative of Tobiah, had converted a large storagea room and placed it at Tobiah’s disposal. 

Nehemiah 13:4-5 NLT

What did Nehemiah do when he returned to find such an interesting arrangement:

When I arrived back in Jerusalem, I learned about Eliashib’s evil deed in providing Tobiah with a room in the courtyards of the Temple of God. I became very upset and threw all of Tobiah’s belongings out of the room.

Nehemiah 13:7-8 NLT

Do not let mockers stay in your space. Some delight in making jest of people making efforts. Do not condone it. The psalmist said you must not be found in the company of mockers. 

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.

Psalms 1:1 NLT

If you join mockers to make jest of others. One day, you will be the butt of the mockery. I have realised that those who mock others rarely can drink half of the cup they serve others. Run from mockers and mockery. 

temilOluwa Ola, Eruwa.