Nehemiah did not make a big show of his mission and purpose, instead he inspected the walls of Jerusalem at night and had not told anyone of his plans. Sometimes we are far too ready to make a big fanfare of doing something rather than just getting on with the job.
Many of its walls and gates had been broken down. A lot of this would be a hangover from the Babylonian destructions, but some may have been a result of opposition to the rebuilding.
Only after fully appraising himself of the situation did Nehemiah speak to the priests, nobles and officials. One might wonder why they would listen to him. As noted in chapter 1, some of his relations may have been officials in the city, and he also had letters of commendation from Artaxerxes, so this may have given him credibility.
The people may have become resigned to the dilapidated state of the place, thinking that there is nothing better they can expect. Likewise it is easy for us to become resigned to the present state of the church in the West. It needs someone with godly vision to open our eyes to what is possible, and, more to the point, what is in God's heart. Nehemiah was fully aware of the present situation, but was also convinced that something could be done about it. Having both of these is the mark of true leadership. The leaders were with him in this. Even when people seem downtrodden and resigned to a poor state of affairs, there is usually some spark of hope, some desire for something better.
Sanballat and Tobiah mocked the plans. There will always be opposition, and it will usually start by mocking the work. Nehemiah knew that God was his strength, and knew the historical plans of God.
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