Nehemiah 6
1 When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it—though up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates— 2 Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.”
But they were scheming to harm me; 3 so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” 4 Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.
Human Perspective
The wall is nearly finished, but the gates still need to be hanged. Sanballat and Tobiah realizes that his moment to keep Jerusalem weak is slipping away. So what’s his next move? They attempt to lure Nehemiah from beyond the walls for a meeting. This message is almost silky in its approach: “come, let’s meet in a neutral place and talk this out.” But Nehemiah doesn’t take the bait. Instead of inciting them, he instead simply declines, telling them that he cannot, for there is still more work to do.
Spiritual Perspective
When the enemy (satan) sees his moment slipping away, he will attempt to lure us from our stronghold. The enemy, who lives in the world, wants to drag you back into the world in some way. But what is Nehemiah’s response? He first uses discernment. Discernment is that special knowledge we get when the Holy Spirit comes into our life. It is a gift that helps us to understand right from wrong on a spiritual level. When discernment aids us, it allows us to see things as they really are.
5 Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter 6 in which was written:
“It is reported among the nations—and Geshem says it is true—that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports you are about to become their king 7 and have even appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you in Jerusalem: ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now this report will get back to the king; so come, let us meet together.”
8 I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.”
9 They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.”
But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.”
Human Perspective
Sanballat persistently tries to get Nehemiah from behind the walls He tells Nehemiah that reports are circulating that he is becoming king and will betray Artaxerxes. Nehemiah tells Sanballat that he is making everything up. He prays for strength.
Spiritual Perspective
Satan will use falsehoods and lies to distract and scare us into leaving our spiritual stronghold. We must realize that the opposition lies in order to keep up weak. Our foundation is with God; we must pray and strengthen the connection. In time, we become stronger.
10 One day I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home. He said, “Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you—by night they are coming to kill you.”
11 But I said, “Should a man like me run away? Or should someone like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!” 12 I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13 He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me.
14 Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophet Noadiah and how she and the rest of the prophets have been trying to intimidate me.
Human Perspective
Nehemiah is told by Shemaiah he should board himself in the temple to avoid being killed. But Nehemiah refuses. He realizes that God did not send him. He knows this in part because of his discernment, but he also knows that God would not ask him to sin. The sin is going into the temple. Only priests are allowed in the temple. He refuses to listen to Shemaiah and instead prays for God to remember the treachery.
Spiritual Perspective
Satan will try to disarm us not only from the outside, but from the inside. Using discernment, we must understand God’s heart for us (John 3:16-17) (John 14: 2-3) We must pray and stay connected to understand what God wants of us (Ephesians 2:10)
15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.
This can’t be underplayed: it took only 52 to erect the walls. Remember, the walls had been down for 100 years! From the time that Nehemiah first prayed to repair the walls until they were built was a span of about 10 months. When we put our mind and hearts fully toward the work of God, great things can happen quickly.
16 When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.
Human Perspective
The nations who were in defiance to Nehemiah realize something important: that God is truly behind Jerusalem. Nehemiah did not buckled under their pressure. They lose their self-confidence.
Spiritual Perspective
When we stand firm in our faith, and refuse to budge, we become stronger and more confident. The opposition begins to realize this.
17 Also, in those days the nobles of Judah were sending many letters to Tobiah, and replies from Tobiah kept coming to them. 18 For many in Judah were under oath to him, since he was son-in-law to Shekaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah. 19 Moreover, they kept reporting to me his good deeds and then telling him what I said. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.
Human Perspective
There are still officials inside the wall who have ties to Tobiah.
Spiritual Perspective
Even inside our spiritual walls, there are ties to the outside. We must always be vigilant in how strong those ties are, or else they can drag us outside the gates.
We also must note that in this story of Nehemiah rebuilding the walls, he put the gates on last. In our life, we must understand that the gates hold a very important function. Gates regulate what we let it. If we are vigilant, we will monitor the things we allow into our life, inside the walls. If we decide to keep the gates wide open, then anything can get in. It’s the same as the walls being down. So we must be vigilant, at the gate, with discernment, in order to strengthen our foundation for ourselves and those who we shepherd.
1 When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it—though up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates— 2 Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.”
But they were scheming to harm me; 3 so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” 4 Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.
Human Perspective
The wall is nearly finished, but the gates still need to be hanged. Sanballat and Tobiah realizes that his moment to keep Jerusalem weak is slipping away. So what’s his next move? They attempt to lure Nehemiah from beyond the walls for a meeting. This message is almost silky in its approach: “come, let’s meet in a neutral place and talk this out.” But Nehemiah doesn’t take the bait. Instead of inciting them, he instead simply declines, telling them that he cannot, for there is still more work to do.
Spiritual Perspective
When the enemy (satan) sees his moment slipping away, he will attempt to lure us from our stronghold. The enemy, who lives in the world, wants to drag you back into the world in some way. But what is Nehemiah’s response? He first uses discernment. Discernment is that special knowledge we get when the Holy Spirit comes into our life. It is a gift that helps us to understand right from wrong on a spiritual level. When discernment aids us, it allows us to see things as they really are.
5 Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter 6 in which was written:
“It is reported among the nations—and Geshem says it is true—that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports you are about to become their king 7 and have even appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you in Jerusalem: ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now this report will get back to the king; so come, let us meet together.”
8 I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.”
9 They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.”
But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.”
Human Perspective
Sanballat persistently tries to get Nehemiah from behind the walls He tells Nehemiah that reports are circulating that he is becoming king and will betray Artaxerxes. Nehemiah tells Sanballat that he is making everything up. He prays for strength.
Spiritual Perspective
Satan will use falsehoods and lies to distract and scare us into leaving our spiritual stronghold. We must realize that the opposition lies in order to keep up weak. Our foundation is with God; we must pray and strengthen the connection. In time, we become stronger.
10 One day I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home. He said, “Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you—by night they are coming to kill you.”
11 But I said, “Should a man like me run away? Or should someone like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!” 12 I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13 He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me.
14 Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophet Noadiah and how she and the rest of the prophets have been trying to intimidate me.
Human Perspective
Nehemiah is told by Shemaiah he should board himself in the temple to avoid being killed. But Nehemiah refuses. He realizes that God did not send him. He knows this in part because of his discernment, but he also knows that God would not ask him to sin. The sin is going into the temple. Only priests are allowed in the temple. He refuses to listen to Shemaiah and instead prays for God to remember the treachery.
Spiritual Perspective
Satan will try to disarm us not only from the outside, but from the inside. Using discernment, we must understand God’s heart for us (John 3:16-17) (John 14: 2-3) We must pray and stay connected to understand what God wants of us (Ephesians 2:10)
15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.
This can’t be underplayed: it took only 52 to erect the walls. Remember, the walls had been down for 100 years! From the time that Nehemiah first prayed to repair the walls until they were built was a span of about 10 months. When we put our mind and hearts fully toward the work of God, great things can happen quickly.
16 When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.
Human Perspective
The nations who were in defiance to Nehemiah realize something important: that God is truly behind Jerusalem. Nehemiah did not buckled under their pressure. They lose their self-confidence.
Spiritual Perspective
When we stand firm in our faith, and refuse to budge, we become stronger and more confident. The opposition begins to realize this.
17 Also, in those days the nobles of Judah were sending many letters to Tobiah, and replies from Tobiah kept coming to them. 18 For many in Judah were under oath to him, since he was son-in-law to Shekaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah. 19 Moreover, they kept reporting to me his good deeds and then telling him what I said. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.
Human Perspective
There are still officials inside the wall who have ties to Tobiah.
Spiritual Perspective
Even inside our spiritual walls, there are ties to the outside. We must always be vigilant in how strong those ties are, or else they can drag us outside the gates.
We also must note that in this story of Nehemiah rebuilding the walls, he put the gates on last. In our life, we must understand that the gates hold a very important function. Gates regulate what we let it. If we are vigilant, we will monitor the things we allow into our life, inside the walls. If we decide to keep the gates wide open, then anything can get in. It’s the same as the walls being down. So we must be vigilant, at the gate, with discernment, in order to strengthen our foundation for ourselves and those who we shepherd.