Nehemiah chapter
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NEHEMIAH 6
(1) Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah,
and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies,
heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was
no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not
set up the doors upon the gates;)
There was no guile in Nehemiah . He was being honest.
He told the truth. He stated the facts. Nehemiah honestly
admitted that the report was exaggerated. The wall was
not finished yet. The doors needed to be set up upon the
gates.
(2)That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying,
Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages
in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.
Since the enemies could not stop the work , the enemy now
tried to harm Nehemiah. They tried to trick Nehemiah to come
out to one of the villages in the plain of Ono.
(3) And I sent messengers unto them, saying,
I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down:
why should the work cease, whilst I leave it,
and come down to you?
When the enemy tempted Nehemiah to leave the work
of God , he refused to stop his God-given work. We must put
our priority right. God must be our first priority.
Seek first the kingdom of God.
(4) Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort;
and I answered them after the same manner.
(5) Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like
manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand;
It was an open letter so that all could read the false
accusation in the letter.
The content of letter was intended to fool all in believing
the supposed rebellion of Nehemiah.
(6) Wherein was written, It is reported among the
heathen, and Gashmu saith it,
that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause
thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king,
according to these words.
It was reported among the heathen . It was a false report
aimed to harm the people of God.
(7) And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach
of thee at Jerusalem, saying,
There is a king in Judah: and now shall it be reported
to the king according to these words. Come now therefore,
and let us take counsel together.
Sanballat paid the appointed prophets to speak against
Nehemiah. These were false prophets .
true prophets would not be sent by human beings.
True prophets would not be paid to speak.
They were accusing Nehemiah of attempting to rebel
against Persia king.They were accusing him of
hiring prophets to preach for him. They pressuring
Nehemiah to meet them. The false reports were to
discourage those who were working on the wall.
(8) Then I sent unto him, saying,
There are no such things done as thou sayest,
but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.
Their report was false.
(9) For they all made us afraid, saying,
Their hands shall be weakened from the work,
that it be not done. Now therefore,
O God, strengthen my hands.
Nehemiah asked the Lord to give strength to him
to do God’s work .
(10) Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the
son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up;
and he said,
Let us meet together in the house of God,
within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple:
for they will come to slay thee;
yea, in the night will they come to slay thee.
Shemaiah gave bad advice to Nehemiah.
He was shut-up. He received no message from God.
Shemaiah speak foolishness from man's desires and man's ambition.
This falsehood was clear when the false prophet Shemaiah
advised Nehemiah to flee into the temple.
The enemy always try to stir up fear.
When the Lord is your shield, there should be no fear.
(11) And I said, Should such a man as I flee?
and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the
temple to save his life? I will not go in.
(12) And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him;
but that he pronounced this prophecy against me:
for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
Nehemiah perceived that God had not sent him.
The message was the evidence that God had not sent this false prophet.
Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him to give false message.
he was hired to stir fear into Nehemiah.
If he could stir up fear in Nehemiah,the people could be discouraged.
And the work of God could be stopped.
(13-14) Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid,
and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter
for an evil report, that they might reproach me.
My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat
according to these their works, and on the prophetess
Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would
have put me in fear.
They hired false prophets and prophetess to try to
make Nehemiah afraid.
Nehemiah knew that to give in to fear is to sin against God.
And Nehemiah did not wish to sin against God.
(15) So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth
day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.
The wall was finished in fifty-two days. Only God could
have done this through them.
(16) And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard
thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw
these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes:
for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.
The heathen realized that they could not fight against God.
They perceived that this work was wrought of the Lord.
(17-18) Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many
letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them.
For there were many in Judah sworn unto him, because
he was the son in law of Shechaniah the son of Arah;
and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of
the son of Berechiah.
The nobles were influenced by Tobiah.
The nobles were related by marriage to Tobiah.
(19) Also they reported his good deeds before me,
and uttered my words to him. And Tobiah sent
letters to put me in fear.
The nobles tried to influence Nehemiah’s view of Tobiah
by falsely reporting good deeds of Tobiah before Nehemiah.
Tobiah sent letters to threaten Nehemiah.
Nehemiah chapter
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3
4
5
6
7
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9
10
11
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13