Nehemiah 6

Nehemiah 6: ESV

Now when Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it (although up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates), ²Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, "Come and let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono." But they intended to do me harm. ³And I sent messengers to them, saying, "I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?" ⁴And they sent to me four times in this way, and I answered them in the same manner. ⁵In the same way Sanballat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand. ⁶In it was written, "It is reported among the nations, and Geshem also says it, that you and the Jews intend to rebel; that is why you are building the wall. And according to these reports you wish to become their king. ⁷And you have also set up prophets to proclaim concerning you in Jerusalem, 'There is a king in Judah.' And now the king will hear of these reports. So now come and let us take counsel together." ⁸Then I sent to him, saying, "No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind." ⁹For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, "Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done." But now, O God, strengthen my hands.

¹⁰Now when I went into the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his home, he said, "Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple. Let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you. They are coming to kill you by night." ¹¹But I said, "Should such a man as I run away? And what man such as I could go into the temple and live? I will not go in." ¹²And I understood and saw that God had not sent him, but he had pronounced the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. ¹³For this purpose he was hired, that I should be afraid and act in this way and sin, and so they could give me a bad name in order to taunt me. ¹⁴ Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, according to these things that they did, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who wanted to make me afraid.

¹⁵So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. ¹⁶ when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, And for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God. ¹⁷Moreover, in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them. ¹⁸For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah: and his son Jehohanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah as his wife. ¹⁹Also they spoke of his good deeds in my presence and reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to make me afraid.

Nehemiah 6 - Message

^1-2 When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and that there were no more breaks in it—even though I hadn't yet installed the gates— Sanballat and Geshem sent this message: "Come and meet with us at Kephirim in the valley of Ono."

^2-3 I knew they were scheming to hurt me so I sent messengers back with this: "I'm doing a great work; I can't come down. Why should the work come to a standstill just so I can come down to see you?"

⁴ Four times they sent this message and four times I gave them my answer.

^5-6 The fifth time—same messenger, same message—Sanballat sent an unsealed letter with this message:

^6-7 "The word is out among the nations—and Geshem says it's true— that you and the Jews are planning to rebel. That's why you are rebuilding the wall. The word is that you want to be king and that you have appointed prophets to announce in Jerusalem, 'There's a king in Judah!' The king is going to be told all this—don't you think we should sit down and have a talk?"

⁸ I sent him back this: "There's nothing to what you're saying. You've made it all up."

⁹ They were trying to intimidate us into quitting. They thought, "They'll give up; they'll never finish it."

I prayed, "Give me strength."

¹⁰ Then I met secretly with Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, at his house. He said:
Let's meet at the house of God,
inside The Temple;
Let's find safety behind locked doors
because they're coming to kill you,
Yes, coming by night to kill you.

¹¹ I said, "Why would a man like me run for cover? And why would a man like me use The Temple as a hideout? I won't do it."

^12-13 I sensed that God hadn't sent this man. The so-called prophecy he spoke to me was the work of Tobiah and Sanballat; they had hired him. He had been hired to scare me off—trick me—a layman, into desecrating The Temple and ruining my good reputation so they could accuse me.

¹⁴ "O my God, don't let Tobiah and Sanballat get by with all the mischief they've done. And the same goes for the prophetess Noadiah and the other prophets who have been trying to undermine my confidence."

^15-16 The wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul. It had taken fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard the news and all the surrounding nations saw it, our enemies totally lost their nerve. They knew that God was behind this work.

^17-19 All during this time letters were going back and forth constantly between the nobles of Judah and Tobiah. Many of the nobles had ties to him because he was son-in-law to Shecaniah son of Arah and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah. They kept telling me all the good things he did and then would report back to him anything I would say. And then Tobiah would send letters to intimidate me.

Obedience

Maybe, I should have a blog about obedience or disobedience. Or, maybe, I should have a blog about ADHD. Either way, as you can tell, I stopped doing the bible study that I SO CLEARLY heard God tell me to do. Let's see. It's December and I haven't looked at Nehemiah since March....as you can tell from my March 2 entry.

I love God's timing and God's grace. Nehemiah 5 and 6 is about tests. I am under, probably, the BIGGEST test of my life. Do you think it is coincidence that I stopped in March and started again today? NO IT IS NOT! God knows what I need, when I need it. So, I'm assuming some of you need this, at this very moment, too!

So, I will begin again. That seems to be the story of my life.

Here we go.....Nehemiah 6!

Satan stirs the Jews up against Each Other

Commentary by: Bible Track

As a fellow pastor frequently says, "It's not the money, it's the money!"

What else does Satan have in his bag of tricks to stop the work on the wall?

How about bickering within...over money! Some of the Jews begin poor mouthing against their Jewish brethren about how tough the times are because of their wall-building effort. Attack from outsiders is one thing, but what about when your own relatives are giving you fits about your service to God?

It was REALLY a struggle between the rich and the poor among the Jews. It appears that the financially-challenged Jews were losing their property (and kids) to the more financially astute Jews. There was also an issue of interest being paid to fellow Jews (a violation of Mosaic Law), not to mention the cost of taxes paid back to the Persians.

Bottom line - it was about the money. An internal struggle within the community of God's people - Satan loves it! As we see here, it's one of his tried and proven techniques.

The solution? Recognition of priorities - just that simple. When we recognize the methods of the devil, Satan has a tougher row to hoe.

This dissension particularly disturbs Nehemiah (he was the governor); he blew his top.

When the smoke had cleared, that old tried and proven tactic of turning God's people on each other had failed. Nehemiah, as their governor, had motivated the people right through and past this period of selfishness. They all make some financial concessions so that the work of God can continue.

Nehemiah 5

Nehemiah 5 - ESV

Now there arose a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers. For there were those who said, "With our sons and our daughters, we are many. So let us get grain, that we may eat and keep alive." There were also those who said, "We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine." And there were those who said, "We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards. Now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their children. Yet we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but it is not in our power to help it, for other men have our fields and our vineyards."

I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, "You are exacting interest, each from his brother." And I held a great assembly against them and said to them, "We, as far as we are able, have bought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!" They were silent and could not find a word to say. So I said, "The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies? Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us abandon this exacting of interest. Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them."

Then they said, "We will restore these and require nothing from them. We will do as you say." And I called the priests and made them swear to do as they had promised. I also shook out the fold of my garment and said, "So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied." And all the assembly said "Amen" and praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised.

Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor. The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their daily ration forty shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God.

I also persevered in the work on this wall, and we acquired no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work. Moreover, there were at my table 150 men, Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us. Now what was prepared at my expense for each day was one ox and six choice sheep and birds, and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance. Yet for all this I did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because the service was too heavy on this people. Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people

ESV 5 - Message

A great protest was mounted by the people, including the wives, against their fellow Jews. Some said, "We have big families, and we need food just to survive."

Others said, "We're having to mortgage our fields and vineyards and homes to get enough grain to keep from starving."

And others said, "We're having to borrow money to pay the royal tax on our fields and vineyards. Look: We're the same flesh and blood as our brothers here; our children are just as good as theirs. Yet here we are having to sell our children off as slaves—some of our daughters have already been sold—and we can't do anything about it because our fields and vineyards are owned by somebody else."

I got really angry when I heard their protest and complaints. After thinking it over, I called the nobles and officials on the carpet. I said, "Each one of you is gouging his brother."

Then I called a big meeting to deal with them. I told them, "We did everything we could to buy back our Jewish brothers who had to sell themselves as slaves to foreigners. And now you're selling these same brothers back into debt slavery! Does that mean that we have to buy them back again?"

They said nothing. What could they say?

"What you're doing is wrong. Is there no fear of God left in you? Don't you care what the nations around here, our enemies, think of you?

"I and my brothers and the people working for me have also loaned them money. But this gouging them with interest has to stop. Give them back their foreclosed fields, vineyards, olive groves, and homes right now. And forgive your claims on their money, grain, new wine, and olive oil."

They said, "We'll give it all back. We won't make any more demands on them. We'll do everything you say."

Then I called the priests together and made them promise to keep their word. Then I emptied my pockets, turning them inside out, and said, "So may God empty the pockets and house of everyone who doesn't keep this promise—turned inside out and emptied."

Everyone gave a wholehearted "Yes, we'll do it!" and praised God. And the people did what they promised.

From the time King Artaxerxes appointed me as their governor in the land of Judah—from the twentieth to the thirty-second year of his reign, twelve years—neither I nor my brothers used the governor's food allowance. Governors who had preceded me had oppressed the people by taxing them forty shekels of silver (about a pound) a day for food and wine while their underlings bullied the people unmercifully. But out of fear of God I did none of that. I had work to do; I worked on this wall. All my men were on the job to do the work. We didn't have time to line our own pockets.

I fed 150 Jews and officials at my table in addition to those who showed up from the surrounding nations. One ox, six choice sheep, and some chickens were prepared for me daily, and every ten days a large supply of wine was delivered. Even so, I didn't use the food allowance provided for the governor—the people had it hard enough as it was.

Remember in my favor, O my God, Everything I've done for these people.

Nehemiah 4:16-23

We must watch always against spiritual enemies, and not expect that our warfare will be over until our work has ended.

The word of God is the sword of the Spirit, which we ought to have always at hand, and never have to seek for it, either in our labours, or in our conflicts, as Christians.

Every true Christian is both a laborer and a soldier, working with one hand, and fighting with the other.

Satan fears to assault the watchful Christian; or, if attacked, the Lord fights for him. We must never take off our armor until our work and warfare are ended; then we shall be welcomed to the rest and joy of our Lord.

Nehemiah 4: 7-15 Commentary

The hindering of good work is what bad men aim at, and promise themselves success in; but good work is God's work, and it shall prosper. God has many ways of bringing to light the devices and designs of his church's enemies.

If our enemies cannot frighten us from duty, or deceive us into sin, they cannot hurt us. (Big statement)

Nehemiah put himself and his cause under the Divine protection. It was the way of this good man, and should be our way. All his cares, all his griefs, all his fears, he spread before God. Before he used any means, he made his prayer to God. Having prayed, he set a watch against the enemy.

If we think to secure ourselves by prayer, without watchfulness, we are slothful, and tempt God; if we secure ourselves by watchfulness, without prayer, we are proud, and slight God. Either way, we forfeit his protection. (WOW!)

God's care of our safety, should engage and encourage us to go on with vigour in our duty. As soon as a danger is over, let us return to our work, and trust God.

How Does This Commentary Apply in your Life?

Verse 1-6: Many a good work has been looked upon with contempt by proud and haughty scorners. Those who disagree in almost every thing, will unite in persecution. Nehemiah did not answer these fools according to their folly, but looked up to God by prayer. God's people have often been a despised people, but God hears all the slights that are put upon them. Nehemiah had reason to think that the hearts of those sinners were desperately hardened, or he would not have prayed that their sins might never be blotted out. Good work goes on well, when people have a mind to it. The reproaches of enemies should quicken us to our duty, not drive us from it.

Commentary by Matthew Henry