THE CALM AFTER THE STORM: FROM ACCUSATION TO ACHIEVEMENT (NEHEMIAH 6:1-16)
There was a large group of people. On one side of the group stood a man, Jesus. On the other side of the group stood Satan. Separating them, running through the group, was a fence. The scene set, both Jesus and Satan began calling to the people in the group and, one by one - each having made up his or her own mind - each went to either Jesus or Satan. This kept going.
Soon enough, Jesus had gathered around him a group of people from the larger crowd, as did Satan. But one man joined neither group. He climbed the fence that was there and sat on it. Then Jesus and his people left and disappeared. So too did Satan and his people. And the man on the fence sat alone.
As this man sat, Satan came back, looking for something which he appeared to have lost. The man said, “Have you lost something?” Satan looked straight at him and replied, “No, there you are. Come with me.” “But”, said the man, “I sat on the fence. I chose neither you nor him.” “That’s okay,” said Satan. “I own the fence.”
There is no sitting on the fence, siding with both sides, having and eating the cake with people bent on disturbing the peace, destroying God’s work and doing unspeakable damage.
When the job of rebuilding the wall was almost done, Nehemiah’s enemies attacked him mercilessly. They attempted to entice him socially, finished him politically and harm him bodily. Nehemiah was days away from completing the job of rebuilding the wall, which took 52 days (v 15). What can he do? What must he do? What did he do? The Chinese say, “Open spears can be avoided, secret arrows hard to defend.”
What would you do if you were faced with relentless opposition, criticism and threats from enemies? How would you counter when your mission, principles and values are questioned?
Beware of the Enemies’ Attempt to Interrupt Us
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. (Neh 6:1-4)
A new study found that people who thought they were treated unfairly were more likely to suffer a heart attack or chest pain. Those who thought they had experienced the worst injustice were 55% more likely to experience a coronary event than people who thought life was fair, according to a report published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
The study, one of the largest and longest of its kind, examined medical data from 6,081 British civil servants. In the early 1990s, they were asked how strongly they agreed with this statement: "I often have the feeling that I am being treated unfairly." Unlike previous studies, the subjects were questioned before they showed any signs of cardiovascular disease. That way, the results weren’t skewed by people who thought life was unfair because they were already sick.
The subjects were tracked for an average of 10.9 years. In that time, 387 either died of a heart attack, were treated for a nonfatal attack or diagnosed with angina. The researchers found that the rate of cardiac events among civil servants who reported “low” levels of unfair treatment was 28% higher than for those who had no complaints. People who reported “moderate” unfairness saw their risk rise by 36%.The study was funded primarily by health agencies in the British and U.S. governments. (“People Who Feel Wronged Can Really Take It to Heart,” Los Angeles Times, 5/15/07)
Nehemiah did his best to ignore his enemies who stopped at nothing to interrupt his work, effort and success. They were desperate, demanding and dangerous. Four times they sent a message to Nehemiah to invite him to meet, talk, and socialize. Nehemiah sensed something was wrong. Sanballat and Geshem sent a message instead of being the messengers themselves.
So far, Nehemiah did not have a good experience with or a good impression of Sanballat or Tobiah. They were foreigners, politicians and thugs who were furious that someone had come to care for Israel (Neh 2:10). Earlier, at the offset, the gang of three had accused Nehemiah and the Israelites of rebelling against the king (Neh 2:19). Later, when Sanballat learned that the Jews were rebuilding the wall, he was angry and greatly incensed. He mocked their attempt, skill and capability (Neh 4:1). The outsiders were not just angry; they were very angry (Neh 4:7). Besides the gang of three, other enemies resurfaced (Neh 6:1) – the word “enemies” appear for the first time in the book earlier (Neh 4:15). The honeymoon period was over. Nehemiah now experienced what he had heard in Persia and what he had said locally concerning the “harm” or trouble – in Hebrew - that the Jews were facing in Jerusalem – they are the same in Hebrew (Neh 1:3, 2:17, 6:2). Before, Sanballat merely laughed and mocked (2:19, 4:1); now he and other bullies were threatening bodily harm (v 2).
Nehemiah’s answer to Sanballat and Tobiah was (v 3), “I am doing something great here. I cannot come. Why should I stop, interrupt and leave everything to meet or see you?” Nehemiah saw no reason to make an appointment with them, suspend his schedule for them or delay his work for them. He had a deadline, he had his priorities and he had to focus and concentrate. Time, breaks and meetings add up. Further, he refused to jump at others’ command or yield to others’ demand, no matter how many times they call. Not four or forty times. People will interrupt you like telemarketers or spam junk mail if they can and when you allow them to. The loser is the one who responds unnecessarily because our mind is like an engine; it takes time to get warmed up or restart the engine after it has cooled down. You can’t get back to the same results or the same intensity. All you get is lost time and money.
Beware of the Enemies’ Attempt to Intimidate Us
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 confer 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.” (Neh 6:5-9)
When Leonardo DiCaprio, Steven Spielberg, and Tom Hanks were promoting the movie “Catch Me If You Can,” they were asked what kind of power had success brought to them. DiCaprio spoke first and said, “The opportunity that I have is one that I’ve worked hard for but one that was directly linked to a boat movie called Titanic. On some levels that propelled me out to be more of a product that I would have liked, but the upside to that is that I get to pick and choose the roles that I want in my career.”
Director Spielberg, the Oscar winning director Entertainment Weekly named as the second most powerful person in entertainment for 2002, then said, “After Jaws, not only did I get to choose my NEXT movie, but I was given final cut, and that is how it affected me.”
Hanks, Entertainment Weekly’s choice for the most powerful person in entertainment for 2002 and the most beloved actor in Hollywood, according to a poll, replied, “When you do not have to take a job that you do not have to take, then that’s true power, because that’s the moment when you begin to control your destiny in a different way. Once I got to the point where I said: You know, I don’t want to do this, then that was a hugely liberating moment where an actor can take one’s career in one’s own hands. You can call it the power of ‘no’.” (“Three of Hollywood’s Most Powerful Just Want to Do Good Work,” by Paul Fischer www.filmmonthly.com/Profiles/Articles/CatchMeIfYouCan/CatchMeIfYouCan.html)
When push comes to shove the fifth time, Nehemiah insisted on exercising the power to say no, and more. After Nehemiah refused to meet his accusers, Sanballat resorted to innuendos, rumors and blackmail. This time, he accused Nehemiah of rebuilding the wall as revolt against the king and of installing himself as the new ruler of Judah, not merely content to be the governor (Neh 5:14). When the enemies couldn’t meet Nehemiah personally, they attacked him politically. Originally, they were the ones devising a scheme (v 2), but now they sent the word to Nehemiah, saying he is the one devising a revolt (v 6). The word revolt is a dangerous word. In old China insurgents were not the only ones given the death penalty for revolt; their relatives up to the ninth clan would die with them. Sanballat uttered the word “king, king, king” three times in verses 6 and 7 to scare Nehemiah but it did not work. It would frighten most people, except Nehemiah. Nehemiah had seen, heard and experienced the strategy at work before. This was the second time Nehemiah had been accused of rebelling or revolting against the king (Neh 2:19). He was numb and wise to their ways.
The answer Nehemiah gave to those who attempted to intimidate him was the word “No.” The Hebrew word “no” appears in verses 8, 9 and 11. The first Hebrew word from Nehemiah’s mouth (v 8) in confronting his accusers is the word “No” – no such thing, or in Hebrew, “No such things were done as you said.” Not a word passed my lips and no such thought crossed my mind, not even in my wildest thoughts.
Nehemiah was not done. He had more to say than no – “It’s all in your head. You made it up” (v 8). Your active head, colorful imagination and idle mind conjured it up. The only other Hebrew reference for the word “making it up” (v 8) describes the sin of Jeroboam, the founder of the northern kingdom. Jeroboam invented or made up a month of temple sacrifice in Bethel so that the people would forget about going south to Jerusalem (1 Kings 12:33).
The real reasons for the enemies’ effort were to intimidate or frighten Nehemiah and to force him to abandon the job (v 9). The wall was finished, but the doors were not set (v 1). The Hebrew word for frighten (v 9) is fear. The word fear occurs in verses 9, 13, and 14. It’s been said the scariest two words in the English language are “They say.” Nehemiah’s enemies perfected the weapon of fear. They used rumor to utmost effect. They said, “It is reported,” (v 6) and “this report will get back to the king” (v 7). The enemies piled and lined up and dropped names: Nations (v 6), Geshem (v 6), and prophets (v 7). The Chinese say a rumor or fiction has to be repeated three times for people to consider it reality or fact.
Nehemiah’s enemies wanted to scare Nehemiah till his hands weakened (v 9), his tools dropped and his muscles slackened. But Nehemiah prayed to God for strength (v 9) and refused to surrender to fear. The word fear occurs eleven times in the book of Nehemiah but fear never got to Nehemiah. Chapter 6 alone has four references to the enemies attempt to strike fear in Nehemiah (vv 9, 13, 14, 19). Six times Nehemiah asserted in his prayer and preaching that God was the only one worthy to be feared (Neh 1:5, 11, 4:14, 14, 7:2, 9:32). Once, he feared in vain when the king asked him why he was sad out of concern for him (2:2). No wonder it’s been said, “The only thing to fear is fear itself.” Even if Nehemiah was afraid, he did not let it show, grow or continue.
Beware of the Enemies’ Attempt to Incriminate Us
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 one 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, O my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who have been trying to intimidate me. 15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. 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. (Neh 6:10-16)
The Salvation Army made the news in an unusual way when David Rush, a Florida Lotto jackpot winner, made a contribution to the organization. The man made $14.3 million as one of four winners of the $100 million jackpot, and donated $100,000 to Salvation Army, $100,000 to Habitat for Humanity and $50,000 to the Rotary Club of Marco Island. After a Salvation Army official had accepted the check from Rush, the local leader of the Salvation Army decided not to take money associated with gambling. Maj. Cleo Damon, head of the Salvation Army office in Naples, told the donor that he could not take his money and returned the check.
Spokeswoman Maribeth Shanahan said, “There are times where Major Damon is counseling families who are about to become homeless because of gambling. He really believes that if he had accepted the money, he would be talking out of both sides of his mouth.’’
Rush said, “I respect the Salvation Army’s decision. I do not agree with it, but that is their prerogative.’’ (Reuter 1/1/03 “Salvation Army Refuses Lotto Donation”)
To interrupt us is to make us lose time on the job, to intimidate us is to make us lose heart before our enemies, but to incriminate us is the attempt to make us lose face before brothers and sisters in the Lord. Webster’s define incriminate as “to charge with or show evidence or proof of involvement in a crime or a fault.”
Do you know how long it takes to wipe out a bad reputation? Eric Davis, the former baseball player often rumored to be on drugs bemoaned his attempt to rid himself of the stigma. He said it took him five years to clear some misunderstanding.
The enemies’ last-ditch attempt was to make Nehemiah look bad, weak and fearful to fellow believers. For Nehemiah running to the temple was unimaginable. He would rather lose his life than lose his witness. Can you imagine the leader who preaches courage actually hides cowardly in the temple? Nehemiah wasn’t a priest and he couldn’t stay long, repeatedly or indefinitely inside. The temple was a place of worship, not a place to hide. He would not only lose his followers; he would lose his credibility. The enemies weren’t really interested to slay him, but to kill his reputation. He could never show his face or preach a sermon, command a following again. Nehemiah’s attempt to justify himself would be shredded to pieces by the prophets who were on the enemies’ side - Shemaiah (10) and Noadiah (14), even prophetess and prophets (v 14).
Someone say the acronym for fear is “Forget everything and run.” Nehemiah again used the word no to the suggestion of hiding in the temple and ended with the declaration “Not I will not go in.” (v 11) Fear was a powerful weapon of the enemies for another reason: to frighten not only the leader but to get at his followers or flock. The Chinese call this strategy, “Kill the chicken to scare the monkey.”
For Nehemiah to run and hide from an imaginary and invisible night attacker was a sin and a reproach (v 13), likened to Goliath’s defiance of Israel and God (1 Sam 17:10, 25, 26, 36, 45). The word “reproach” or “discredit” (v 13) is most prevalent in the account of David’s battle with Goliath. Previously, Nehemiah had successfully exhorted the nobles, officials and the rest of the people not to fear Sanballat, Tobiah and the men who were gathered to attack the Jews and stir up trouble (Neh 4:8, 14). He had to live up to his words when he said “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.” (Neh 4:14)
Nehemiah’s enemies’ play a game of chicken or a game of dare with Nehemiah. Also, the threat to kill, like the accusation of revolt (Neh 2:19), was not new to Nehemiah (Neh 4:11). The Hebrew word run or fled (v 11) has a negative connotation in the Scriptures. Popular figures who fled in the Bible were Hagar who fled from Sarai (Gen 16:6), Jacob from Esau (Gen 27:43, 31:20), Moses from Pharaoh (Ex 2:15), and David from Saul (1 Sam 19: 12, 19:18, 20:1, 21:10, 27:4). Nehemiah refused to compromise or contradict himself. J. Oswald Sanders said compromise is “the partial waiving of principle for the sake of reaching agreement.” (Spiritual Leadership 159 Moody/Chicago/67). Twice, the word “as I” in verse 11 - “Should a man ‘like me’ run away? Or should one ‘like me’ go into the temple to save his life?” Nehemiah’s answer was a resounding no, never, not in your life.
Conclusion: It’s been said, “The world is run by tired men.” Do you fall into the temptation of packing up, preserving oneself, or pacifying, pleasing or patronizing people. People will try to harm you vocationally, politically, and bodily if you allow them. Giving in to the opposition, their antics, and agenda is a vicious cycle. Do you let fear corner you or do you strive to conquer fear? Do you echo what the disciples said when they faced persecution: “We must obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29)
Victor Yap
Other sermons in the series and other sermon series:
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