He is constantly the victim of plots and schemes.
Illus: Reminds me of these three fellows name Stupid, Trouble and Shut up.
One Day Stupid, Trouble, and Shut Up were driving along in their car when Trouble suddenly hurled himself out of the window.
Well, Stupid and Shut Up did not know what to do so they went to the police station.
When they got there the chief asked them their names. “Shut Up”, replied Shut Up. “Stupid”, replied Stupid.
The police chief thought these people were telling him to shut up, and were calling him stupid. Which made him very mad.
“Excuse Me!” shouted the chief. Thinking the chief was hard of hearing, They once again shouted there names. “Shut Up!” “Stupid!”
The police chief was very riled. He then asked ”Are you looking for trouble?”
Stunned at the idea of the chief knowing that they were looking for their friend, they replied, ”Why yes, how did you know?”
When it comes to trouble also it seems some folks look for it, but there are others who do not look for it but trouble finds them.
Now trouble is never far away from Nehemiah!!! When we get to chapter 6 he finds himself in the midst of trouble again
This trouble comes primarily from three men, Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem–(we've met them before in Nehemiah chapter 2.)
Now it is important that you know these were men of influence. They were governors over there areas in which they live.
For example, Sanballat is a Babylonian name. He's from Beth-Horon, a place 16-17 miles northwest of Jerusalem.
His daughter married Eliashib the son of the high priest, and he will have an introduction then into high society and high priestly society within Jerusalem.
Historical records tell us that he was the governor of Samaria and that his two sons had Jewish names. We assume that he wasn't Jewish, but that his wife was probably Jewish. He's an ambitious politician.
He's the governor of Samaria to the north of Jerusalem.
Like Nehemiah, he is under the authority of the Persians, but
he wants to make a name for himself. He probably sees Nehemiah, and especially the building of the walls in Jerusalem, as a threat to his political ambitions.
Tobiah is a Jewish name. His son will also marry a high society daughter within Jerusalem.
And Geshem — Geshem is an Arab. He's the governor of Edom and Moab, to the south and to the east of Jerusalem.
So we've got three would-be politically ambitious rulers to
1) The north (Sanballat)
2) The east (Tobiah)
3) The south (Geshem)
Surrounding Jerusalem.
They have nothing in common with Nehemiah except that they don't like what's going on in Jerusalem when it comes to the rebuilding of the wall.
They do not like Nehemiah or what they see as Nehemiah's own political ambitions, and they've come together as a TRIO of political convenience for the purposes of bringing down Nehemiah.
In Nehemiah chapter 6 we want to look at three strategies that they deploy in order to bring Nehemiah down. However, we’re going to watch Nehemiah through discernment out smart them.
We’re going to see him as a great leader. But look at some of the things they did to try and stop him.
I.THEY USED VANITY.
THESE INFLUENTIAL MEN NOTIFIED HIM THEY WANTED TO MEET WITH HIM.
The first strategy is an invitation to come to “talk” in a place called Ono.
[Well, you all know the joke! They’re invited to Ono, and Nehemiah says, “Oh, no!”
He actually did say NO on numerous occasions.
HOW DID THIS TAKE PLACE?
Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem, invited Nehemiah to a summit, a summit that would produce perhaps some kind of political agreement, it's a thoughtful attempt to appeal to Nehemiah's vanity.
Nehemiah's sense of pride that he would be there with these recognized leaders, Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem.
Look at Nehemiah 6:1-2 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;) 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.
Now these men have been Nehemiah’s enemy. But when they heard the wall was completed, (But it was not because the gates had not been built) they change their strategy IF YOU CAN NOT BEAT THEM JOIN THEM!
But notice how they appealed to his vanity. They more or less said to themselves, “We have not been successful in defeating him, so if we cannot beat him let us join him.
But notice, Nehemiah did not fall for this scheme. He refuse their invitation because he did not trust them.
Look at 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;)
They invited him to meet with them in Ono for a meeting.
Look at his response to their request in 3, we read, 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?
The devil is persistent and he never gives up.
Look at verse 4, Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.
In other words, they kept asking him to meet with them and he kept telling them…NO THANKS! He knew they had some evil on their mind.
Nehemiah is teaching us a valuable lesson here.
WHAT IS HE TEACHING US?
There are people we meet with and there are people we do not meet with.
Illus: For example, there are preachers who will preach only within there denomination. I guess they feel only there group is going to be in heaven.
But any mature pastor will preach in any church that teach Bible salvation by faith in the shed blood of Christ.
But in this ecumenical age in which we live we have preachers who will preach in Catholic and Mormon churches and etc.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THAT?
There is something definetly wrong with that!!!
For example, if a Baptist pastor preach in a catholic church than that give credibility to the catholics in attendance that their false teaching are just a good as Baptist teaching.
They need to feel the reason they are shun is because they teach false teaching.
Nehemiah received four invitations to meet with these guys and every time he refused their invitation.
You could accuse him of being imperialist.
There are religious groups that will invite a Bible-preaching preacher to their church to gain credibility.
But Nehemiah rejected the invitation for another reason.
He sensed a trap. Behind this invitation:
• There was probably an attempt to kidnap him.
• There may even be an attempt, according to some commentators, to kill him.
He shows discernment. He's a man who's not going to be tempted by a moment of political glory in the limelight of a mini-summit with the leaders of that territory.
Four times they ask him. Four times he says to them, “How can I leave this great work?”
Now, folks, he was building a wall. It was one and a half miles long. It was not anything to write home about.
Illus: Archeologists will tell us it was built in just over fifty days, and the quality of workmanship was not that great.
It was not a “great work” in the eyes of Babylon, who could boast of:
1) The Hanging Gardens of Babylon as one of the great wonders of the world
2) And even the winter residence of the prince of Babylon
3) Or the prince of the Persians,
was something to write home about.
You see, in Nehemiah's eyes the building of this wall, putting one stone upon another, was something that was being done for God. God was in this work, and he wasn't about to leave for a meeting with them.
He told them how could he possibly leave this great work and go and meet with these three men?
Nehemiah had his priorities in the right place.
We live in an age today when folks priorities are not in the right place.
Illus: Reminds me of the 104-year-old building at a small Catholic university was about to be demolished.
As the wrecker's ball began to strike, one of the older monks who had been there many years was asked, "This must be difficult to watch, Father," I said. "The tradition associated with that building, the memories of all the students and monks who lived and worked there. I can't imagine how hard this must be for you."
"It's worse than that," the monk replied. "I think I left my iPhone in there."
Nehemiah was a man that had his priorities in place. He said, he can't leave this work, because this is God's work.
They used vanity to try and stop him, but also…
II. THEY USED LIES.
SINCE VANITY DID NOT WORK THEY RESORTED TO USING LIES.
Look at Nehemiah 6:5-8 Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand; 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. 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. Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.
He was right to distrust these men because on the fifth invitation it comes accompanied by a letter…a letter that says in no uncertain terms that the Jews, led by Nehemiah, are plotting…they are plotting an overthrow of Persian rule in Jerusalem, that's the real reason for building this wall.
They said there's talk, you see, among the prophets of Jerusalem that a king is coming (Jesus) and perhaps that he has already come. And that king is Nehemiah.
They told him, You are the king! They are setting you up as a king in defiance of Artaxerxes the king of Persia, and you know, he will get to hear about it! (You understand what that means: we will tell him about it.)
They’re bullies, and more than that, they are guilty of outright lies.
He's the victim of a lying tongue. They’re telling lies about him.
He told them they were making this up!!!
It's a fearful thing to be a leader in any capacity, whether in civilian life or in church life.
Illus: Sean Hannity on talk radio mention that how difficult to do his job on talk radio because there are people who are listening to every word he says every day to see if they can take what he says and twist it to fit their narrative and have him removed from radio.
It's a fearful thing these days to be a leader of any description, because folk will tell lies.
And once people hear those lies, some of them will believe it no matter what you say. No matter how you protest your innocence, somebody is going to believe those lies. Some, no doubt, believe these lies.
Seeds of doubt were being sown among the people in Jerusalem: what is Nehemiah's ambition here?
What do you do, you see, when you’re the victim of lies?
He prays to God.
Nehemiah 6:9 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.
Lies are being told about the purpose of the rebuilding of the walls. That's a terrible position to be in.
It happens in the church — it does, you know it does. And sometimes all you can do is say, “Lord, You know my heart. Strengthen my hands.”
III. THEY USED ENEMIES (WITHIN).
Nehemiah 6:10-14 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. 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. 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. 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.
There's a third endeavor to stop Nehemiah, and it comes from within.
He's invited to the house of Shemaiah.
Shemaiah apparently is a false prophet.
For some reason he's confined to his house, and Nehemiah goes to visit him.
And this man Shemaiah says to him, ‘We have to go to the temple. We've got to run there right now. We've got to go to the innermost part of the temple and close the doors because men are coming to kill you, and they’re coming tonight.’
Can you imagine being in Nehemiah shoes for a minute?
What do you do?
This is a man of God; this is a prophet; this is a spokesman of God, and he's saying “We've got to run to the temple because murderers are coming to get you, and they’re coming tonight.”
There were several things about that message that Nehemiah smelt a rat or we could use and metaphor, there was something fishy about what he was saying.
1) First of all, how come he's confined to his house and he can run to the temple with Nehemiah?
2) Secondly, there's no such thing as sanctuary within the temple. Never was!!!
3) And thirdly, he wasn't allowed in that part of the temple. Only a priest could go into that part of the temple. How could he go in there and not die?
And in any case, what do you think the people in Jerusalem would say if they saw Nehemiah running through the streets, heading into the temple and slamming the doors behind him in fear?
What kind of leader is he?
He's a man of extraordinary courage. Nehemiah is a man of great courage as a leader.
You need to pray for those in leadership in the church every day. You need to pray for them, because they’re under attack.
Satan would just love to see a leader fall and collapse.
Imagine! If a sparrow falls it could be no one even know
he fell because he flies low. But if an eagle falls to the ground many can see him fall because he flies high.
You need to pray for leaders, for their discernment, for their wisdom, their courage.
When you stand against the tide, when you stand against the culture, when you insist that same-sex marriage is wrong, when you insist that abortion is wrong, you will be ostracized and vilified, and you’ll be called a bigot, and unloving and ungracious.
But there's one more thing. Right at the end, in verse 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…” [there was more than just one false prophet (Noahdiah) was another one that they hired to scare Nehemiah.
Conclusion:
As we come to the close of chapter 6 we want to look at verses 15-19.
Nehemiah 6:16-19 is a summary of what we have looked at in Nehemiah 6: 1-15.
Nehemiah 6:16-19 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. 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 Meshullam the son of Berechiah.
Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.
The devil used three things to try and stop Nehemiah from building the wall.
I. He used vanity
II. He used lies
III. He used enemies
Chapter 7 tells us that Nehemiah completed the wall and he list the men who helped him.
