The False Prophets Of Nehemiah’s Day Series

Introduction: False prophets didn’t die out when all Israel was carried off to captivity. At least two are mentioned by name, plus there was an unspecified group of other false prophets. All of them had one common goal, though, and that was to get Nehemiah discouraged, or as he put it, “[they] would have put me in fear (Neh. 6:14)”.

Full disclosure: Sermon Central has previously accepted a submission of mine regarding the one-sentence prayers of Nehemiah (outline form). The passage here contains two of these prayers. This work is different, focusing more on the false prophets than Nehemiah’s prayers.

1 The Troubles Begin

Text: Nehemiah 6:1-9, KJV: 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;) 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. 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? 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; 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. 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. 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. 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.

The first several chapters of Nehemiah’s book describe how he learned of Jerusalem’s situation while he was a cupbearer for the King of Persia. Nehemiah asked permission to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and the king granted that request. Now Nehemiah and the people around Jerusalem were rebuilding the walls but the other people around Jerusalem weren’t happy about this.

Here in chapter 6, we read that three of Nehemiah’s chief enemies, Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem/Gashmu, were now engaged in propaganda warfare. Previously, these three had tried to get Nehemiah to meet them (!) somewhere away from Jerusalem. According to Barnes’ commentary (https://biblehub.com/commentaries/barnes/nehemiah/6.htm), the suggested location was maybe 25 to 30 miles away from Jerusalem and according to Ellicott’s commentary, (https://biblehub.com/commentaries/ellicott/nehemiah/6.htm), close to the borders of Philistia (Philistine territory).

Verse 3 has Nehemiah’s report that on at least four occasions, the three others had tried to get him to meet at Ono but Nehemiah said “I’m not coming.” This was a wise choice as Nehemiah had figured out they wanted “to do [him] mischief”. Charles Swindoll’s book about Nehemiah, “Hand Me Another Brick”, has more information about this incident, as well as another look at other parts of the book of Nehemiah.

Needless to say, the trio of enemies was not happy that Nehemiah had not taken the bait, so to speak, and they tried this blatant lie as propaganda. And after four “invitations” to meet at Ono, Sanballat sent a servant with a letter accusing Nehemiah of setting himself up as king, that he was going to get the Jews to rebel against the king of Persia, and that Nehemiah had even prophets to proclaim Nehemiah as king! And in one of the most obvious “let’s talk about this” moments in history, Sanballat, et al., invited Nehemiah to “take counsel together.”

Nehemiah replied with a classic statement: paraphrased, it’s “You’re making up all of this!” Nehemiah realized that the enemies had “made us afraid” by saying “we’ll weaken their hands so they can’t finish the wall!” This led to one of Nehemiah’s sentence prayers, “Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.”

After all this, Nehemiah seemed to be able to focus on rebuilding the wall, but there was more trouble to come his way—and that, from some unexpected sources.

2 The Troubles Proceed

Text: Nehemiah 6:10-14, KJV: 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. 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. 13 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. 14 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.