“So Sanballat and Geshem sent a message asking me to meet them at one of the villages in the plain of Ono……Remember, O my God, all the evil things that Tobiah and Sanballat have done. And remember Noadiah the prophet and all the prophets like her who have tried to intimidate me.” Nehemiah 6:2a, 14 NLT
When time is running out and efforts to put a plan in place are fading as days go by, one gets desperate. This was the case with Nehemiah’s enemies, Sanballat, Tobia, Geshem, and others outside Jerusalem who had tried to put a stop to the rebuilding of the walls around the city. The wall itself was now completed and the finishing work of installing the doors in the gates was about to start. An all-out, last-ditch effort was made by the opposition to not only stop the work but to eliminate Nehemiah.
Sanballat, Tobia, and Geshem realized they could not stop them by force since Nehemiah had put in place defensive and offensive strategies to protect the on-going work and provide safety to the workers. Their enemies then went to a plan of deception. “So Sanballat and Geshem sent a message asking me to meet them at one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But I realized they were plotting to harm me.” (Neh.6:2 nlt) Cleverly Nehemiah was given the option of choosing one the villages in the plain of Ono to have this conference. The idea was to present it as a safe place, but Nehemiah saw through that refusing to go and sending a message back.
Nehemiah knew of a possible threat on his life, but more important to him was the total completion of the walls and gates surrounding Jerusalem. He was not going to let anything distract him from completing the job. Nehemiah replied with a great answer, “I am engaged in a great work, so I can’t come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you?” (Neh.6:3 nlt) In a subtle way, Nehemiah let them know he knew this meeting was only to stop the work. Ono was seven miles from Jerusalem and was the most western part of the Jewish resettlement after retuning from captivity. He was not going to let the work be compromised by leaving it to attend a meeting. Nehemiah knew what was up and wasn’t going to let it distract him.
Christians need constant awareness of distractions that come our way which seem innocent enough, but they are deceiving. Anything that keeps us from finishing what the Lord had us start must be carefully examined to ensure it’s not a trap by the evil one to stop us. Opposition will always come in some form when doing a work for God, you can count on it. Don’t get distracted.
Sanballat and the rest of his crew were persistent in sending the same message four times. But Nehemiah was just as persistent in sending the same reply four times. When this latest plan failed to stop the work, they came up with another one. “The fifth time, Sanballat’s servant came with an open letter in his hand.” (Neh.6:5 nlt) Official correspondence in those days would be written on a papyrus or leather sheet. It would be rolled up and sealed for authenticity, and it was meant for the recipient. This letter that was sent was an open letter. It was an insult to Nehemiah as the governor for Sanballat wanted the entire public to know about it. Our government officials today use the same tactics in the form of leaks to the public through unnamed sources to news and media outlets. The news was meant to be damning to Nehemiah’s reputation. It insinuated he would lead the Jews in revolt against the king of Persia and install himself as king after the city was fully secured. There is always an element of some truth in false statements to make them believable. Nehemiah did have a deep love for Jerusalem, and he was a great leader, but these allegations were obviously lies in which Nehemiah quickly condemned and called them out on it. He then continued the work with greater determination. “They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater determination.” (Neh.6:9 nlt)
The enemy was not yet done. Just as Satan and his minions always tries to get one last shot at us today, he did the same through Shemaiah, a false prophet. Shemaiah tried to persuade Nehemiah to seek shelter in the temple. He told him there was a threat to his life, a half-truth. The threat was not outside, but inside. Nehemiah knew that seeking protection in the Temple area at the alter of asylum was permissible, but to go into the holy place in the Temple of God as a layman was a sin. Shemaiah was seeking to either kill his reputation by having him sin against God in front of the people because of his cowardice or he was planning the kill Nehemiah himself. Either way, Nehemiah again knew of the deception once Shemaiah tried to convince him to hide in the Temple of God. He also knew Sanballat and Tobia had hired him. “They were hoping to intimidate me and make me sin. Then they would be able to accuse and discredit me.” (Neh.6:13 nlt) Nehemiah’s reputation and the morale of the people were at stake if he fell to the deception.
Through Nehemiah’s godly leadership with the people responding with a mind to work, and the help of God, the wall around the city was rebuilt in just fifty-two days. “So on October 2 the wall was finished—just fifty-two days after we had begun. When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God.” (Neh.6:15-16 nlt) The threats, distractions, and intimidation had no effect on Nehemiah and as a result the work was finished. This would make a good ending to the story of Nehemiah’s godly leadership, but we are only at the half-way point. The work never stops. The rest is yet to come.
Read: Nehemiah 6:1-7:3 NLT – Continued Opposition to Rebuilding – Bible Gateway
Word for the Soul 