May 16, 2025, Nehemiah 6:1-14
May 16, 2025, Nehemiah 6:1-14
6 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), 2 Sanballat
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. 3 And
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?” 4 And
they sent to me four times in this way, and I answered them in the same
manner. 5 In the same way Sanballat for the fifth
time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand. 6 In
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. 7 And
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.” 8 Then I sent to
him, saying, “No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing
them out of your own mind.” 9 For 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.
10 Now 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.” 11 But
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.” 12 And
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. 13 For
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.
Wicked people will try to
use trickery and deceit to hinder God’s work.
How have you protected
yourself against evil people who would lead you astray?
Debbie Walker
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