Conspiracy and Completion

Nehemiah 6:1-19 

    1 Now it happened when Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall, and that there were no breaks left in it (though at that time I had not hung the doors in the gates), 2 that Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, "Come, let us meet together among the villages in the plain of Ono." But they thought to do me harm.

    3 So I sent messengers to them, saying, "I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?"  4 But they sent me this message four times, and I answered them in the same manner.

    5 Then Sanballat sent his servant to me as before, the fifth time, with an open letter in his hand. 6 In it was written:
    It is reported among the nations, and Geshem says, that you and the Jews plan to rebel; therefore, according to these rumors, you are rebuilding the wall, that you may be their king. 7 And you have also appointed prophets to proclaim concerning you at Jerusalem, saying, "There is a king in Judah!" Now these matters will be reported to the king. So come, therefore, and let us consult together.

    8 Then I sent to him, saying, "No such things as you say are being done, but you invent them in your own heart."  9 For they all were trying to make us afraid, saying, "Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will not be done."  Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.

    10 Afterward I came to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was a secret informer; and he said, "Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you; indeed, at night they will come to kill you."  11 And I said, "Should such a man as I flee? And who is there such as I who would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in!" 12 Then I perceived that God had not sent him at all, but that he pronounced this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13 For this reason he was hired, that I should be afraid and act that way and sin, so that they might have cause for an evil report, that they might reproach me.  14 My God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat, according to these their works, and the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who would have made me afraid.

    15 So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days. 16 And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was done by our God.

    17 Also in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came to them. 18 For many in Judah were pledged to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shechaniah the son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah. 19 Also they reported his good deeds before me, and reported my words to him. Tobiah sent letters to frighten me.

Nehemiah faced opposition in a conspiracy to induce fear and doubt in the work of rebuilding; the adversary had tried a ruse to draw him out of Jerusalem to kill him, but Nehemiah kept sending word that the great work was too important to leave for a talk.  When that failed, the next move of Sanballat was to send a slanderous letter accusing the Jews of seeking him as a king and backing it with prophets, hoping to use fear or anger to draw him out in an ill-fated meeting.  Instead of falling for the intimidation with fear to slow or stop the work, Nehemiah sent word that the accuser was inventing the story in his heart, for he knew the wiles of the adversary.  He prayed to God for strength in the midst of the slander of these conspiracies so the completion of the walls and gates for protection could be finished.  He had faith in God’s protection and hand in His to finish the task at hand, because it was given by the LORD to him to oversee to completion.  Then a secret informer attempted to lure Nehemiah to the house of God and shut Himself in to avoid a night attack on his person; he refused to hide there, and then God showed him the conspiracy of lies as a hired prophet to move Nehemiah to sin against the LORD and bring a bad name as a sinner upon himself.  Nehemiah prayed for God’s retribution on their heads for that evil, and went on to complete the walls as called and promised.  This success disheartened those enemies of Judah all around, for they saw God’s hand in the completion of the reconstruction in the midst of opposition and all efforts to halt the place of the living God who defeated them in the past through His people.  They kept sending threatening letters, but Nehemiah stood firm in resolve to reinstate the sacrifices and worship of the LORD in His city once more.  We learn from all of this that God’s work done in the courage of resolute trust in His calling and promises will result in the work of the gospel of Jesus Christ reaching the end of the earth, and in the building up of His church of the redeemed until we gather in the celestial city, the New Jerusalem, to worship Him forever.  May we learn from Nehemiah to be steadfast (1 Corinthians 15:58, 1 Peter 5:10, 2 Peter 3:17-18) till the work on earth is done and His kingdom comes.  Our faith in the Lord and His word ensures us that there will certainly and absolutely be completion of the work of the gospel, even in the midst of the wiles of the Adversary’s conspiracies against us (Ephesians 6:11, 1 John 5:19, 1 Peter 5:8).  Amen.