Nehemiah 6

When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it – though up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates –Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.” But they were scheming to harm me; Nehemiah 6:1-2

McConville says that Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem were playing their last great scene here. [1] They knew it was “now or never” if they were to stop Nehemiah. Anders comments: “Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem realized they could not stop the wall’s completion, so they turned their attention to eliminating Nehemiah.” [2] Nehemiah speaks here of not having all the doors in place. We learn in chapter 3:1, 3, 6, 13, 14 and 15 that some of the doors were previously installed. They were not all installed, and it was still feasible, though very difficult for the enemy to enter the city.

In order to pursue their highly dangerous plan, the three invited Nehemiah to have a summit conference with them on the plain of Ono. This plain is thought to be about equidistant from Samaria and Jerusalem, but the plain smelt of treachery. [3] The plain of Ono could almost become proverbial for negotiators. Today we would probably refer to it as the plain of “Oh no!”

We are reminded here of Proverbs 27:6 where it says: “ Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.” It is quite clear that the enemies desired to do Nehemiah harm by either kidnapping him or killing him.

“so I sent messengers to them with this reply: ‘I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?’ Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer” (6:3-4). The heat was surely turned up on Nehemiah. Former US President Harry Truman wrote in Mr. Citizen, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen!” [4] Nehemiah could take the heat. When persons fully know their calling and gifts from God it is much easier to resist the temptation to veer away from that calling. God wants us to be guideposts, not weathervanes. [5]

“Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter in which was written: ‘It is reported among the nations – and Geshem says it is true – that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports you are about to become their king” (6:5-6). Sanballat knew that there had been some revolts against Persia, specifically the satrap Megabyzus and a revolt in Egypt as well. He knew that an insinuation of revolt would get the attention of Nehemiah, who certainly did not want to face such a charge.

The unsealed or open letter was an insult since it implied that anyone could read it. Its contents could be described as mere gossip. Someone has defined gossip, “as news you have to hurry and tell somebody else before you find out it isn’t true!” [6] “Once before, Artaxerxes had been convinced that Jerusalem posed a threat to Persian interests, labeling it ‘a place of rebellion and sedition’ (Ezra 4:19).” [7] That was gossip too.

“and have even appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you in Jerusalem: ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now this report will get back to the king; so come, let us meet together.” I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head” (6:7-8). For prophets to make such a proclamation was important since prophets were generally respected in Israel. However, the whole report was make-believe. It was an attempt to alarm Nehemiah and to cause him to act out of fear.

“They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, ‘Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.’ But I prayed, ‘Now strengthen my hands’” (6:9). McConville says of Nehemiah’s prayers: “They are often one-liners (v. 9), sometimes longer (v. 14). But they all show how finely intermeshed were Nehemiah’s life of action and his life of prayer.” [8] I admit to praying a few of these bullet prayers at different points of my life. Often they are really necessary.

A Prophetic Plot

One day I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home. He said, “Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you – by night they are coming to kill you.” Nehemiah 6:10

Nehemiah probably went to Shemaiah’s house because he claimed to have a word of prophecy and because, for some reason, he was shut-in. Some have felt he was shut in due to some uncleanness. However, this was not possible since he was thinking of entering the temple. More than likely, he was pretending to be shut in because of fear. When he suggested that he and Nehemiah should flee and hide in the temple, Nehemiah must have realized immediately that he was a false prophet. Neither Shemaiah nor Nehemiah were priests of God and for them to enter the temple would have been a severe breach of the law (Num. 1:51; 18:7). Long before, King Uzziah had presumptuously entered the temple and he was stricken with leprosy (2 Chron. 26:16-21).

For a great leader like Nehemiah to have fled would have been seen as uncertainty and weakness. [9] For him to have gone with Shemaiah and entered the temple would have been a disaster for his public image and could have brought about his untimely death at God’s hands.

“But I said, ‘Should a man like me run away? Or should someone like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!’ I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him” (6:11-12). Anders comments: “Tobiah, through marriage, had close connections to the priesthood. He also had business connections and a network of loyalists within the ruling hierarchy of Jerusalem. These associations provided Tobiah with leverage among the elite throughout the city.” Anders adds: “If Nehemiah had succumbed to their trickery, he would have fallen into disrepute with the priesthood, and then they would have given Nehemiah a bad name to discredit him.” [10]

Barnes notes: “The existence of a party among the Jews who sided with Sanballat and lent themselves to his schemes, is here for the first time indicated. Compare Nehemiah 6:14, Nehemiah 6:17-19; 13:4-16; 13:28.” [11]

“He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me. Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophet Noadiah and how she and the rest of the prophets have been trying to intimidate me” (6:13-14). Nehemiah, in light of this attack, sends up another of his “bullet” or “telegraph” prayers. He knew with so many enemies against him, both inside and outside, he had better stay in close touch with God. It is rather amazing to see that so soon after the exile Israel already had such an abundant supply of false prophets. The female prophetess is mentioned here. Kidner says of her: “Noadiah had some evil predecessors, who mixed magic and money-making with their prophesying in Ezekiel’s day (Ezek. 13:17-23).” [12]

Completion Of The Wall

So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. Nehemiah 6:15

Guzik comments; “The amount of time it took to finish the job was remarkably short. The walls were in ruins for more than 100 years, and then they were set right in a period of only 52 days.” [13] Such a feat could only be done with divine assistance. When we consider how much internal opposition Nehemiah faced, we might wonder how he could have stuck to the job and finished it. The wall was completed in Elul which corresponds to our August/September. Guthrie notes how the whole operation was timed between the main cereal harvest and the vintage harvest. [14]

“When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God” (6:16). This was such an astounding work that even the enemies had to admit that God helped in it. This may serve as a faint picture of the end of this age when all enemies will have to admit that the Lord is God and they will bow to him in reverence (Phil. 2:10-11).

“Also, in those days the nobles of Judah were sending many letters to Tobiah, and replies from Tobiah kept coming to them. For many in Judah were under oath to him, since he was son-in-law to Shekaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah” (6:17-18). When we look at the persistence of Nehemiah’s enemies we might need to heed that saintly Scottish minister, Andrew A. Bonar. He advised: “Let us be as watchful after the victory as before the battle.” [15] We realize that the Jerusalem scene was a “can of worms” regarding its support or non-support of Nehemiah. Later in Nehemiah’s book, we will learn that even the high priest Eliashib had an alliance with Tobiah (13:4-8). Tobiah was a deeply compromised Jew who desperately wanted to be a part of the exile remnant but was rejected. He was willing to try anything to gain power and defeat Nehemiah.

McGee says of him: “Tobiah had evidently married a daughter of one of the nobles! All of this time there was this playing ‘footsie’ with the enemies of God.” [16] We realize that Meshullam, one of the workers on the wall (3:4, 30) by his compromises was undermining the work that he himself was doing. [17]

“Moreover, they kept reporting to me his good deeds and then telling him what I said. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me” (6:19). Tobiah’s friends acted as a “Fifth Column” to undo the work of Nehemiah. [18] We can see why Nehemiah needed to offer up so many of his quickie prayers to God.

Footnotes

1. McConville, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, p. 104.

2. Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 194.

3. Kidner, Ezra & Nehemiah, p. 99.

4. Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT, p.769.

5. Ibid.

6. Ibid., p. 770.

7. Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 195.

8. McConville, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, p. 107.

9. Kidner, Ezra & Nehemiah, p. 99.

10. Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 197.

11. Barnes, Commentary on Nehemiah, Barnes’ Notes on the Whole Bible, v. 6:12.

12. Kidner, Ezra & Nehemiah, p. 100.

13. Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Ezra, vs. 6:15-16.

14. Guthrie, et. al., The New Bible Commentary, p. 407.

15. Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT, p. 771.

16. McGee, History of Israel, Ezra Nehemiah, Esther, p. 130.

17. Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT, p. 771.

18. Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Ezra, vs. 6:17-19.