A Man of Perception

Nehemiah 6. 1-16

Jerusalem’s wall was almost complete, ‘there was no breach left therein’, but not yet secure - ‘at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates’, v. 1. The enemies of God’s people knew it, and the chapter details a series of attempts to prevent the work from being finished. Whilst Nehemiah knew this was God’s work, it was credited to him.¹ They ‘heard that I had builded the wall’, and this brought him personally into the enemies’ field of view. If they could stumble the man heading up the work, perhaps Jerusalem’s security could still be compromised.

Various methods were employed to ensnare him, but Nehemiah was determined to complete the work and leaned on God for strength and protection. With his eye on the goal and his trust in God, he perceived the subtle attempts to harm him, v. 2, and stood firm without giving way to fear, vv. 9, 14, 19.

Soon after David learned that he was to become Israel’s king, he was given greater acclaim than Saul, requiring humility and wisdom.²

Leaders of similar character are just as important today. To keep God’s sheep from being scattered, undershepherds with spiritual experience are needed.³ Since a leader may also become a target, suitable qualities are essential. The virtues of vigilance and a sound mind are vital for keen perception.⁴

Nehemiah’s discernment and handling of the various attempts to undermine him are instructive for us today.

Invitation to compromise, vv. 1-4

Sanballat and Geshem sent for Nehemiah, asking him to travel a few miles north-west of Jerusalem to one of the villages in the plain on Ono, ‘Come, let us meet together’. Nehemiah was clear in his thinking - departure from Jerusalem meant departure from the work, which he was not prepared to do. Its importance to him and to the city left no alternative. There was no middle ground on which negotiation or agreement could be made with the enemies of God’s people. The wall had to be finished. It should be added that compromise was not on Sanballat and Geshem’s agenda either, despite their friendly guise. Nehemiah was sensitive to their true objective -personal harm was intended, ‘they thought to do me mischief’! Four times the invitation came in the same manner, but he was unwavering. On each occasion the messengers were sent back with the same answer, ‘I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down’.

Our Lord also had a clear sense of the task ahead of Him. He understood the necessity of the suffering He would experience and ‘stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem’, Luke 9. 51. This was a resolve expressed in His earliest recorded words, ‘I must be about my Father’s business’, 2. 49. It was maintained throughout His life, ‘My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work’, John 4. 34. Three times in Gethsemane, Jesus expressed His readiness to fulfil the Father’s will. He also saw it through to completion, ‘I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do’, 17. 4; ‘It is finished’, 19. 30.

When Jesus shared with His disciples what would take place in Jerusalem, Peter thought there must be another way; but it could not be. And when the mocking cries invited Him to prove Himself to be the Son of God by saving Himself, He could not come down from the cross. For the scriptures to be fulfilled, for God’s righteousness to be upheld, and for the work of redemption to be completed, there was no room for compromise. It was necessary for Him to endure the cross.⁵

In God’s service, there is no room for compromise with the enemy. ‘The friendship of the world is enmity with God’; ‘The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other’; ‘Resist the devil, and he will flee from you’.⁶ To maintain the distinctiveness of God’s people today, the principle of separation remains. This was taught by Paul in 2 Corinthians chapter 6 verses 14 to 17; verse 17 reads ‘wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord’.

Staying focussed on the Lord’s work will bring perspective and help us to avoid distraction. With the Lord’s own example before us, let us take to ourselves the exhortation given to Archippus, ‘take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it’, Col. 4. 17.

False accusation, vv. 5-9

The four earlier invitations had not achieved the desired result of distracting Nehemiah and drawing him away from Jerusalem. A fifth invitation was accompanied by an open letter for the eyes of everyone. This was an attempt to begin a rumour that would lead to fear, weaken the workers’ hands, and leave the wall unfinished. ‘Gashmu’ was named as a witness to add credibility to the false claims. This was probably the full name of ‘Geshem the Arabian’ - a biased witness, Neh. 2. 19; 6. 1, 2.⁷It contained slanderous reports that Nehemiah and the Jews planned to rebel against Artaxerxes, establishing a breakaway kingdom. It suggested that Nehemiah planned to ‘be their king’, and that he had appointed prophets to publicize this news in Jerusalem. This letter implied that Nehemiah’s interest in building the wall was for the sake of his own position and glory.

Left unaddressed, these accusations might have discredited Nehemiah in the eyes of the Jews and led to the withdrawal of the king’s support. Sanballat hoped to force Nehemiah to meet with him so that he could hurt or destroy him. Nehemiah displayed a temperate spirit, discerning the source of the rumours and roundly refuting the lies. Then he prayed for God’s strength to advance the work.

The Lord Jesus faced attempts to discredit Him, being called ‘a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners’, Luke 7. 34. He also faced the accusation that it was by Satan that He cast out demons. By this, the Holy Spirit was blasphemed, and Jesus rejected the claim. He showed the inconsistency of the argument and explained the severity of casting such aspersions, Mark 3. 22-30. At His trial, the Jewish leaders ‘sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death’, Matt. 26. 59. Against these, ‘Jesus held his peace’, v. 63. ‘When he was reviled, [he] reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously’, 1 Pet. 2. 23.

There are times to directly refute false claims against the cause of Christ. With meekness and godly fear, God can enable us to defend the hope that is in us. At other times, godly character is its own answer. As we serve under the eye of God with a good conscience, we can be strong in faith knowing that the Lord will uphold us. ‘Whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ’, 1 Pet. 3. 15, 16. See also 1 Pet. 4. 19.

False prophecy, vv. 10-14

Tobiah and Sanballat enjoyed a measure of success through bribery. This avenue may have been developed through the exchange of correspondence between Tobiah and some of God’s people, vv. 17-19.

Shemaiah was ‘shut up’ - probably a self-imposed state to give the impression that he was afraid to leave his house. Perhaps it was Nehemiah’s desire to strengthen and encourage God’s people that led him to visit this man. Feigning loyalty, Shemaiah suggested that they meet in the temple and shut the doors for fear of being slain in the night. This would offer material for an evil report or reproach to be made against Nehemiah by those who suggested that he wished to be king. But the thought of hiding to save his own skin was never entertained by Nehemiah. It would be a failure of leadership and a demonstration of self-interest. This he regarded as ‘sin’, v. 13.

He answered, ‘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’, v. 11. He perceived that the prophecy and counsel was not of God. As Nehemiah laid the matters out before the Lord, he also made mention of ‘the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets’ - evidently there were other false prophecies abroad that were also designed to cause fear. Again, endowed with spiritual perception, Nehemiah stood firm.

Shemaiah’s susceptibility to bribery is reminiscent of Judas’ choice of money over the Lord. The behaviour suggested by Shemaiah is similar to the cowardly hired keeper of sheep described by the Lord Jesus, ‘the hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine’. He, of course, exemplified true shepherd character, ‘I lay down my life for the sheep’, John 10. 13-15.

As there had been false prophets, the Apostle Peter also warned against false teachers, 2 Pet. 2. 1. Therefore, keen spiritual perception is still needed - especially by spiritual leaders - to identify and withstand such dangers that would threaten God’s flock, Titus 1. 9-11. As it was through God’s enabling that Timothy was encouraged to ‘hold fast the form of sound words’, 2 Tim. 1. 13, delivered to him, let us stand firm today. ‘Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding’, Prov. 23. 23.

The wall’s completion, vv. 15, 16

Spiritual perception enabled Nehemiah to avoid the snares laid before him. With the wall finished in just fifty-two days, the enemies of God’s people and others who had witnessed these events were ‘much cast down in their own eyes’. They were forced to recognize ‘that this work was wrought of our God’.

In spiritual service, may we seek God’s glory, not our own, remembering that the work is the Lord’s. Of God’s perfect servant, it was said, ‘He shall not fail nor be discouraged’, Isa. 42. 4. What He begins, He completes. Let us therefore stay focussed, strong in faith, and may we stand firm, for ‘God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind’, 2 Tim. 1. 7.