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Sermon
of 05-17-03 Nehemiah 6-What To Do When Someone Opposes You?
by
Dr. D.A. Farmer, pastor
Scripture - Leviticus 19:17;
"Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him."
Today we look at chapter 6 of Nehemiah. We've already looked at the 1st 5 chapters. We've seen that Nehemiah was a cupbearer to the King who requested to expect the walls and gates around the Jerusalem and repair them. We compared the walls and gates of Jerusalem to the broken down walls and gates in own lives. We've seen at times God may use each of us to help others re-build their broken down life during a crisis or hard times.
Today we look at how the devil can attack us. And we will examine at what to do when someone opposes us.
Right now the entire world is watching America and England. They want to see how we will handle the post war problems we face. We need to be praying for the President and the members of Congress, because these problems go far beyond what natural wisdom can solve. Our leaders need God's help in dealing with the enormous debt that hangs over their heads because of the war. Our leaders also need our prayers because of the delicate dealings they face with France, Germany and Russia.
All these enormous problems that confront our leaders today we find Nehemiah faced similar situations in Nehemiah chapter 6. As we have already discovered, Nehemiah was given the task of rebuilding the walls and gates of Jerusalem some 2,500 years ago. Yet in this ancient story, not only do we find help in understanding how to unravel the problems our world and nation is facing, we also find help in overcoming our own individual problems we face.
If there is one thing that clearly emerges from this entire book, it is fact that life is a battle from beginning to end. As we have already discovered, Nehemiah ran into opposition the moment he set his heart to obey God's command and to rebuild the walls and gates of Jerusalem. He faced difficulty before he even got to the city. Then, after he reached Jerusalem, we've seen that his enemies rose up to oppose almost everything he did.
Have you ever faced someone that opposed you? The Apostle Paul warns in Ephesians 6,
"Our struggle is not against flesh and blood," {Eph 6:12 NIV}.
The Bible says that our fellow humans are not really our problem. What we are up against is the invisible forces we can't see. Listen to what rest of Ephesians 6:12 says we are up against;
"the world powers of darkness." The
"power of darkness" that Paul says we face is the same ones Nehemiah faced.
Here in the book of Nehemiah, as in many other places in Scripture, we learn that the devil has two main ways of working. First, the devil comes,
"like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" {1 Pet 5:8 RSV}. A lion is a very dangerous, powerful and fearsome animal. He is so strong that one bite from his jaws can crush the thickest bone in the human body, the thigh bone. One blow from his mighty paw can smash a human skull like an egg shell. That is one way the Bible describes the devil. And he is seeking you and me every minute of every day.
2nd, 2 Corinthians 11:14 also reveals that the devil can come to us as "an angel of light." He can come smiling, gracious or using flattering words. Or he may come to us in such a way that it causes fear in us.
This is why we must be on our guard against the devil 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Paul also says in 2 Corinthians 2:11;
"We are not ignorant of the devil's devices." God has warned us that the devil will tempt us. So we have no excuses for not watching for him.
Nehemiah 6 also teaches us to be aware of how the devil goes about his work. Following a series of attacks and threats against Nehemiah in an effort to intimidate him, the enemies of Nehemiah suddenly change their tactics. They resort to friendliness and persuasion.
Listen to verses 1-3; "Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;) V:2
That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief. V:3
And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?"
They could not stop the work of building by threat and attack, so they switched their strategy. Has this happened to you before?
These were the men who in chapter 4:1 were; "wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews."
These one time enemies suddenly act like Nehemiah's friends. But Nehemiah senses danger because in verse 2 he says;
"But they thought to do me harm."
Nehemiah isn't stupid. He firmly declines in verse 3. He sees through their scheme and refuses to go along, even though they pressure him four different times.
Now listen to verse 4; "Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner."
Have you ever given into something you felt was wrong because of someone's repeated pressure? The devil will send someone your way using pressure if he thinks you will give in.
But when the devil knows that you will stand firm for God, he'll switch back to his original tactic of threats and intimidation. This is what he did with Nehemiah. Now listen to verses 5-7;
"Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand; V:6 Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king, according to these words. V:7
And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah: and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together."
This arm-twisting tactic is so designed to put pressure on Nehemiah which will cause him to fall into their trap. But he resists because he sees it for what it really is. He responds with a simple disagreement. His reply from the NIV went like this. Verse 8;
"nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head" {Neh. 6:8 NIV}.
I am reminded of the anonymous letters that many pastors often receive in the mail. You know the letters I talking about. It's the unsigned letters. Just to let you know if you're ever tempted to send me one, my practice has always been to throw such letters in the waste basket. If people will not sign their name to their letter, then there is no use in paying attention to what it says.
I heard story once about a man who was addressing an audience and someone sent a piece of paper up to him with the word "Fool" written on it. He said to the audience,
"I have received many unsigned messages in the past, but this is the first time I have ever received one from a man who signed his name but wrote no message!"
Perhaps that is the only proper way to respond to an unsigned letter.
Note that Nehemiah's letter was an "open letter." In other words, an "open letter" invited everyone to read its contents. By sending an unsealed letter, it was hoped that it would provoked the Jews to go against Nehemiah. Nehemiah states,
"That is a lie. There is no truth in it." And then, he again turns to God in prayer and asks;
"But I prayed, 'Now strengthen my hands'" {Neh 6:9 NIV}.
Their tactics were to get the people to think that Nehemiah had some hidden motive. They hoped that the people would think Nehemiah was out for his own glory for rebuilding the wall. Then hopeful the workers would become discouraged and quit. But Nehemiah simply prays and turns it over to God.
My prayer is that Nehemiah's response will help us if we are ever charged with some sort of slanderous lie.
Once again the enemy switches his tactics. He reverts again to trickery. Verse 10;
"Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee."
Nothing more is known of this prophet Shemaiah. There are at least five other men by this name are mentioned as living in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. But none of the others can be identified with this Shemaiah, the son of Delaiah.
Now what he says sounds logical. He says, "Some people are out to get you. They are going to kill you." That sounds good, but immediately Nehemiah detects something is wrong. He knows that he is not permitted to go into the temple, for only priests could enter the temple, and he was a layman.
So he answers in verse 11; "And I said, 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."
Nehemiah must have realized that a real prophet of God would say nothing that is not in line with Gods command. In fact listen to verses 12-13;
"And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. V:13
Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me."
It was all part of a plan to discourage the people from following Nehemiah's lead. Fueled by jealousy and ambition, these enemies slandered Nehemiah and tried to trick him into yielding to their demands. We must be aware of this kind of attack in our lives in these days. Do not take everyone's advice just because they are friendly to you. It may be totally wrong and bad advice. Nothing substitutes for the knowledge in the Word of God. That is how you can detect error and tell if something said to you is wrong or bad advice. The best response to bad advice is what Nehemiah does here. Walk away!
This is exactly what Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:21; "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good" {KJV}. We are to prove all things by the Word of God.
Now again watch Nehemiah's response in verse 14. He sends up another prayer to God;
"My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear."
This prophetess Noadiah must have been another false prophet. She like Shemaiah is not mentioned again. But once more Nehemiah relies upon the invisible hand of God, upon guidance from the Spirit. And the lesson for us to learn is nothing will help us through life better than to remember what the Word of God says. Are you utilizing the Word of God today? They are available to us just as they were to Nehemiah. We can be as successful as Nehemiah was if we employ them.
Now listen to verses 15-16; "So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days. V:16
And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God."
Even their enemies had to admit that God was at work in Nehemiah and his people's lives. This entire project was finished in just 52 days! They finished the work in 52 days because they put their minds and their shoulders to the task. They looked to God for wisdom, advice and power. What a beautiful picture of the power of God when our enemies try to stop us from doing God's work. But Nehemiah's enemies are still not through.
In these closing verses we see how they continue their tactics of opposition. Listen to verses 17-19;
"Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them.
V:18 For there were many in Judah sworn unto him, because he was the son in law of Shechaniah the son of Arah; and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of
Berechiah. V:19
Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear."
Theses "many letters" show more how desperate they were to stop Nehemiah's work. Do you know what Tobiah's name means in Hebrew? "Goodness of Yahweh." But it should be evident, he wasn't a good man, nor did he live up to what his name meant.
The purpose of these letters was to make Nehemiah think Tobiah was only trying to help and that he really was a good person. But to me it is only more proof that the devil never quits. And he's never going to give up on us as long as he thinks he has a chance.
The lessons I hope you learned from chapter 6 is that God has many wonderful blessings waiting for us. But we must do as Nehemiah did; turn to God in prayer whenever the devil is breathing down the back of our necks. Or when the devil uses someone else, even a friend to attack us. Turn your problems over to God. He will never fail you.
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