Nehemiah 6
Notes
Transcript
Wise as Serpents
Wise as Serpents
Now that Nehemiah has dealt with some internal turmoil, he has to deal with an external threat.
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), 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.
Remember our old friends Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem?
They’re BAAAACK.
When they heard the wall was rebuilt, (OK, they still had to hang the doors and gates), they needed to do something to deal with these Jews.
Apparently they wanted to get Nehemiah outside the city walls and “do him harm”.
Either beat him up, or possibly kill him.
Maybe just make him an offer he can’t refuse.
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?”
But they sent me this message four times, and I answered them in the same manner.
Ummm, sorry guys, but I’m busy now, I can’t come for a visit.
Is Nehemiah truly unwilling to leave the work, or is he using a polite excuse?
“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
Nehemiah writes that they want to do him harm.
Whether keeping at the work is the primary reason or a convenient excuse, Nehemiah is dealing wisely with this enemies.
He recognizes the danger, but doesn’t antagonize those who are out to get him
When we are invited to do something that we know will do us harm, how do we react?
Do we join in to avoid “offending” someone?
Afraid that we might loose a convert to Christ?
Do we get in people’s faces and “bible thump” at them?
Do we find another reason we can’t participate?
Or do we just say no?
I think the best answer depends on the situation.
Hence, we must be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
Then Sanballat sent his servant to me as before, the fifth time, with an open letter in his hand. 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. 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.
Now Sanballat makes an accusation.
“It is reported...”
When someone says that something has been reported about me, my first question is, “By who”?
There are a lot of good reasons not to divulge who gave a report.
It may have been reported in confidence.
There maybe some concerns for the safety of the person making the report.
But there are very good reasons to know who made the report.
There maybe context related to the person’s report.
They may have another agenda.
The person’s reputation may put some light on the report.
There is a reason why our Constitution guarantees the accused the right to confront their accuser.
What does Nehemiah do?
Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say are being done, but you invent them in your own heart.”
Nothing like that is being done.
“You’re just making things up Sanballat!”
Have you ever noticed how often people put on others how they would react.
The bully who assumes anyone who disagrees wants to bully them.
The bigot who assumes everyone is a bigot.
In this case, we see someone who is willing to make accusations and intimidate apparently to protect his power claiming his opponent is doing what he would do.
Do we place our own assumptions on the actions of others?
Do we place our own expectations onto the actions of others?
Why do you think Jesus warned us...
And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Because we have a strong tendency to see our own shortcomings in others.
Whether Sanballat & Geshem are making this up, or transferring their own evil intentions onto Nehemiah,
He simply states the facts.
Nothing like that is happening,
You are making it up.
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.
There are those who will try to make you, and any christian afraid.
What happens when you feel God is calling you to do something “different”?
People say, If you do this,
Your church will not grow,
You will not be able to speak to one group or another.
And my personal favorite, you aren’t loving.
Nehemiah doesn’t attack Sanballat though,
He asked that God strengthen their hands.
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.”
What is worse than someone out to get you?
Having someone inside that is helping them.
This Shemaiah was an informer.
He wanted Nehemiah to “hide” in the temple.
To go inside and close the doors.
Why?
Because, Shemaiah claimed, Sanballat and company wanted him killed.
Most of us will never face such a situation.
Our lives won’t be threatened.
There aren’t people out to kill us.
But we should think about how we would react.
[Story of the home church in Soviet Russia]
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!” 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. 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.
Nehemiah asks, should I flee?
Should I go and hide?
Should I save my life?
What is implied is, what about everyone else?
Ahhh, then he perceived that Tobiah and Sanballat were behind this.
To make Nehemiah do something so they can claim he sinned.
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.
Nehemiah doesn’t seek revenge,
Maybe he remembered the words of Nahum against Assyria:
God is jealous, and the Lord avenges;
The Lord avenges and is furious.
The Lord will take vengeance on His adversaries,
And He reserves wrath for His enemies;
or from the law:
Vengeance is Mine, and recompense;
Their foot shall slip in due time;
For the day of their calamity is at hand,
And the things to come hasten upon them.’
In either case, e calls on God to remember what these men have done.
Rather than taking vengeance himself.
So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days. 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.
Now the wall is finished, in less than two months.
And this scared the nations around them who were their enemies.
Were they scared because Israel was so quick and efficient?
No, They were scared because they could see that this was a work of God.
Also in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came to them. 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. Also they reported his good deeds before me, and reported my words to him. Tobiah sent letters to frighten me.
Hmmm, it was the nobles of Judah who were sending letters to Tobiah.
Because there were pledged to him.
Because he married the right family.
They were servants to their families rather than to God.
Do we serve what is best for us and our families here, or do we serve God?
Conclusion
Conclusion
We will all have to deal with those who are out to get us at some time.
It may be at work, in our family, or in our congregation.
How do you deal with them is important.
Are you wise enough to see when an offer to help is really someone looking for a chance to take a stab at you?
Are you innocent enough not to assume the worst in everyone?
Are you willing to do what is right and let God repay others for their evil?
Have you taken the time to prepare to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves?
Have you thought about what others might do to you in some situation?
Have we used wisdom to prepare for the potential attacks of others?
I’m reminded of a story I heard about Billy Graham and his policy about hotel rooms.
Or what about the “Pence Rule” about meeting with women who are not part of his family?
Are these not people being was as serpents to protect their innocence,
Both in fact and in reputation?
As I said, most of us will not have our lives put in danger,
But we should still be wise and innocent in how we deal with others.
Then leave any vengeance to the Lord.