Nehemiah 6

Nehemiah refused to meet verse 1- 4

Now it came to pass when Sanballat – Tobiah – Geshem the Arabian

the rest of our enemies – heard that I had built the wall

and that there was no breach left therein

(though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates)

That Sanballat and Gershem sent to 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

and I sent messengers unto them

saying

I am doing a great work – SO THAT I cannot come down

Why should the work cease – while I leave it

and come down to you?

Yet they sent unto me FOUR TIMES after this sort

and I answered them after the same manner

Enemies sent an open letter of lies verse 5- 7

Then sent Sanballat his servant to me in like manner the FIFTH TIME

with an OPEN letter in his hand – wherein was written

It is reported among the heathen – and Gashmu said it

that you and the Jews think to rebel

for which cause you build the wall

that you may be their king

according to these words

And you have also appointed prophets to preach of you

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

Nehemiah replies to the letter verse 8

THEN I sent unto him

saying

There are no such things done as you say

BUT you feign them out of your own heart

Nehemiah prayed for strength verse 9

FOR they all made us AFRAID

saying

Their hands shall be weakened from the work

that it be not done

Now therefore – O God – strengthen my hands

Nehemiah meets with Shemaiah verse 10

Afterward I came to 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 you

Yea – in the night will they come to slay you

Nehemiah refuses to run verse 11- 13

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

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

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

Nehemiah’s prayer verse 14

My God – think YOU on 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

Work on walls completed in 52 days verse 15- 16

So the wall was FINISHED in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul

in fifty and two days

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

Nobles of Jerusalem writing to enemies of Israel verse 17- 19

Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah

and the letters of Tobiah came to them

for there were many in Judah sworn to 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

Also they reported his good deed before me

and uttered my words to him

And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear

COMMENTARY:

DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers

: 3 And 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 come down to you? (7673 “cease” [shabath] means stop, to be absent, to come to an end, to desist, be at a standstill, or stop working.)

DEVOTION: Priorities need to be established in the life of a leader. A leader has to know when to work and when to meet. A leader needs to know when he needs to defend himself and when he has to let the LORD defend him. It is hard sometimes to have discernment when to speak and when to let the LORD speak.

Here we find Nehemiah being asked to defend his actions before his enemies. He realized that they wanted to cause him harm. They were willing to kill him to keep the work from being done.

Nehemiah had to realize that it wasn’t a time to defend himself but a time to keep working until the walls were built and then he could meet with them if that had to happen.

We are involved in a great work for the LORD each day if we are doing what HE has given us to do to bring glory to the name of the Father. It might not be a task as large as the building of the walls of Jerusalem but every task that comes from the LORD has to be done in a way and in the timing of the LORD.

Our sensitivity to HIS leading in our life is very important. The Holy Spirit guides us into tasks that we are gifted of HIM to do for the forward movement of the church today.

When we are doing a work for the LORD there will always be opposition. Sometimes the opposition comes from those who just want to hinder the work of the LORD. Sometimes the opposition even comes from fellow believers who are jealous of what the LORD has given us to do. Nehemiah faced both types of enemies. It is the enemies from within the church that hurt us the most.

Those who are considered friends can sometimes be tied to the work of the enemy without even realizing what they are doing. It is sad but true. We are to be encouragers of others rather than discouragers. It hurts when fellow believers seem to be working against what you feel the LORD has given you a command to do.

There are times we have to reject meetings with those who want to question our motives and just continue to serve the LORD in a manner in which HE has given you opportunity to do. Our motives must be pure and that again only comes through a good prayer communication with the LORD. HE will convict each of us if there is a problem.

CHALLENGE: If the LORD has given you an assignment keep working until it is done no matter what the opposition.

DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers

: 6 Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu says it, that you and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause you build the wall, that you may be their king, according to these words. (4775 “rebel” [marad] means to rise in revolt, to take part in a rebellion, renounce a former allegiance, whether against a foe or the law, against a human king, to move sedition or to be contumacious.

DEVOTION: There is a difference between rebellion and actions that are approved by someone in authority.

Here we have authority given to Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem by the king who has control over the land. This was not pleasing to those who hated the Jews and didn’t want them back in their Promised Land to build another temple to the LORD.

When we try to do something for the LORD we will run into problems from those who don’t love the LORD. In fact, there are people who genuinely hate the LORD and anyone who is following HIS counsel.

It is not hard to see this happening today just like it happened in the days of Nehemiah. The people who had taken over the land once the Jewish people were removed from the land wanted to keep it for themselves. It seems natural for this to happen but the LORD didn’t want it to happen.

So we find that if we are going to do what the LORD wants us to do as HIS people there are going to be others who think whatever we are doing is wrong. They will use any means to stop the work of the LORD.

In this case it was rebuilding a temple and a city. In our case it is spreading the good news of the Gospel to all those who will listen. However, this Gospel puts Jesus Christ first in the lives of those who genuinely follow HIM and this means that all others come second.

Our world doesn’t want to follow the teachings of the Word of God. It wants to follow their own teaching. In other words, they want to do what they want to do whenever they want to do it without worrying about consequences from a God they don’t see.

CHALLENGE: Our message has to be one that shows that the ones rebelling are the ones who don’t want to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and listen to HIS teachings.

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: 9 For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands. (2388 “strengthen” [chazaq] means to seize, grasp, keep hold of, grow or make strong, grow firm, to hold fast, encourage, or prevail.)

DEVOTION: Intimidation is one of the weapons of the enemies of the work of the LORD. It causes those who want to serve the LORD to be afraid when they see a number of people who want to see us fail.

The enemies of Nehemiah had sent letters around accusing him of wanting to be king and rebel against the Persia Empire. The wanted to send word to the king of Persia and them him of this rebellion even if it wasn’t true. The enemies of the work of the LORD don’t care if what they are doing is lies.

Nehemiah knew that his work was of the LORD and that he was not rebelling against the king of Persia but he was not going to stop the work to defend him. He turned their accusations over to the LORD and continued to work on the walls of Jerusalem.

What did he pray? He prayed for strength. He wanted to finish the work he knew the LORD wanted him to accomplish. He knew that the only way he could finish the task was to depend on the LORD.

Do people make us afraid at times when we want to do something for the LORD? Does it seem that even fellow believers at times are working against us when we are doing what the LORD has laid on our hearts to do? Do we realize with Nehemiah that this is part of the work of the enemy to stop the work from being completed? Our work needs to be completed if the LORD is going to be honored. Our goal should always be to please the LORD.

If we face opposition we need to be like Nehemiah and ask the LORD to give us the grace and mercy to continue the work without fear of those who seem to be working against us.

We need strength and the LORD promises strength to those who are working according to HIS will in their life. Go to the LORD for strength when everyone else seems to be against what we are doing.

CHALLENGE: God has not given us the spirit of fear but of power and love and a sound mind!!!

DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers

: 12 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. (5234 “perceived” [nakar] means discern, to recognize, acknowledge, know, respect, or regard.

DEVOTION: Nehemiah wants to finish his responsibility of building the wall. The enemies didn’t want the walls of Jerusalem finished. They tried every way they could to stop the work. Now it was near completion and they were worried.

They send a request for Nehemiah to come and meet them in the plain of Ono. He refused by saying he was doing a great work and didn’t want it to stop. They then sent four other messages to him to try to stop the work. Finally, they sent an open letter full of lies to see if he would come and defend himself. He refused. He prayed to the LORD for strength as he was fighting these battles.

These were all external battles. Now there was an internal battle to face. One of his friends invited him to his home to warn him that they were coming to kill him. He suggested that they both run to the temple to hide from the enemy. Remember that only the priests were to enter the Temple. If they entered the Temple, they would be disobeying the Law of the LORD. It would be a sin. Here was a friend tempting Nehemiah to sin.

Nehemiah it was a temptation to sin. The LORD gives HIS people the ability to discern events. The Holy Spirit was active in the Old Testament. One of HIS gifts is discernment.

Nehemiah was able to discern who had sent this false prophet. He knew that he wasn’t sent of God. He knew that God wouldn’t want him to hide in the temple.

There are things that God reveals to us regarding other people. We need to listen to the Holy Spirit as HE communicates with our spirit. Isn’t it great to have a Helper in this world that is full of confusion!

Nehemiah prayed that the LORD would deal with these men who were false prophets and leaders. Today we have individuals who say they are sent by the LORD to tell us what we should do.

There are leaders who don’t believe the Bible is the inerrant Word of God. When the LORD gives us a job to do, we need to do it without distraction. Our enemies today are not as easily spotted as in the time of Nehemiah. Prayer was his answer and it should be ours!!!

CHALLENGE: We have to discern each day the advice that people give us regarding our spiritual development. Listening to the wrong people can be a disaster to our growth in the LORD. Follow Nehemiah’s example!!!

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: 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. (5307 “cast down” [naphal] means to fall short, collapse, divide, lie prostate, to let oneself down, be inferior, or be inferior.)

DEVOTION: There are winners and losers in every battle. The battle between Nehemiah and the enemies of Israel was real. The enemy was made up of the nations around Jerusalem that didn’t want to see Jerusalem rebuilt. They did everything in their power to try to hinder the work of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. They did everything they could to try to see if they could cause Nehemiah to fail in his work and personal life. They were sure they could get him to fail.

Now he had not failed and they found themselves to have fallen short of the goal. They were not happy. They thought they could outsmart him and they didn’t. When they came to their senses they realized that it was not just Nehemiah they were fighting against but the LORD.

Our enemies think that they can defeat us any time they want to because we are just fellow human beings. It is true to a point but when a person is a genuine believer he is not alone when he is fighting the enemies of the faith. He has the LORD on his side if he is obedient to the LORD and dependant on HIM.

Nehemiah was a man of prayer. He took everything to the LORD in prayer. He asked the LORD to handle the enemies rather than to try to do it himself. With this type of attitude and action he was a winner in the battle against those who opposed the work of the LORD.

We have to follow his example. We have to be men and women of prayer. We have to be obedient to the LORD when all others seem to be against us. It is not easy but that is the only way that we can gain a victory over the powers of darkness we are fighting on a daily basis.

Our enemies whether they are those who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ or not will see that the LORD is the one who gives victory to those who are willing to trust HIM for the results of any project or ministry the LORD has given that individual.

We have to ask ourselves when we see a ministry “Is this of the LORD?” If it is we need to make sure we are not fighting the LORD to gain a victory for ourselves. Nehemiah was working for the LORD and had to fight enemies from within and without. This is what is going to happen today as well. Never expect an easy victory when you are serving the LORD.

CHALLENGE: Our prayer life has to be up to date with the LORD, in order for us, to gain the victory over the enemies of the faith.

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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:

BODY

Chastity (Purity in living)

Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)

Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)

Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)

Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)

SOUL

Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)

Frugality (wise use of resources)

Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)

Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)

Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)

SPIRIT

Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)

Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)

Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)

Nehemiah’s prayer for strength against enemies verse 9

Nehemiah prays for the LORD to deal with the

evil plots of his enemies verse 14

Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)

Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)

House of God verse 10

Temple verse 10, 11

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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:

Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)

God the Father (First person of the Godhead)

God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign) verse 9, 10, 12, 14, 16

House of God verse 10

God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)

God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)

Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)

Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)

Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)

Sanballat verse 1, 2, 5, 12, 14

Tobiah verse 1, 12, 14, 17

Geshem the Arabian verse 1, 2, 6

Rest of the enemies verse 1- 5

Wanted Nehemiah to meet to do mischief

Sent open letter

Heathen verse 6, 16

Gashmu verse 6

Prophetess Noadiah verse 14

Rest of prophets (false) verse 14

Enemies verse 16

Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)

Mischief verse 2

False report verse 5- 7

Rebel verse 6

Evil heart verse 8

Afraid verse 9, 13, 14, 19

Weaken the hands of workers verse 9

Meet in temple verse 10

Nehemiah entering the Temple verse 10

Hired to cause someone to sin verse 12

Sin verse 13

Evil report verse 13

Reproach verse 13

Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)

Great work verse 3

Prophets verse 7

Preach verse 7

Prayer verse 9

Strength verse 9

Discern [perceived] verse 12

Work was wrought of God verse 16

Israel (Old Testament people of God)

No breach left in walls of Jerusalem verse 1

Nehemiah verse 1

Asked to meet with enemies in one of

villages in plain of Ono

Said he is doing a great work

Received open letter from enemies

Went to house of Shemaiah who wanted

him to meet in house of God

He said NO!!

Knew that invite was wrong

Work was wrought of God

Jews verse 6

Prophets in Jerusalem verse 7

Shemaiah working for enemies verse 10

Nehemiah knew he wasn’t a priest verse 10- 12

Prophetess Noadiah – evil verse 14

Rest of the prophets – evil verse 14

Walls of Jerusalem finished in 52 days verse 15

Month Elul 25^th day

Nobles of Jerusalem working with Tobiah verse 17- 19

Church (New Testament people of God)

Last Things (Future Events)

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DONATIONS:

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QUOTES regarding passage

19 Tobiah’s friends and relatives acted as a Fifth Column. They attempted both to propagandize on behalf of Tobiah and to act as an intelligence system for him. Tobiah himself kept on trying to frighten Nehemiah. (Yamauchi, E. (1988). Ezra-Nehemiah. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job (Vol. 4, p. 715). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)

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Inside the walls of Jerusalem it was far from being in accord with the position taken. “Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them. 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. Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear” (vers. 17–19). It was a complete overturning of divine order. God had said, “The people shall dwell alone, they shall not be reckoned among the nations.” And to so abide was to be strong and be under His protecting hand. But the unequal yoke had been entered into. Mixed marriages, despite the bitter lesson in Ezra’s day, were still tolerated and excused; and so conscience was broken down and the nobles of Judah lost all power of discrimination. The wall might separate between them and ungodly Tobiah, but there was no separation in spirit, so they easily found means of communication with the haters of God’s truth. (Ironside, H. A. (1913). Notes on the Book of Nehemiah (p. 76). New York: Loizeaux Bros.)

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6:15–19. The walls were completed … in 52 days, on the 25th day of Elul, which was about September 20. The project began in the last few days of July and continued through August and into September. The previous November–December (Kislev) was when Nehemiah first heard about the problem (1:1), and in March–April (Nisan) he presented his plan to the king (2:1). As stated earlier, the trip to Jerusalem took two or three months (April or May to June or July), as long as or longer than the building program itself.

The enemies’ self-confidence dissipated as they saw that the work was done with God’s help. Opposing Him, they were fighting a losing battle! One reason Tobiah the Ammonite (cf. 2:10, 19) was able to make some inroads into Judah was that he was related to the Jews in two ways (also cf. 13:4). His father-in-law was Shecaniah son of Arah (cf. Ezra 2:5), and his daughter-in-law was the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah, who worked on two sections of the wall (Neh. 3:4, 30). Many Jews were therefore loyalists to Tobiah, perhaps having trading contracts with him, and they kept telling Nehemiah good things about Tobiah. Yet Tobiah tried to intimidate the governor-builder with threatening letters. (Getz, G. A. (1985). Nehemiah. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, pp. 686–687). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

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The completion of the walls “in troublous times” (Dan. 9:25) was an embarrassment to the enemy, but they did not give up. Satan is not a quitter but stays on the field even after it looks as if he has lost the battle. Many a careless Christian has won the war but afterward lost the victory. Satan is always looking for “an opportune time” (Luke 4:13, NIV) to attack the victors and turn them into victims. We need to heed the counsel of that saintly Scottish minister Andrew A. Bonar, who said, “Let us be as watchful after the victory as before the battle.”

If you can’t see Satan working, it’s probably because he has gone underground. Actually, we are safer when we can see him at work than when his agents are concealed. Open opposition is good for God’s work and God’s workers because it keeps us alert and trusting the Lord. “Watch and pray!” was certainly one of Nehemiah’s chief admonitions to his people (Neh. 4:9).

It seems incredible that any Jew would secretly cooperate with the enemy, let alone Jews who were nobles from the royal tribe of Judah! If any tribe had a stake in the future of “the city of David,” it was the tribe of Judah; for God promised that a Savior and King would come from their tribe (Gen. 49:10; 2 Sam. 7). When these nobles cooperated with Tobiah, they were resisting the Lord, disobeying the Word, and jeopardizing their own future.

Why would they do such a treacherous thing? For one thing, Tobiah wrote them letters and influenced their thinking. Instead of seeking the truth, the nobles believed the enemy’s lies and became traitors to their own people. Because they believed he was right, some of the men of Judah even took an oath of loyalty to Tobiah! In his letters, Tobiah no doubt flattered them and made promises to them; and they foolishly believed him. The nobles secretly shared the letters with others, and thus the conspiracy grew.

Don’t believe everything you read or hear about Christian leaders. Consider the source and firmly refuse to accept as truth anything that can’t be documented. Especially be wary of what the news media say about evangelical leaders; most media people are not too sympathetic with the Gospel. Looking for exciting stories, some reporters will magnify the insignificant into the sensational, while others will lift statements completely out of context. Sad to say, even the religious press is sometimes guilty of this kind of misrepresentation, including some militant publications that have forgotten how to “speak the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15). There are times when you wonder if perhaps we have reached the sad place that Jeremiah wrote about: “Beware of your friends; do not trust your brothers. For every brother is a deceiver, and every friend a slanderer” (Jer. 9:4, NIV).

How could these Jews turn their backs on their own heritage, their own brothers and sisters, and their own God? The bonds of human connection were stronger than the bonds of spiritual affection. Because Tobiah was tied to the tribe of Judah through marriage, the nobles of Judah gave the loyalty to him that they should have given to God (Neh. 6:18). The men of Judah forgot that they were “married” to Jehovah God and owed Him their love and loyalty.

But before we criticize these Jewish nobles, let’s examine our own lives. Are we totally yielded to the Lord and fully obedient to Him? Do we ever permit human relationships to influence our decisions so much that we deliberately disobey the Word of God? In twenty-five years of pastoral ministry, I have seen more than one professed Christian leave a church fellowship because of something that was done to a relative in the church.

Commodore Josiah Tatnall is an almost forgotten name in American naval history. During the anti-European uprisings in China in 1859, Tatnall came to the aid of a British squadron in the Pei-Ho River and was criticized for it. In his dispatch to the U.S. Secretary of Navy, his defense was simply, “Blood is thicker than water.”

That familiar statement was recorded by John Ray in his English Proverbs published in 1670; so it’s been around for a long time. The meaning is obvious: Humanly speaking, you have greater obligation to a relative than you do to a stranger. But Jesus said, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me” (Matt. 10:37, NKJV). The “blood bond” that unites us to Christ is the strongest bond of all, and our loyalty to Him must come first.

The nobles of Judah weren’t satisfied just to get their information and directions from Tobiah, but they felt it necessary to tell Tobiah everything Nehemiah said! No doubt they were hoping to win Tobiah’s favor and thus earn a greater reward when Tobiah and his friends took over Jerusalem. In every sense, they were traitors to the nation and to the Lord. Meshullam was one of the workers on the wall (Neh. 3:4, 30), and yet his family was undermining the very work he was doing.

But these traitors went even further: They repeatedly told Nehemiah what a fine man Tobiah really was! “They that forsake the law praise the wicked; but such as keep the law contend with them” (Prov. 28:4). Had the nobles of Judah been studying and meditating on the Word of God, they would have had discernment and not been walking “in the counsel of the ungodly” (Ps. 1:1). They were blinded by lies and flattery and completely out of touch with reality. There was no light in them (Isa. 8:20).

But is the situation much different in churches today? It alarms me the way professed Christians, who claim to be “Bible taught,” give their endorsement and support to people who are nothing but religious hucksters. You would think that the recent media scandals would wake people up, but such is not the case. “A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way,” wrote Jeremiah; and then he asked, “But what will you do in the end?” (Jer. 5:30–31, NIV) Indeed, we are facing a day of reckoning. Then what?

Tobiah kept sending letters to his informers, and they in turn kept telling people to change their allegiance before Jerusalem was taken by the Gentiles. Nehemiah ignored the letters and threats and kept on working until the job was completed. After all, his work was “wrought of our God” (Neh. 6:16); and when God begins a work, He completes it (Phil. 1:6).

The story began with “So I prayed” (Neh. 2:4). Then we read, “So I came to Jerusalem” (v. 11). “So they strengthened their hands for this good work” is the next link in the chain (v. 18), followed by, “So built we the wall” (4:6) and, “So we labored” (v. 21).

Now we reach the end of this part of the story: “So the wall was finished” (6:15). But this marks a new beginning, for now Nehemiah must protect what he has accomplished. How he does this is the theme of the rest of the book. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Determined (pp. 77–81). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

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6:17–19 many letters went from the nobles of Judah to Tobiah. Nehemiah added a footnote that in the days of building the wall, the nobles of Judah who refused to work (3:5) were in alliance and correspondence with Tobiah because, although his ancestors were Ammonites (2:19), he had married into a respectable Jewish family. Shemaiah was from the family of Arah (Ezr 2:5); his son Jehohanan was the son-in-law of Meshullam who shared in the work of building (3:4, 30). According to 13:4, the High-Priest, Eliashib, was related to Tobiah (which is a Jewish name). The meddling of these nobles, by trying to play both sides through reports to Tobiah and to Nehemiah (v. 19), only widened the breach as Tobiah escalated efforts to frighten the governor. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Ne 6:17–19). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)

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Ver. 19. Also they reported his good deeds before me, &c.] Recommended him as a very worthy man, deserving of respect and notice by Nehemiah, and to be taken into his friendship, and admitted to conversation with him, whose counsel and advice might be of service: and uttered my words to him; reported both what he said and did; for the word used signifies both words and actions: and Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear; perceiving, by the intelligence of his friends, that Nehemiah would have nothing to say to him, nor to do with him, he threatened him. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 3, p. 141). London: Mathews and Leigh.)

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FROM MY READING:

(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)

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Ecclesiastes 12
The pursuit of temporal things is futile.
INSIGHT
Our society tends to breed materialism. Young couples expect to own a house, two cars, and maybe a boat. We dream of the day when we can afford to take exotic vacations and own a bigger house. Game shows offer spectacular prizes, and lottery tickets are sold by the thousands. But Solomon experienced tremendous wealth and found himself unhappy. He learned that eternal things matter most. God wants His children to invest their brief lives in others–not just in material things. (Quiet Walk)

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VERBAL INSPIRATION

I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
Deuteronomy 18:18
The particular words used in the Bible are divinely inspired. I shall try to demonstrate to you that the Bible claims for itself what is called verbal inspiration It is not merely that the thoughts are inspired, not merely the ideas, but the actual record, down to the particular words. It is not merely that the statements are correct, but that every word is divinely inspired.
Verbal inspiration means that the Holy Spirit has overruled and controlled and guided the writers of the Bible, even in the choice of particular words, in such a way as to prevent any error, and above all to produce the result that was originally intended by God.
The Bible makes specific claims in this matter of inspiration. Take, for instance, certain terms that the Bible uses of itself, such as Scripture. That designates “holy writings”; not ordinary writings but special ones–holy writings.
Let us take a more specific claim. Take that great prophecy, which is very crucial in this matter, spoken by Moses and recorded in Deuteronomy 18:18: “I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.” All the prophets of the Old Testament make this claim. They do not say that they suddenly decided to write; they say, “The word of the Lord came….” (see, for example, Ezekiel 1:3; Hosea 1:1; Jonah 1:1), and they tell you exactly when it came. They were called, they were commissioned, and the word was given to them. So, they are constantly saying something like, “Thus saith the Lord.” That is their claim.
A Thought to Ponder: It is not merely that the statements are correct, but that every word is divinely inspired.

(From God the Father, God the Son, pp. 24-26, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)

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Practicing What We Preach
“For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.” (John 13:15)
Christ’s life matched His teachings, and so must ours. Consider, for example, Christ’s teaching that we should “pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). This is matched by His prayer for His tormentors while on the cross, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Elsewhere, He taught that our circle of influence should be greater than those of like thinking (Matthew 5:47), a fact that caused His detractors great consternation (Luke 15:2). He taught that our prayers should not be done so that “they may be seen of men” (Matthew 6:5). And the gospels record several times where He went “into a solitary place, and there prayed” (Mark 1:35; see also Mark 6:46). Christ placed great value on children, as we see in Matthew 18:6, and later He welcomed them (Matthew 19:14). He taught Peter to forgive “seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:22) and later forgave Peter for his continued denials (Mark 16:7).
Christ advocated paying taxes (Mark 12:17) and later enabled Peter to pay tribute for both of them (Matthew 17:27). He taught that “a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” (Luke 12:15), and He Himself had “not where to lay his head” (Luke 9:58). Likewise, He placed great store in aiding the poor (Luke 14:13), both in teaching and in practice (Matthew 14:13-21). Perhaps His teaching “love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44) is best illustrated by His tender prayer for those who would soon take His life as He hung on the cross for the very ones responsible for His death (today’s text), all the while dying for them.
May God grant us the strength to follow not only our own teachings, but His teachings as well. (JDM, The Institute for Creation Research)

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Months in the Jewish Calendar:

Abib or Nisan (30 days) – March/ April

14^th Passover

15- 21 Feast of Unleavened Bread

16^th First fruits of harvest presented

Ziv or Iyar (29 days) – April/May
Sivan (30 days) – May/June

6^th Pentecost, Feast of Weeks

Thammuz or Tammuz (29 days) – June/July
Ab (30 days) – July/ August
Elul (30 days) – August/September
Ethanim or Tishri (30 days) – September/ October

1^st Feast of Trumpets

10^th Day of Atonement

15-21^st Feast of Tabernacles

22^nd Great Day

Bul or Marchesvan (30 days) – October/November
Chisleu (30 days) – November/December

25^th Feast of Dedication

Tebeth (29 days) – December/January
Sebat or Shebat (30 days) – January/February
Adar (29 days) – February/March

14-15^th Feast of Purim

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We cannot fool God. It is impossible to put something over on Someone who is omniscient. We can fool all of the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time. But not God. Jesus says, “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them”(Matthew 6:1).

It is easy for us to fall into the trap of living our Christian lives for the sake of other Christians. We should be living it for the sake of our relationship with the Lord. We may find ourselves going to church, singing the songs, and going through the motions but spending no time cultivating a personal relationship with the Lord. Such a relationship does not come easily. It requires commitment and time.

But we must not fool ourselves, either. The Lord does not want merely our church attendance or other external actions. He wants us! (Quiet Walk)

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Quote: “Jesus did not die for our righteousness, but He died for our sins. He did not come to save us because we were worth the saving, but because we were utterly worthless, ruined, and undone. (C. H. Spurgeon)

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