Nehemiah Chapter 6
Please read: Nehemiah 6 –
There seemed to be no end to the opposition that Nehemiah and the men faced in their endeavor to finish the repair of the wall of Jerusalem. We might wonder why there was so much concern about the wall being completed, but we need to understand what it represented to the rest of the world. That wall represented the former strength and power of the nation of Judah. And more than that, the stability of Jerusalem was something that the devil wanted to destroy in his attempts to ruin the plans of God.
Despite all the ploys, threats, and conniving, their enemies were not able to stop the determination of Nehemiah to complete the project and purpose that God had put on his heart. He could have easily given up with seemingly justifiable cause since there was so much opposition. But he continually turned to God for his strength to keep moving forward and he left it in God’s hands to take care of those who worked against him.
Let's Reflect
1. What 3 men are named as the main troublemakers in verse 1?
2. There first attempt at sabotaging the building project was to lure Nehemiah away from the wall. But what did Nehemiah know was their intention?
3. How many attempts did they make to lure Nehemiah away by written letters?
4. The last letter contained details that were fabricated lies. It is not clear in this passage whether they truly believed the fabrications or whether they just made them up to incite Nehemiah’s anger to get him to come to them. What were the fabricated lies they said they had heard about Nehemiah?
5. Rather than getting angry what did Nehemiah do?
6. A prophet name Shemaiah suggested that Nehemiah should seek refuge in the temple. Nehemiah knew that only priests were allowed to go into the temple and he would not do it. According to verse 12 what did Nehemiah say about what God had told him concerning the prophet?
7. I was surprised to read how many days it took for them to finish the wall. With all the opposition that had come, it seemed like a short time to have been able to finish the project. Apparently, their enemies were also astonished that they had finished the repairs so quickly because the Bible says they were afraid. Why? How long did it take to repair the wall of Jerusalem?
