N
E H E M I A H
CHAP. VI.
The
cries of oppressed poverty being stilled, we are now to enquire how the
building of the wall goes forward, and in this chapter we find it carried on
with vigour and finished with joy, notwithstanding the restless attempts of
the gates of hell to hinder it. How the Jews' enemies were baffled in their
design to put a stop to it by force we read before, ch. iv. Here we
find how their endeavours to drive Nehemiah off from it were frustrated. I.
When they courted him to an interview, with design to do him a mischief, he
would not stir, ver. 1-4. II. When they would have made him believe his
undertaking was represented as seditious and treasonable, he regarded not the
insinuation, ver. 5-9. III. When they hired pretended prophets to advise him
to retire into the temple for his own safety, still he kept his ground, ver.
10-14. IV. Notwithstanding the secret correspondence that was kept up between
them and some false and treacherous Jews, the work was finished in a short
time, ver. 15-19. Such as these were the struggles between the church and its
enemies. But great is God's cause and it will be prosperous and victorious.
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The
Plot of Sanballat, &c.
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B.
C. 445.
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1 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;) 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. 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? 4 Yet they sent unto me
four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.
5 Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with
an open letter in his hand; 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. 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. 8
Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest,
but thou feignest them out of thine own heart. 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.
Two plots upon Nehemiah we have here an account of, how cunningly they were
laid by his enemies and how happily frustrated by God's good providence and
his prudence.
I. A plot to trepan him into a snare. The enemies had an account of the good
forwardness the work was in, that all the breaches of the wall were made up,
so that they considered it as good as done, though at that time the doors
of the gates were off the hinges (v. 1); they must therefore now or
never, by one bold stroke, take off Nehemiah. They heard how well guarded he
was, so that there was no attacking him upon the spot; they will therefore try
by all the arts of wheedling to get him among them. Observe, 1. With what
hellish subtlety they courted him to meet them, not in any city, lest that
should excite a suspicion that they intended to secure him, but in a village
in the lot of Benjamin: "Come, let us meet together to consult
about the common interests of our provinces." Or they would have him
think that they coveted his friendship, and would be glad to be better
acquainted with him, in order to a good understanding between them and the
settling of a good correspondence. But they thought to do him a mischief.
It is probable that he had some secret intelligence given him that they
designed to imprison or murder him; or he knew them so well that, without
breach of charity, he concluded they aimed at his life, and therefore, when
they spoke fair, he believed them not. 2. See with what heavenly wisdom
he declined the motion. His God did instruct him to give them that
prudent answer by messengers of his own: "I am doing a great work,
am very busy, and am loth to let the work stand still while I leave it to come
down to you," v. 3. His care was that the work might not
cease; he knew it would if he left it ever so little; and why should it
cease while I come down to you? He says nothing of his jealousies, nor
reproaches them for their treacherous design, but gives them a good reason and
one of the true reasons why he would not come. Compliment must always give way
to business. Let those that are tempted to idle merry meetings by their vain
companions thus answer the temptation, "We have work to do, and must not
neglect it." Four times they attacked him with the same solicitation, and
he as often returned the same answer, which, we may suppose, was very
vexatious to them; for really it was the ceasing of the work that they aimed
at, and it would make them despair of breaking the undertaking to see the
undertaker so intent upon it. I answered them (says he) after the
same manner, v. 4. Note, We must never suffer ourselves to be
overcome by the greatest importunity to do any thing sinful or imprudent; but,
when we are attacked with the same temptation, must still resist it with the
same reason and resolution.
II. A plot to terrify him from his work. Could they but drive him off, the
work would cease of course. This therefore Sanballat attempts, but in vain. 1.
He endeavours to possess Nehemiah with an apprehension that his undertaking to
build the walls of Jerusalem was generally represented as factious and
seditious, and would be resented accordingly at court, v. 5-7. The best
men, even in their most innocent and excellent performances, have lain under
this imputation. This is written to him in an open letter, as a thing
generally known and talked of, that it was reported among the nations, and
Gashmu will aver it for truth, that Nehemiah was aiming to make himself king
and to shake off the Persian yoke. Note, It is common for that which is the
sense only of the malicious to be falsely represented by them as the sense of
the many. Now Sanballat pretends to inform Nehemiah of this as a friend, that
he might hasten to court to clear himself, or stay his proceedings, for fear
they should be thus misconstrued; at least, upon this surmise, he urges him to
give him the meeting--"Let us take counsel together how to quell
the report," hoping by this means either to take him off, or at least to
take him off from his business. Thus were his words softer than oil,
and yet war was in his heart, and he hoped, like Judas, to kiss and
kill. But surely in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird. Nehemiah
was soon aware what they aimed at, to weaken their hands from the work
(v. 9), and therefore not only denied that such things were true, but
that they were reported; he was better known than to be thus suspected. 2.
Thus he escaped the snare and kept his ground, nor would he be frightened by
winds and clouds from sowing and reaping. Suppose it was thus reported, we
must never omit known duty merely for fear it should be misconstrued; but,
while we keep a good conscience, let us trust God with our good name. But
indeed it was not thus reported. God's people, though sufficiently loaded with
reproach, yet are not really so low in reputation as some would have them
thought to be.
In the midst of his complaint of their malice, in endeavouring to frighten
him, and so weaken his hands, he lifts up his heart to Heaven in this short
prayer: Now therefore, O God! strengthen my hands. It is the great
support and relief of good people that in all their straits and difficulties
they have a good God to go to, from whom, by faith and prayer, they may fetch
in grace to silence their fears and strengthen their hands when their
enemies are endeavouring to fill them with fears and weaken their hands. When,
in our Christian work and warfare, we are entering upon any particular
services or conflicts, this is a good prayer for us to put up: "I have
such a duty to do, such a temptation to grapple with; now therefore, O God!
strengthen my hands." Some read it, not as a prayer, but as a holy
resolution (for O God is supplied in our translation): Now therefore
I will strengthen my hands. Note, Christian fortitude will be sharpened by
opposition. Every temptation to draw us from duty should quicken us so much
the more to duty.
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Shemaiah's
Plot Defeated.
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B.
C. 445.
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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. 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. 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. 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. 14 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.
The Jews' enemies leave no stone unturned, no way untried, to take Nehemiah
off from building the wall about Jerusalem. In order to this they had tried to
fetch him into the country to them, but in vain; now they try to drive him
into the temple for his own safety; let him be any where but at his work.
Observing him to be a cautious man, they will endeavour to gain their point by
making him cowardly. Observe,
I. How basely the enemies managed this temptation.
1. That which they designed was to bring Nehemiah to do a foolish thing, that
they might laugh at him, and insult over him for doing it, and so lessen his
interest and influence (v. 13): That I should be afraid, and so
they might have matter for an evil report, and might reproach me.
This was indeed doing the devil's work, who is men's tempter that he may be
their accuser, draws men to sin that he may glory in their shame. The greatest
mischief our enemies can do us is to frighten us from our duty and bring us to
do what is sinful.
2. The tools they made use of were a pretended prophet and prophetess, whom
they hired to persuade Nehemiah to quit his work and retire for his own
safety. The pretended prophet was Shemaiah, of whom it is said that he was shut
up in his own house, either under pretence of retirement for meditation
and to consult the mind of God or to give Nehemiah a sign in like manner to
make himself a recluse. It should seem, Nehemiah had a value for him, for he
went to his house to consult him, v. 10. Other prophets there were, and
one prophetess, Noadiah (v. 14), that were in the interest of the Jews'
enemies, pensioners to them and traitors to their country. Whether they
pretended to inspiration does not appear; they do not say, Thus saith the
Lord, as the false prophets of old did; if not so, yet they would be
thought to excel in divine knowledge, and human prudence, and to have uncommon
measures of insight and foresight, and were therefore consulted in difficult
cases, as prophets had been. These the enemies feed to be of counsel for them.
Let us hence take occasion to lament, (1.) The wickedness of such bad men as
these prophets, that ever any should be so perfidious as to betray the cause
of God and their country even under the pretence of communion with God and
concern for their country. (2.) The unhappiness of such good men as Nehemiah,
who are in danger of being imposed upon by such cheats, and to whom no
temptation comes with more force than that which comes under a colour of
religion, of revelation and devotion, and is brought by the hand of prophets.
3. The pretence was plausible. These prophets suggested to Nehemiah that the
enemies would come and slay him, in the night they would slay him,
which he had reason enough to believe was true; they would, if they could, if
they durst. They pretended to be much concerned for his safety. The people
would be all undone if any harm should come to him; and therefore they very
gravely advised him to hide himself in the temple till the danger was over;
that was a strong and sacred place, where he would be under the special
protection of Heaven, Ps. xxvii. 5. If Nehemiah had been prevailed upon to do
this, immediately the people would both have left off their work and thrown
down their arms, and every one would have shifted for his own safety; and then
the enemies might easily, and without opposition, have demolished the works,
broken down the wall again, and so gained their point. Though
self-preservation is a fundamental principle of the law of nature, yet that is
not always the best and wisest counsel which pretends to go upon that
principle.
II. See how bravely Nehemiah vanquished this temptation, and came off a
conqueror.
1. He immediately resolved not to yield to it, v. 11. See here, (1.)
What his reasonings are: "Should such a man as I flee? Shall I
desert God's work, or discourage my own workmen whom I have employed and
encouraged? Shall I be over-credulous of report, and over-solicitous about my
own life? I that am the governor, on whom so many eyes are, both of friends
and foes? Another might flee, but not I. Who is there that being as I am,
in my post of honour, and power, and trust, would go into the temple, and lurk
there, when business is to be done, yea, though it were to save his
life?" Note, When we are tempted to sin we should remember who and what
we are, that we may not do any thing unbecoming us, and the profession we
make. It is not for kings, O Lemuel! Prov. xxxi. 4. (2.) What was the
result of his reasonings. He is at a point: "I will not go in. I will
rather die at my work than live in an inglorious retreat from it." Note,
Holy courage and magnanimity will engage us, whatever it cost us, never to decline
a good work, nor ever to do a bad one.
2. He was immediately aware of what was the rise of it (v. 12): "I
perceived that God had not sent him, that he gave this advice, not by any
divine direction, ordinary or extraordinary, but with a design against
me." The wickedness of such mercenary wretches will sooner or later be
brought to light. Two things Nehemiah says he dreaded in that which he was
advised to:-- (1.) Offending God: That I should be afraid, and do so, and
sin. Note, Sin is that which above any thing we should dread; and a good
preservative it is against sin to be afraid of nothing but sin. (2.) Shaming
himself: That they might reproach me. Note, Next to the sinfulness of
sin we should dread the scandalousness of it.
3. He humbly begs of God to reckon with them for their base designs upon him (v.
14): My God, think thou upon Tobiah, and the rest of them, according
to their works. As, when he had mentioned his own good services, he did
not covetously or ambitiously prescribe to God what reward he should give him,
but modestly prayed, Think upon me, my God (ch. v. 19), so here
he does not revengefully imprecate any particular judgment upon his enemies,
but refers the matter to God. "Thou knowest their hearts, and art the
avenger of falsehood and wrong; take cognizance of this cause; judge between
me and them, and take what way and time thou mayest please to call them to an
account for it." Note, Whatever injuries are done us we must not avenge
ourselves, but commit our cause to him that judgeth righteously.
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The
Completion of the Wall.
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B.
C. 445.
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15 So the wall was finished in the twenty and
fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.
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. 17 Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah
sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto
them. 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.
19 Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered my words to him. And
Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.
Nehemiah is here finishing the wall of Jerusalem, and yet still has trouble
created him by his enemies.
I. Tobiah, and the other adversaries of the Jews, had the mortification to see
the wall built up, notwithstanding all their attempts to hinder it. The wall
was begun and finished in fifty-two days, and yet we have reason to
believe they rested on the sabbaths, v. 15. Many were employed, and
there was room for them; what they did they did cheerfully, and minded their
business because they loved it. The threats of their enemies, which were
intended to weaken them, it is likely, quickened them to go on with their work
the more vigorously, that they might get it done before the enemy came. Thus out
of the eater came forth meat. See what a great deal of work may be done in
a little time if we would set about it in earnest and keep close to it.When
the enemies heard that the wall was finished before they thought it was well
begun, and, when they doubted not but to put a stop to it, they were much
cast down in their own eyes, v. 16. 1. They were ashamed of their
own confidence that they should cause the work to cease; they were
crest-fallen upon the disappointment. 2. They envied the prosperity and
success of the Jews, grieved to see the walls of Jerusalem built, while, it
may be, the kings of Persia had not permitted them thus to fortify the cities
of Samaria. When Cain envied his brother his countenance fell, Gen. iv.
5. 3. They despaired of ever doing them the mischief they designed them, of
bringing them down and making a prey of them; and well they might, for they
perceived, by the wonderful success, that the work was wrought of God.
Even these heathens had so much sense as, [1.] To see a special providence of
God conversant about the affairs of the church when they did remarkably
prosper. They said among the heathen, The Lord has done great things for
them; it is his doing, Ps. cxxvi. 2. God fighteth for Israel and worketh
with them. [2.] To believe that God's work would be perfect. When the
perceived that the work was of God they expected no other than that it
would go on and prosper. [3.] To conclude that, if it were of God, it was to
no purpose to think of opposing it; it would certainly prevail and be
victorious.
II. Nehemiah had the vexation, notwithstanding this, to see some of his own
people treacherously corresponding with Tobiah and serving his interest; and a
great grief and discouragement, no doubt, it was to him. 1. Even of the nobles
of Judah there were those who had so little sense of honour and their
country's good as to communicate with Tobiah by letter, v. 17. They
wrote with all the freedom and familiarity of friends to him, and welcomed his
letters to them. Could nobles do a thing so mean? Nobles of Judah so wicked a
thing? It seems great men are not always wise, not always honest. 2. Many in
Judah were in a strict but secret confederacy with him to advance the interest
of his country, though it would certainly be the ruin of their own. They were sworn
unto him, not as their prince, but as their friend and ally, because both
he and his son had married daughters of Israel, v. 18. See the mischief
of marrying with strangers; for one heathen that was converted by it ten Jews
were perverted. When once they became akin to Tobiah they soon became sworn to
him. A sinful love leads to a sinful league. 3. They had the impudence to
court Nehemiah himself into a friendship with him: "They reported his
good deeds before me, represented him as an intelligent gentleman and well
worthy my acquaintance, an honest gentleman and one that I might confide
in." We are indeed required to speak ill of no man, but never to
speak well of bad men. Those that forsake the law praise the wicked,
Prov. xxviii. 4. 4. They were so false as to betray Nehemiah's counsels to
him; they uttered Nehemiah's words to him, perverting them, no doubt, and
putting false constructions upon them, which furnished Tobiah with matter for
letters to put him in fear and so drive him from his work and discourage him
in it. Thus were all their thoughts against him for evil, yet God thought upon
him for good.
Contents
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Section
