Late afternoon, seen from below and behind two messengers on a path: Nehemiah stands small and upright on top of the plain, flat-topped wall of Jerusalem beside an open, doorless gateway, a basket at his feet, looking down at them under a calm, clear sky.

The Book of

Nehemiah 6

The gaps were closed. So they came after the man.

19 verses≈ 4 min5 peopleBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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In this chapter

Where we are

1–2The callA cupbearer prays and is sent
3–6The wallBuilt under fire in 52 daysChapter 6
7The peopleThe families remembered
8–10The WordRead, confessed, sworn
11–12The citySettled and dedicated
13The endingPromises broken, reforms again

Sanballat’s Conspiracy

When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left—though to that time I had not yet installed the doors in the gates—

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Sanballat

Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.”

But they were planning to harm me.

Nehemiah

So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it to go down to you?”

Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave the same reply.

I am doing a great work and cannot come down.

Nehemiah 6:3

The fifth time, Sanballat sent me this same message by his young servant, who had in his hand an unsealed letter

From SanballatTo Nehemiah

that read: “It is reported among the nations—and Geshem agrees—that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and this is why you are building the wall. According to these reports, you are to become their king,

and you have even appointed prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim on your behalf: ‘There is a king in Judah.’ Soon these rumors will reach the ears of the king. So come, let us confer together.”

Nehemiah 6:6–7

At dusk Nehemiah stands alone on the flat walkway of the rebuilt wall, stone dust on his tunic, his worn open hands held out before him and his head bowed, under a calm dusk sky.

Then I sent him this reply: “There is nothing to these rumors you are spreading; you are inventing them in your own mind.”

For they were all trying to frighten us, saying, “Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will never be finished.” But now, my God, strengthen my hands.

0:17

Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

Pray

Strengthen my hands

Pray this one for yourself tonight: “strengthen my hands.” Pray it for tired workers you know. And pray for anyone facing rumor or a false charge: that they would answer plainly, and keep working.

Later, I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his house.

Shemaiah

He said: “Let us meet at the house of God inside the temple. Let us shut the temple doors because they are coming to kill you—by night they are coming to kill you!”

Nehemiah

But I replied, “Should a man like me run away? Should one like me go into the temple to save his own life? I will not go!”

Night at the second temple: the plain stone house with its plain doors shut, the court empty, the rough stone altar quiet, one small lamp far off, and stars above the plain roofline, with no one there.

I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had uttered this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would sin by doing as he suggested, so they could give me a bad name in order to discredit me.

O my God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat for what they have done, and also Noadiah the prophetess and the other prophets who tried to intimidate me.

Four ways to stop a wall

Whiteboard

Each one aimed at the man rather than the wall: get him away, smear him, scare him, make him sin. He kept to the work and kept praying.

Reflect

Cannot come down

“I am doing a great work and cannot come down.” What is the work God has given you right now? What keeps calling you down from it? Name one thing you will say no to.

Completion of the Wall

So the wall was completed in fifty-two days, on the twenty-fifth of Elul.

When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and disheartened, for they realized that this task had been accomplished by our God.

Question

Quick question

The families had worked around the threats, the rumors and the famine.

How long did the wall take?

You’ve experienced

Nehemiah 6

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A verse to carry with you

I am doing a great work and cannot come down.

Nehemiah 6:3

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