Episode 168: Stay On The Wall (Neh. 6)

Have you ever wanted to shout at someone on a screen, “Don’t believe that!”

Deception has always been one of the enemy’s favorite tools. In Nehemiah 6, opposition intensifies—from distraction to slander to intimidation and even spiritual manipulation. And yet Nehemiah refuses to come down from the wall.

In this episode of Moments to Ponder, we explore:

• How opposition escalates when the work of God is advancing
• The difference between discernment and fear
• Why not every “spiritual word” is from God
• How Jesus faced similar tactics—and stayed faithful
• What it looks like to remain steady when your integrity is questioned

Nehemiah’s response is simple and powerful:
 “I am engaged in a great work, so I can’t come.”

If you’ve ever faced criticism, gossip, false accusation, or pressure to compromise, this conversation is for you.

The wall was finished in 52 days—not because the opposition disappeared, but because Nehemiah refused to step away from what God called him to do.

Let’s take a few moments in God’s Word and walk away strengthened.

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Transcript

Deception As A Theme

Nehemiah 6 Context

Four Invitations To Distract

Open Letter And Defamation

Standing Firm In Truth

False Prophecy Trap

Prayer And Dependence On God

Parallels To Jesus

The Wall Completed

Inside Undermining And Alliances

Personal Application And Prayer

Closing Encouragement

SPEAKER_00 0:06

Hi friends, I'm Betsy, and I want to welcome you to Moments to Ponder. If you're interested in learning more from the Bible but sometimes struggle to know how it connects to everyday life, you've come to the right place. This podcast is designed to help you spend a few moments in God's Word and take away something to ponder. I pray this time together will be encouraging for you. This is episode 168. Have you ever watched a show and found yourself telling the character out loud, no, don't believe them, or don't go in there. I was recently watching a medical drama series and surprised myself by talking out loud to the character. I don't normally do that. In fact, I actually had to turn the show off because I was getting so upset by those who were messing with everyone else through slander and threat. Deception, slander. It's a major theme in so many movies and TV shows. In fact, we have shows that base their whole premise on deception. In our passage today, Nehemiah 6, we find that deception is alive and well. Opposition that we've talked about before has a progressive, aggressive strategy behind it. And often deception becomes a part of it. We can see it throughout history on really large scales, but also within our personal lives. It starts with words, maybe some lies, it moves to a little larger slander and maybe some threats and intimidation, fear. And sadly, it can even get physical if it's not stopped. Chapter six speaks of opposition that has continued to plague Nehemiah and the people of Jerusalem. And as the project continues, so do those who want to see it fail. We start in verse 1. Sanbalat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies found out that I had finished rebuilding the wall and that no gaps remained, though we had not yet set up the doors and the gates. So Sanbalat and Geshem sent a message asking me to meet them at one of the villages in the plain of Ono. Now, for our reference, Ono is about 25 to 30 miles away on the border of Samaria and Judah. It would have required Nehemiah to travel to an isolated area, taking him from the wall project where everyone was working with a sword in one hand and building in the other. It was a good few days travel both ways. Let's continue into verse two. But, Nehemiah writes, I realized they were plotting to harm me, so I replied by sending this message to them. I am engaged in a great work, so I can't come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you? Four times they sent the same message, and each time I gave the same reply. Nehemiah is seeing this for what it is. It's a distraction, a ploy to pull him away from the work that God had given him to do. Nehemiah isn't deceived by their invitation. He realizes that there's a plot afoot here and that they want to do him harm. So he tells them, I have a great work, I can't come. I won't be distracted by your invitation. They sent that message four times. I would imagine that these were a few days apart and given with increasing urgency each time. Isn't that how distractions work though? Maybe you found this. It's amazing how many things fight for our attention when we're trying to focus on getting something done. Like even now, as I've been focused on getting this episode out, I've been distracted by laundry and phone calls and questions. And we try to ignore the distractions at first, but they keep pulling at us until it feels like it's yelling at us for our attention. And often, by the time it's yelling, we give in. I mean, we live in a world full of distractions. There's one right in our hand often. One reel leads to another, one episode leads to another, one text leads to another, and we find ourselves completely off track. But Nehemiah knew he had great work to do. Why should he go and leave what God had given him to do? He shouldn't. He didn't fall for it. Verse 5. The fifth time Sanblat's servant came to me with an open letter in his hand, and this is what it said. Okay, before we go there, take that in. It's an open letter. That means that the servant could read it, could share it with other people, even before Nehemiah read it, meaning everyone would know what this letter said. And this is what it said. There's a rumor among the surrounding nations, and Geshem tells me it is true that you and the Jews are planning to rebel, and that is why you're building the wall. According to his reports, you plan to be their king. He also reports that you have appointed prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim about you. Look, there's a king in Judah. You can be very sure that this report will get back to the king. So I suggest that you come and talk it over with me. Who Sambled's getting down and dirty? He is accusing Nehemiah of some things and saying, Geshem tells me it's true. He has moved on to what we call today defamation. Defamation, by definition, are false statements presented as facts to harm a reputation, bring shame, even a loss of job. Like libel and slander are part of this. Sambolette wants to bring Nehemiah's integrity into question. Question his loyalty to the king, and he accuses him even of misusing prophets to raise him up. Sambolette doesn't care that he's spreading lies. He just wants to stop the work. So he's getting dirty. It's amazing how true this still is today. We see it on social media and in the news and even in workplaces and friend groups, gossip, innuendo, wanting to take someone else out, calling their loyalty into question because, well, you have something against them. I mean, defamation is derailing. And when people believe it, it's awful. Many of us are affected by what others think of us or say about us. And in our world today, we can see this, right? So it's brought on higher anxiety issues and depression. These situations are hard when we know someone is saying something wrong about us. But we can't control the mouths or the thoughts of others, even though we'd like to, especially when it causes others to believe lies about us. But we need to remember where the truth lies. Now I know if enough people believe a lie, it can find footing and it can gain an importance. But we need to stay the course and remember what is true, even if others don't know it. And we see Nehemiah do this in verse eight. He says, There's no truth in any part of your story. You are making up the whole thing. They are just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater determination. Nehemiah shows us how steadfast he is. He knows what's true and he knows his people. And what's even more, his people know him. As we spoke of last week, he is wearing his honoring God hat for all to see. His life backs up his words. They know what is true about Nehemiah, and they don't fall for the lies of Sambalat. Sometimes opposition is going to require us to stand firm, knowing who we are, and allowing people to say and do whatever they will while we rely on God to fight for us. Nehemiah wasn't about to be intimidated, but he worked with even more determination, letting them know they did not win. Verse 10. Later I went to visit Shemiah, son of Deliah and grandson of Mehetpal, who was confined to his home. He said, Let us meet together inside the temple of God and bolt the door shut. Your enemies are coming to kill you tonight. What a great friend to warn him and help him hide, right? But Nearbiah replies, Should someone in my position run from danger? Should someone in my position enter the temple to save his life? No, I won't do it. I realized that God had not spoken to him, but that he had uttered this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanblet had hired him. They were hoping to intimidate me and make me sin. Then they would be able to accuse and discredit me. When I read this at first, I had to wonder, how did Nehemiah know that God had not spoken to his friend? So I had to do a little background work and it helped me see the spiritual manipulation going on here. His friend is saying, I have a prophecy. Your enemy is coming to kill you. Let's hide in God's house. Basically saying, God told me you're in danger, so come with me. But Shemiah slips when he says, Bolt the door shut, because this is something God would not direct Nehemiah to do. And here's why. The open area of the temple didn't have doors to bolt, but the inner sacred space reserved for the priests did. We read of this in 2 Chronicles 26. It was unlawful for anyone but the priests to be in the sanctuary of the temple. This is where Shemiah is saying they should go and hide. But God wouldn't have Nehemiah break his law. He wouldn't ask Nehemiah to sin. If we go to the big picture, Nehemiah's whole goal is temple protection and worship. He will not desecrate the temple by entering a place reserved for priests. It would have completely discredited him in the eyes of his people and they would have questioned his leadership. Chemiah is trying to manipulate Nehemiah by speaking of prophecy. He is lying about spiritual things or using something that sounds spiritual to try to get him to fall. Because of Nehemiah's character, his focus on his great work and his relationship with God, he recognizes the plot for what it is. Shemiah and Tobiah, sorry, Sanblet and Tobiah have paid Shemiah off. Verse 14. Remember, O my God, Nehemiah writes, remember all the evil things that Tobiah and Sanblet have done, and remember Nodiah, the prophet, and all the prophets like her who have tried to intimidate me. Okay, there's something new there. Nehemiah is appealing to God for help and strength. And from his prayer we see that not only has he been facing Sanblet and Tobiah, but other prophets like Nodiah and more. Remember, O God, what they have done. Again we see Nehemiah handing his enemies over to God, not taking on retribution or revenge for himself for the distractions and defamation or even the spiritual manipulation. It's a reminder that we can't overcome our enemy slander or our fear of them by ourselves. It is his might and his power by the Spirit of God that these things can be taken care of. And we really see Nehemiah's character here as well, right? Steadfast, discerning, and courageous, while also obedient. He's showing us what it looks like to live for God in the midst of all that is coming against him. And we learn another thing here. Well, maybe more reminded. Satan is not creative. When we look at the New Testament and the story of Jesus and we see the opposition he faced, we see the parallel. Nehemiah heard, come to Ono, come away from your work. Jesus heard, come down from the cross, you can leave this work. Yet both had been given a great work from God to do. Nehemiah had false accusations before the people. Jesus faced false accusations before Pilate and the people. Yet in the face of false accusations, neither of them defended themselves. But they spoke truth and trusted God. Nehemiah had an easy escape. Just hide in the temple. Jesus was also offered an easy way out before he even did hard ministry. Satan said, just worship me. But both would have been disobedient to what God had asked them to do. And even when facing death, both men stayed the course before them. How amazing that it works for Jesus, just as it worked for Nehemiah, as it can work for us. Distraction, slander, lies, spiritually manipulating what we believe. We can come against these with God's help through our focus on Him, living in the truth, and being obedient to what He's asked us to do. Focus, truth, obedience. And because of all of that, we come to verse 15. So on October 2, the wall was finished. Just 52 days after we had begun. Okay, take that in. Such a simple sentence. Just 52 days to build or rebuild two and a half miles of wall. And that's incredible. That's not even two months. Nehemiah prayed for four months just to talk to the king. Yet preparation often takes more time than the actual event, doesn't it? And in verse 16, we read, When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God. The work was finished. Definitely God was in it. But the threats, interestingly, didn't immediately stop. The enemies may have been frightened and humiliated, but they weren't ready to give up. And in this we learn something that's been happening to undermine Nehemiah's work since the very beginning. Verse 17. During those fifty-two days, many letters went back and forth between Tobiah and the nobles of Judah, for many in Judah had sworn alliance to him because his father-in-law was Shechaniah, son of Arah, and his son, Jehohan, was married to the daughter of Meshelem, son of Barakiah. They kept telling me about Tobiah's good deeds, and then they told him everything I said. And Tobiah kept sending threatening letters to intimidate me. Even with all that was happening, there were nobles sharing information and talking Tobiah up. Well, at the same time, Tobiah was sending threatening letters to Nehemiah. This is so twisted. Tobiah's father-in-law is a Jewish noble. His son is married into the nobility of Judah, but because of Tobiah's status, they owe allegiance to Tobiah. Marriage alliances that created allegiances, oh, they're strong. You may remember even hearing Meshlem's son of Berkiah's name when we read the list of those building the wall. So he's building the wall while at the same time undermining his leader. This must have caused him some sleepless nights as he played both sides. So to summarize this, Nehemiah is opposed from the outside, undermined from the inside, his integrity is attacked, his safety is threatened, his faith is tested. But the work of God wasn't stopped. And the wall stood as a testament of what God can do through his people. Dear one, we each have work that God has given us to do. A great work. And we may face opposition. We might even feel undermined. But our integrity and our safety and our faith all rest in who we are doing that work for. That work might be raising a family, leading with integrity, or being a godly example where you work. Maybe it's sharing his story with someone. And the enemy is going to use distraction and fear and lies and even misleading teaching to take you off course. And this is where we look to Nehemiah's example. Nehemiah stayed on the wall, which was the work God had given him to do. And we need to stay on our wall as well. We need to stay the course. So as we close today, I have a question for you. Where is the enemy trying to get you to come off the work he's given you? Is there a distraction you fight? Is it a fear? Is it what people might think? Or a shortcut that would compromise obedience? Remember, you are engaged in a great work. It's called Your Life in Jesus. So as you think about where the enemy might be coming against you, I want you to name it and pray over it and choose to stay in your work. I don't do this every time, but I would love to close in prayer over us. Heavenly Father, give us discernment when distraction comes dressed up as opportunity. Give us courage when slander tries to define us. Give us obedience when compromise looks easier than faithfulness. Help us stay on the wall that you've assigned to us. We pray this in your holy name. Amen. You never know who is one conversation away from giving up on their wall. Thanks for joining me.