The Conspiracy To Bring Down Nehemiah! Nehemiah 6:1-7:4

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1 The Conspiracy To Bring Down Nehemiah! Nehemiah 6:1-7:4 Message by Michael J. Barnard October 30, 2016 Teaching Aim: To examine the attempts of the enemy to distract Nehemiah and draw him away from the mission God had called him to. To understand Satan will do whatever he can to bring down spiritual leaders; by doing so he will maximize the harm to God s people. To realize Nehemiah had a good understanding of God s Word and was able to recognize false prophecies when they came. To see Nehemiah asked God for strength to go through the attacks, not to be delivered from them! DIGGING DEEPER INTO GOD S WORD (BIBLE STUDY) Part I: The enemies of the Jews attempt to lure Nehemiah away from Jerusalem (Neh. 6:1-9) 1. What three enemies of the Jews are specifically named in verse 1? Were these enemies pleased to hear that the walls around Jerusalem had been completed? Why or why not? What project in Jerusalem still needed to be finished? 2. What did Sanballat (governor of Samaria), Geshem the Arab and many others request of Nehemiah (vs. 2)? Where was the plain of Ono located and what was their purpose in trying to get Nehemiah there? (See Bible Commentaries) 3. Governor Nehemiah followed political protocol in sending a return letter (vs. 3). What message did he send? Why did Nehemiah refuse to leave Jerusalem? According to verses 4 & 5, how persistent were the enemies of the Jews in trying to get Nehemiah to leave Jerusalem? How persistent was Nehemiah in saying no? 4. In verses 5-7, Governor Sanballat of Samaria used a different tactic, what was it? In ancient times when governors communicated with one another, it was through a sealed scroll (or closed letter ). Why do you think Sanballat sent his threatening letter as an open letter? Why would this threat be alarming not only to Nehemiah, but also to the Jewish people? What do you think Kind Artaxerxes would have done if he had heard this report and believed it? 1

2 5. How did Nehemiah respond to the accusation (vs. 8)? Have people ever made false accusations against you? How did you respond? According to verse 9, what was Sanballat s purpose behind this false accusation? 6. Who did Nehemiah go to for help (vs. 9)? Who should we go to for help in times of trouble? Did Nehemiah ask God to deliver him from the problem or to strengthen him to go through it? Why do you think God allows us to go through difficult times? How do you pray to God when you are troubled? (See Jer. 33:3; Matt. 7:7-8) On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your prayer life? What are some practical steps you can take to improve it? Part II: Shemaiah attempts to bring Nehemiah down through trickery (Neh. 6:10-14) 1. When the 5 attempts of Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of the enemies of the Jews failed to draw Nehemiah out of Jerusalem, what did they try next (vs. 10)? Note: In verse 10 we find that Nehemiah went to Shemaiah indicating that he either personally knew him or knew of him. What can we learn about this evil priest from verse 10? 2. What strategy did Shemaiah attempt to use against Nehemiah (vs. 10)? Why do most people think Shemaiah was a priest? Why would it have been a sin for Nehemiah to flee into the temple of God? (See Deut. 18:6-7) 3. How did Nehemiah respond to Shemaiah s urging (vs. 11)? Is there any truth to the statement, Just as courage is contagious so is cowardliness! How would following Shemaiah s advice have affected the trust of the Jewish people in Nehemiah? 4. In verse 12 we learn that Shemaiah, besides being a priest was also considered a prophet by some. According to verse 12, did Nehemiah understand what was happening? Why is it important for each of us to have our minds saturated with the Word of God? How can we know for sure if prophecies are false? (See Isa. 8:20; Matt. 7:15-20; Acts 17:11) 2

3 5. According to verse 13, why did Tobiah, Sanballat and the others hire Shemaiah? Why were Nehemiah s enemies trying so hard to take him out? Is Satan still trying to take out spiritual leaders today? Why are they a favorite target of his? Should we believe every accusation we hear against people today (especially religious leaders), or should we take time to find out the truth? How would God have us respond to accusations against a leader? (See 1 Tim. 5:19-22) 6. In verse 14 we find Nehemiah praying what is called an imprecatory prayer. What is an imprecatory prayer? (Hint: Google it!) Is it okay for a Christian to pray this kind of prayer today? (See Matt. 5:44; Rom. 12:19-21) Part III: The walls of Jerusalem are completed and the doors of the gates set (Neh. 6:15-7:4) 1. It had been less than 6 months since Nehemiah left Shushan (Susa) and the wall was now completed. According to verse 15, how many days did it take to complete the walls? On what day historically did this take place according to our calendar? (See Bible Commentaries) 2. How did completing the wall in a timely fashion affect Jerusalem s pagan neighbors (vs. 16)? What did these enemies realize after such a remarkable accomplishment in just 52 days, and this after 151 years of humiliation and defenselessness? How does the truth of Rom. 8:31 relate to Nehemiah chapter 6? How does Rom. 8:31 relate to your life today? 3. What can we learn about some of the nobles of Judah from verses 17 & 18? Is there any truth to the statement, Blood is thicker than water? If so, how? How were illegal intermarriages undercutting the work of Nehemiah? (See Ezra 9:1-4, 12) Why do you think the Bible instructs us, Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers? (See 2 Cor. 6:14-18) 3

4 4. In what way were some of the nobles of Judah playing both sides of the fence (vs. 19)? Have you ever had a friend or acquaintance play both sides of the fence on you? Did you feel like you were stabbed in the back? How do you think Nehemiah felt? 5. Hanging the doors on the gate was the final step to completing the wall around Jerusalem (vs. 7:1). What other important function did Governor Nehemiah perform (vs. 1)? What was Nehemiah s next step once the city was secure and the temple taken care of (vs. 2)? 6. Hanani was Jeremiah s brother, we have seen him before in Neh. 1:1-4 (vs. 2). What message did Hanani bring to Nehemiah while he was still serving as the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes of Persia? 7. Who was Hananiah (vs. 2)? What made Hananiah a good choice to be a leader? What standards do we use in picking our political leaders today? Is this wise or unwise? What move did Nehemiah make in verse 2a? Why was this a wise move in light of Nehemiah discovering some of the men in the city were walking both sides of the fence? 8. Why do you think Nehemiah kept the gates closed until the sun was hot (vs. 3)? (See Commentaries) What strategy did Nehemiah use to guard the city (vs. 3b)? Why was this a wise and effective strategy? 9. What can we learn about the size of the wall from verse 4? Nehemiah was not only a leader; he was a visionary. What did Nehemiah see, even at this early stage? 4

5 MINER S CORNER ~ Manna to live by! Satan goes after the leadership; if he can take a leader out, he can take out a ministry! If Satan can t take us out personally, he will go after our children! (Meshullam) Enemies of God always try to get spiritual leaders to compromise and meet them halfway! When under the attack of the enemy we need to keep our eyes on God and complete the mission He has called us to! Watch out for those who are playing both sides of the fence. Don t believe everything you hear about spiritual leaders; stop all gossip and find out the facts! (Sadly our sin nature wants to believe the worst about people.) It is critical for us to have our minds saturated with the Word of God so that when the attacks of the enemy come, we will be able to identify and stand against them! True spiritual leaders follow God, no matter what the consequences to them personally! 5