Table of Contents
The Final Assault on Leadership
Nehemiah chapter 6 details the final, desperate attempts of the enemy to stop the rebuilding of the wall. With the physical structure nearly complete, the opposition, led by Sanballat and Tobiah, shifts its strategy. They abandon the threat of a full-scale military assault and instead focus their attacks directly on Nehemiah’s character and life. This chapter is a case study in resisting psychological and spiritual warfare. The enemies employ a three-pronged attack: the lure of a deceptive compromise, the threat of a slanderous rumor, and the trap of false prophecy. In each instance, Nehemiah responds with discernment, prayer, and unwavering resolve. The chapter culminates in the triumphant completion of the wall in a remarkably short time, a feat that even the enemies recognized as the work of God.
The Trap of False Compromise
(Nehemiah 6:1-4) The chapter opens with the news reaching Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem that the wall was finished, with no gaps remaining, although the doors had not yet been set in the gates. Seeing that their window for a military attack was closing, they sent a message to Nehemiah. They proposed a meeting on the plain of Ono, a location some distance from Jerusalem. The invitation seemed reasonable, a diplomatic parley to resolve their differences. However, Nehemiah discerned their true motive: “they intended to do me harm.” The plan was to lure him away from the security of Jerusalem and the protection of his people, likely to assassinate or kidnap him.
Nehemiah’s response was firm and focused. He sent back a classic reply that has become a motto for dedicated leaders: “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” He refused to be distracted from his primary mission. He recognized the meeting as a diversion tactic designed to halt the project’s momentum. The enemies were persistent, sending the same invitation four times. Each time, Nehemiah gave the same resolute answer. His steadfastness shows the importance of maintaining focus on God’s call and refusing to be drawn into the enemy’s games.
The Weapon of Slander
(Nehemiah 6:5-9) When the lure of a false meeting failed, Sanballat escalated his attack by turning to slander. On the fifth attempt, he sent his servant with an open letter. An open letter was a public document, ensuring its contents would become common knowledge and spread as a rumor. The letter contained a serious accusation: that Nehemiah and the Jews were rebuilding the wall because they were planning to rebel against the king of Persia. The letter claimed this was a widespread report among the nations. To make the charge more specific, it alleged that Nehemiah intended to make himself their king and had even appointed prophets to proclaim this in Jerusalem. Sanballat then concluded with a veiled threat, suggesting that this report would surely get back to the king, and therefore Nehemiah should come and meet with him.
This was a cunning and dangerous attack. The charge of rebellion was the most serious crime in the Persian Empire and could have resulted in the immediate shutdown of the project and Nehemiah’s execution. Nehemiah’s response was swift and direct. He sent a message back to Sanballat, flatly denying the accusation: “No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind.” He saw the rumor for what it was—a fabrication designed to frighten him and the people, hoping they would stop the work out of fear. Immediately after his denial, Nehemiah turned to God in prayer. He prayed a short, powerful prayer: “But now, O God, strengthen my hands.” He did not rely on his own strength to fight the fear and pressure but sought divine reinforcement.
The Trap of False Prophecy
(Nehemiah 6:10-14) The final and most insidious attack came from within the Jewish community itself. Nehemiah went to the house of a man named Shemaiah, who was shut in at his home. Shemaiah, presenting himself as a prophet, delivered a terrifying message. He claimed their lives were in danger and that assassins were coming that very night to kill Nehemiah. He proposed a solution: they should both go into the temple, into the holy place, and shut the doors to be safe.
This was a subtle and clever trap. On the surface, it seemed like a concerned warning and a reasonable safety precaution. However, Nehemiah’s spiritual discernment allowed him to see the deception. He understood two things. First, as a layman, it was a grave sin for him to enter the holy place of the temple; only priests were allowed to go there (Numbers 18:7). To do so would be an act of desecration and would destroy his credibility as a godly leader. Second, to run and hide would be an act of cowardice that would demoralize the people. His famous response reveals his courage and integrity: “Should such a man as I run away? And what man such as I could go into the temple and live? I will not go in.” He perceived that Shemaiah was a false prophet, hired by Tobiah and Sanballat to frighten him into sinning. Nehemiah concludes this section with a prayer, asking God to remember the evil deeds of Tobiah, Sanballat, and the other false prophets who had tried to intimidate him.
Verse by Verse
(Nehemiah 6:1-4) The enemies, seeing the wall is almost finished, try to lure Nehemiah into a trap by inviting him to a meeting. Nehemiah discerns their intent to harm him and refuses four times with his famous reply, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down.”
(Nehemiah 6:5-7) Sanballat changes tactics to slander. He sends an open letter, a public rumor, accusing Nehemiah of planning a rebellion and wanting to be king.
(Nehemiah 6:8-9) Nehemiah denies the false report, recognizing it as a fabrication designed to instill fear. He immediately prays, “O God, strengthen my hands.”
(Nehemiah 6:10) The attack becomes spiritual. A prophet named Shemaiah tries to trick Nehemiah into hiding in the temple’s holy place under the guise of saving his life.
(Nehemiah 6:11-13) Nehemiah’s discernment and courage are on display. He refuses to run, recognizing that entering the temple would be both a sin and an act of cowardice. He perceives that the prophet was hired by the enemy.
(Nehemiah 6:14) Nehemiah prays again, asking God to hold his enemies, including the false prophets, accountable for their actions.
(Nehemiah 6:15-16) The wall is completed in a stunning 52 days. When their enemies hear of this, they are demoralized because they recognize that “this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.”
(Nehemiah 6:17-19) The chapter ends with a sobering note. Even with the wall built, the threat from within remains. Many nobles of Judah were in league with Tobiah through marriage and business alliances, and they continually tried to intimidate Nehemiah by reporting Tobiah’s “good deeds.”
The Wall is Finished
(Nehemiah 6:15-16) Despite all the opposition, the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth day of the month of Elul, in just fifty-two days. This was a miraculous achievement. The sheer speed and success of the project in the face of such intense internal and external pressure was a powerful testimony. The effect on their enemies was profound. The text says that when all their enemies heard about it, “all the surrounding nations were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem.” The reason for their reaction was that “they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.” The completed wall was an undeniable sign of God’s favor and power on behalf of His people. The very thing the enemies fought against became a witness to them of the greatness of the God of Israel.
The Lingering Internal Threat
(Nehemiah 6:17-19) The chapter ends on a somber and realistic note. The external wall was finished, but the problem of internal compromise remained. During this time, many of the nobles of Judah were in constant communication with Tobiah, bound to him by oaths and family alliances through marriage. These influential Jews acted as Tobiah’s spies and advocates within the city, continually speaking of his “good deeds” to Nehemiah and reporting Nehemiah’s words back to Tobiah. Tobiah, in turn, continued to send letters to intimidate Nehemiah. This serves as a crucial reminder that even after a great victory, the battle is not over. The greatest threats to God’s people often come not from the outside, but from compromise and divided loyalties within.
Cross References
2 Corinthians 11:26: Paul speaks of being in “danger from false brothers.” Nehemiah’s experience with Shemaiah and the nobles who were allied with Tobiah is a clear Old Testament example of this. The most painful and dangerous opposition often comes from those who should be allies.
Matthew 4:8-10: Satan tempted Jesus by offering him the kingdoms of the world, a deceptive compromise to get Jesus to abandon his true mission. Jesus’s firm refusal, “Be gone, Satan!” is echoed in Nehemiah’s unwavering reply, “I cannot come down.” Both refused to be distracted by a deceptive offer from the enemy.
Ephesians 6:11: “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” The various attacks on Nehemiah—deception, slander, intimidation, false prophecy—are perfect examples of the “schemes” of the enemy. Nehemiah’s reliance on prayer, discernment, and courage shows him “standing firm” against these attacks.
Psalm 31:13: “For I hear the whispering of many—terror on every side!—as they scheme together against me, as they plot to take my life.” This verse captures the atmosphere of rumor, conspiracy, and threats that Nehemiah faced. Like the psalmist, Nehemiah’s response was to entrust himself to God.
Proverbs 29:25: “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.” The entire strategy of Sanballat and his allies was to use fear to trap Nehemiah. Nehemiah’s refusal to be afraid, choosing instead to trust God and pray for strength, demonstrates the truth of this proverb.