Enemies Trickery Nehemiah 6

Nehemiah 6:2 "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."

In the first verse it tells of the frustration of the enemy with the fact that the wall was finished to the point that there were no breaches in it. You remember that at first, the enemy just laughed and said it could not be done, then they tried to attack to stop the work. Both attempts failed and now they want to get Nehemiah out of the city so they can possibly kill him. Nehemiah did not fall for it.

v3 "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?"

So then a letter writing campaign started between the enemy and the princes. The enemy accused the Jews of planning a rebellion which Nehemiah denied. Then one of the enemy wanted Nehemiah to hid from the danger in the house of God by shutting him up inside.

v10 "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."

It was all about trying to put fear into Nehemiah so that he would hid instead of doing the work. Shemaiah was already shut up in his own house and he wanted Nehemiah to do the same in the Lord's house.

v11 "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."

Verse twelve tells us that the man was hired by Sanballat. Verse 15 tells us that the wall was finally finished. The enemy is downcast.

v16 "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."

Nehemiah kept his focus on the task he was about. He did not stop because of ridicule, deception or threats on his own life. In the end, the finished wall was a witness to the power of God. I expect many memories of the great nation Israel was before the captivity, are now coming back to those who have abused the remnant.

Isaiah 30:19 "For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more; he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry, when he shall hear it, he will answer thee."

The enemy tries to trick Nehemiah into endangering himself.