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Our Doctrine

Kenneth H. Good Books

May 22nd, 2005

Pastor George H. Heiland

In Sheep's Clothing

1 Now it came about when it was reported to Sanballat, Tobiah, to Geshem the Arab, and to the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall, and that no breach remained in it, although at that time I had not set up the doors in the gates, 2 that Sanballat and Geshem sent a message to me, saying, “Come, let us meet together at Chephirim in the plain of Ono.” But they were planning to harm me. 3 So I sent messengers to them, saying, “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?” 4 And they sent messages to me four times in this manner, and I answered them in the same way. 5 Then Sanballat sent his servant to me in the same manner a fifth time with an open letter in his hand. 6 In it was written, “It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel; therefore you are rebuilding the wall. And you are to be their king, according to these reports. 7 “And you have also appointed prophets to proclaim in Jerusalem concerning you, ‘A king is in Judah!’ And now it will be reported to the king according to these reports. So come now, let us take counsel together.” 8 Then I sent a message to him saying, “Such things as you are saying have not been done, but you are inventing them in your own mind.” 9 For all of them were trying to frighten us, thinking, “They will become discouraged with the work and it will not be done.” But now, O God, strengthen my hands.

A. The Plot Against The Plan vs.  1 & 2

1. The Report of the Work vs.  1

1 Now it came about when it was reported to Sanballat, Tobiah, to Geshem the Arab, and to the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall, and that no breach remained in it, although at that time I had not set up the doors in the gates, . . .

It appears that the enemy was hard pressed to accept the fact that the work on the walls was nearly completed.  They had mocked the builders and expected them to fail.  The fresh intelligence reports convinced them otherwise.  Persons of wisdom will not neglect God’s perspective in such matters.  Consider the words of Isaiah in the 45th chapter:  “15 Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,

    And are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales;

    Behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust.

¹⁶    Even Lebanon is not enough to burn,

    Nor its beasts enough for a burnt offering.

¹⁷   All the nations are as nothing before Him,

   They are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless.”

Whose side would you want to be on?

2. The Revision of the Plot vs.  2

Nehemiah is now facing a new threat. Sanballet and Geshem have devised a means to draw him out from the protection of the city. What may have sounded like a diplomatic breakthrough was nothing more than a sinister plot to kidnap or execute him and disrupt the work.

B.  The Priority and The Progress vs.  2b-3

1. His Suspicion  of the Enemy vs.  2b

“But they were planning to harm me.”

2. His Single-mindedness for the Work     vs.  3

“So I sent messengers to them, saying, “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?”

It is so important to give our service to God its proper priority in our lives; no excuses!  See 1st Corinthians 7:29-31  ²⁹But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none; ³⁰And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not; ³¹And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away. KJV

C.  The Prevarication and The Principle          vs. 4-9

1. Prevarication and the Persistence vs.  4,5

4 “And they sent messages to me four times in this manner, and I answered them in the same way. 5 Then Sanballat sent his servant to me in the same manner a fifth time with an open letter in his hand.” In their commentary, Jamieson, Faussett & Brown note that “Letters were, and are still, sent to persons of distinction in a bag or purse, and even to equals they are enclosed—the tie being made with a colored ribbon. But to inferiors, or persons who are to be treated contemptuously, the letters were sent open—that is, not enclosed in a bag. Nehemiah, accustomed to the punctilious ceremonial of the Persian court, would at once notice the want of the usual formality and know that it was from designed disrespect. The strain of the letter was equally insolent.”

2. Prevarication and the Prophets vs. 6,7a

 . . . “It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel; therefore you are rebuilding

the wall. And you are to be their king, according to these reports.” “And you have also appointed prophets to proclaim in Jerusalem concerning you, ‘A king is in Judah!’ And now it will be reported to the king according to these reports.”  Here is the age-old tactic; if you can’t defeat them, besmirch them.  Sound familiar?

3. Prevarication and the Ploy vs.  7b

“ . . . So come now, let us take counsel together.”  God had warned the Israelites not to make covenants with the heathen.  Whenever they did it resulted in disaster.  See  Deuteronomy 7:2a - 4 

“ . . .You shall make no covenant with them and show no mercy to them. ³You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, ⁴for they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods.”  Nehemiah wisely profited by the mistakes of others and honored God directives.  Remember Paul’s words?  2nd Timothy 2:5  “⁵Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules.”

4. Prevarication and The Prayer vs.  8,9

a. Nehemiah’s Position vs.  8,9a

Then I sent a message to him saying, “Such things as you are saying have not been done, but you are inventing them in your own mind.” 9 For all of them were trying to frighten us, thinking, “They will become discouraged with the work and it will not be done.”

Nehemiah nails it!  It is an attempt to stall the work and bring reproach upon the name of God.  The enemy will stop at nothing to discourage God’s people.  Paul speaks of the subtleness  of Satan in his 2nd letter to Corinth.  2nd Corinthians 11;14,15

¹⁴No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. ¹⁵Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds. 

b. Nehemiah’s Prayer vs.  9b

“But now, O God, strengthen my hands.”

Nehemiah was not ignorant of satanic devices and immediately appealed to God for strength.  What a powerful lesson.  In matters of our salvation from sin, God is aware of our weakness and inability. 

Romans 5:6-8  “⁶For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. ⁸But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

 Thanks for reading this message.  DO YOU have need of salvation? God's Word tells us to repent of our sins and come to God accepting the fact that Christ died on the cross, rose from the dead and paid the full penalty for all that come to Him in faith.

Here are some points to consider:

Have you found a church home?  If you are in the area of Port St Lucie, why not visit us?

Have you found new life in Christ? Why not come to Him today? God will receive those who will come to Him.  He has provided the means for you to be saved, baptized and be a part of His New Testament Local Church ministry -- He gave His Son to intercede; all you need to do is cast yourself upon His mercy and grace.  

Jesus said in John 6:37-40

38 “For  I have come down from heaven,  not to do My own will, but  the will of Him who  sent Me. 39 “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of  all that He has given Me I  lose nothing, but  raise it up on the last day. 40 “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who  beholds the Son and  believes in Him, may have eternal life; and I Myself will  raise him up on the last day.”

 It is important to note Luke's comment in Acts 4:12 

 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.”

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