Shabbat Shalom everyone. We are studying together the book of Nehemiah, Nehemiah in English. In Hebrew we call him Nehemiah, the comfort of Jehovah. I would like you please to turn with me to this book, Nehemiah chapter 6 today, and see if we can cover it all for this ministry meeting. Nehemiah, the servant of the God of Israel, had brought a group of people with him from Bavell, the remnant that was away, and then he's coming back to the city of Jerusalem, and he began to build the walls of the city of Jerusalem. And he experienced opposition as he builds the wall with the people of Judah, the people of Jerusalem, where we have arrived to chapter 6.

And here we see Israel's enemies crafty opposition against Nehemiah and the Jewish people. And so we read from verse 1, night came to pass when Sanbalat and Tuvaya and Geshem the Arabian and the rest of our enemies heard that I had builded the wall and that there was no breach left therein though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates that Sanbalat 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 and I sent messengers unto them saying I am doing a great work so that I cannot come down why should the work cease while I leave it and come down to you yet they sent unto me four times after this sort and I answer them after the same manner then sent Sanbalat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand wherein was written it is reported among the heathen and Gashmu saith it.

That thou and the Jews think to rebel for which cause thou buildest the wall that thou mayest be their king according to these words and thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem saying there is a king in Judah and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words come now therefore and let us take counsel together then I sent unto him saying there are no such things done as thou sayest but thou feignest them out of thine own heart for they all made us afraid saying their hands shall be weakened from the work that it be not done.

Now therefore, O God, strengthen mine hand. Afterward, I came unto the house of Shamiah, the son of Deliah, the son of Mahatabiel, 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 come to slay thee 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 and lo i perceived that God had not sent him but that he pronounced this prophecy against me for tuviah and sanbalat had hired him therefore was he hired that i should be afraid and do so and sin and that they might have matter for an evil report that they might reproach me my God think thou upon Tuvaya and Sanbalat according to these their works and on the prophetess Noadia and the rest of the prophets that would have put me in fear so the world was finished, in the twenty and fifth day of the month of Elul, in fifty and two days, and it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard the wrath, 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 off our God moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tuvaiah.

And the letters of Tuvaiah came unto them and there were many in Judah sworn unto him because he was the son-in-law of Shechaniah the son of Ara And his son, Yohanan, had taken the daughter of Meshulam, the son of Berachiah. Also, they reported his good deeds before me and uttered my words to him. And Tuvaya sent letters to put me in fear. This is the end of Nehemia chapter 6. Now, brothers and sisters, you and I need to realize that we live, in every generation we live in, we're never going to have our walk with the Lord without those that will oppose us in anything that we will do for our Lord Yeshua, the Messiah.

Satan is never, for a moment, take a rest in order to give the people of God ease and peace and quiet as they seek to walk with the Lord and you will notice that as we have mentioned at many times according to the Brita Hadashah teaching that sometime he appears as the roaring lion first Peter 5 and verse 8 and sometime he appears as an angel of light as we read today in second Corinthians chapter 11 he appears in those two ways if he cannot defeat God's people by force he defeats God's people by tricking them and causing them to stumble as they seek to walk with the Lord and anytime we will do a work for God we will find opposition to the things of the Lord well we studied Nehemiah chapter 4 we saw that he had already sought to oppose the people of God by force we have studied chapter 5 and we saw how Satan sowed a seed of discord among the brethren.

And as we read in chapter 5 that there was a great cry of the people and of their wife against their brethren the Jews in other words what happens sometimes he appears by seeking to force them and to harm them other time he is seeking to sow discord among the believers and to cause them to have friction one with another and oftentimes we know that as believers in Yeshua the Messiah that frictions do exist at all time among the people of God and we need to watch ourselves not to allow Satan to use us as a vessel that will cause problems among the people of God and so now we come to chapter 6 and in this chapter you notice how crafty the enemy is we began of course with the same old name of a man by the name of Sanbalat his co-friend Tuvaya and their co-friend a man by the name of Geshem those three individuals are really those that we would call them the Samaritan the Shomronim you remember how the Samaritan began to be.

The Samaritan were those that believe in Jehovah but they also believe in their own gods they were mixture not only mixed marriage but there was a mixture of belief oh yes they believe in the Lord a little bit but they also believe in their own gods i just want to read that one verse in second king chapter 17 and verse 24 look at this it says And the king Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Kutah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from the Sevarvim, and he placed them in the cities of Samaria. And notice what it says in verse 25. And so it was in the beginning of their dwelling that they fear not the Lord.

But then if you notice just a little bit down in verse 32 so we don't need to read everything later on it says so they feared the Lord in verse 32 but at the end it says in verse 33 they feared the Lord but notice that and they served their own gods that's what the Samaritan known for they feared Jehovah Yehovah but they also served their own gods and they were not happy to see the Jewish people now building the walls of Jerusalem the temple was already built and protecting themselves from the enemies around so here we find another way whereby they sought to harm the work of the Lord and so i want you to notice now first of all they're making an offer to Nehemiah in verses 1 and 2 it says now it came to pass this is verse 1 that Sanballat Tuvaya and Geshem the Arabian and the rest of our enemies when they heard that I builded the wall that there was no breach left therein though at that time I had not yet set up the doors upon the.

Gate 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 you see here you can see immediately once again the enemies of the Jewish people coming to them and offering to them a certain offer you notice that it says in Sanballat and Geshem they said to Nehemia Nehemia you know what come down to a place that is called Ono and let us discuss things together and Nehemiah knew that from the past already that those were the enemies of God's people you notice it says in verse 1 the rest of our enemies they were not our friends they were not people who intended to be a blessing to the people of Judah to the people of Israel they were the enemies of the people of Israel but what Sanballat and Tuvaya is trying to do now which they could not do up to this time they are now trying to trick Nehemia to leave the work and to go all the way to the place.

Called the plain of Ono and there they wanted to meet with him and to counsel together as if they had some things in common and so the invitation is there and by the way Ono is in the area they belong to the tribe of benjamin it is mentioned in first chronicle chapter 8 and verse 12 and so they're inviting him leave the walls leave the work and come out because we want to counsel with you together you know this is tell us something very important if you do something for the Lord and you're occupied with the things of the Lord one has to be extremely careful how we allow others to cause us to stop to do the work of the Lord you see like it says here in verse 2b but they sought to do me mischief they really didn't care for the things of the Lord of the God of Israel they had no interest in being a blessing to the people of God but they seek.

To do mischief to the servants of the Lord and you know this is amazing it happened to the apostle Paul, 2nd Corinthians teaches us how often time the Apostle Paul had those that sought to do him mischief they were not really interested in furthering the gospel or not interested in furthering the body of Mashiach, the body of Messiah but they sought always to cause him to stumble it's the same thing in the history of our Jewish people Israel there were always those whether it is from without or whether it is from the in that instead of helping to build the house of God, helping to encourage the believers, they sought to cause him to stumble.

What a sad condition. But you see, Nechemia had to be wise. He had to think things through. And he had to always be in communication with the Lord. Lord, what should I do? How can I handle a situation like that? And you know, we are fragile. We are not perfect. We are very easily getting stumbled. Hebrews tell us the sin which does so easily beset us. We are constantly liable to stumble and to fall. And Satan always wants to help us to do so. And many times, beloved brothers and sisters, he is successful because we haven't been on our watch. We haven't been close to the Lord.

But Nehemiah was. And in this time, he was wise enough to know how to handle the situation. By the word, the word for mischief, it's really the Hebrew word ra'a. Ra'a means evil. Not only mischief, a trick. It's really their purpose was to do ra'a, evil. They did not have any interest with the walls of Jerusalem, the people of Jerusalem, and the people of God. They sought to do him mischief. And so notice the response. It's so beautiful to see Nehemiah was a wise man. In verse 3 and 4, Nehemiah refuses to listen to the advice and the invitation of these men by the name of Sanbalat, Geshem, and Tuviyah.

He simply refuses to respond to their invitation. And so we read in verse 3 and 4, two things Nehemiah is saying to them. Number one, he says, I'm doing a great work. Notice that it says in verse 3 and i sent messengers unto them and he said number one look i'm doing a great work i'm working for God i'm serving the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and the Jewish remnant that came back and the rest of the Jewish people who lived in that land at that time this is the work that God had given me to do secondly he says why should the work cease while I leave it and come down to you.

Two things he said to them. Number one, I'm busy with a good work, with a ministry for God, ministry for the Lord. Why should the work suffer? Notice twice the word work is mentioned here. The work avodah, I'm doing a good service for the Lord. I'm ministering to God's people. I'm doing the work of the Lord. And why should the work suffer by me leaving the work and coming to you you see this is an amazing truth that we have to learn and apply this to ourselves God's servants always have to be careful how much energy and time they take away from the ministry and the work that the Lord have called them to do I want you to turn to Jude in verse 3 and 4 it says beloved when I gave all diligence to write unto you the common salvation it was needful for me to write unto you and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints why?

For there are certain men crept in unawares who were before of old ordained unto condemnation ungodly men turning the grace of our God unto lasciviousness and denying the Holy Lord God and our Lord Yeshua Jesus the Messiah see Judah was writing to the early believers who were Jewish believers he says listen brethren you know you have to be very careful to be earnestly contending for the faith for the work that God had called you and the ministry of God had called you but the truths that God have taught you and don't allow others to pull you away and to take you away from those things which you have learned now notice if you turn back a little bit to first Peter chapter 3 Shimon Petros also wrote this warning to the believers in verse 15 he says sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you of the reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and with fear always be ready.

Why because there will be always opposition those that will seek to hinder you from walking with the Lord and it's not only men or women or people but Satan is the one that is so deceitful who is using and you will see it at the end of the chapter men and women among the people of God to be drawn away after them and Nehemiah could say you know what wait a minute you know I'll stop the work I will not finish with the world of Jerusalem I'm gonna go get the attention we'll see what Sanballat has in mind for me. But he knew very well Sanballat.

He has already experienced what he has done in the past. In fact, if you just go back to Nehemiah chapter 2, it says in verse 10 of chapter 2, when Sanballat the Horonite and Tuvaiah the servant the Ammonite heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was the common man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel. When Nehemiah came already years earlier, Sanballat's heart was gripped because he came to help the Jewish brethren. No wonder why Nehemiah was discerning enough to know, wait a minute, this individual is not for us, he's only trying to stumble us, he's not trying to build, he's trying to cause us to stumble and that the Jewish people will not build the wall of the city of Jerusalem.

And that was sad to see how this man had been so insisting on having his own way in doing what he did. And you see, beloved brothers and sisters, Sanbalat tried to do so. Nehemiah said, I'm doing a great work. Why should the work stop? Because you call me to come to council and to visit with you. Notice, let us meet together in verse 2. Let us have some time together and have a conversation. It was not for the interest of Nehemiah. It was not for the blessing of Israel. It was simply a way to seek to divert him from doing the work of the Lord.

And again, I'm emphasizing, you and I will experience this in our own life. Whenever we're going to do something for Yeshua the Messiah, whenever we will seek to be faithful with all our failure, with all our shortcomings, Satan will help you to divert your life from the Lord and to do things that are not for him. And he will seek to stop us from building the work of the Lord. So, look at this. It says in verse 4, four times he sent the same kind of invitation and four times Nehemiah says, no, I'm not coming. Notice verse 4 says, yet they sent unto me four times after this sword and I answered them after the same manner.

Somebody said it like this. They wanted Nehemiah to come to the plane of Ono and Nehemiah says, Oh, no. I'm not coming. I'm discerning what you have in mind to do. And you see, he was a wise man. I wish we had this wisdom in our own life as believers that we would discern to say no at time to that which takes us away from the Lord. Brothers and sisters, we need builders. We don't need destroyers. We need to work together to build the body of Messiah and I can tell you that the Lord will hold us accountable when we hinder the work of the Lord we will have to do with God because God's work and God's people belong to God and whenever we hinder the work of the Lord whenever we allow someone even to hinder the work of the Lord we will have to do with God because this is God's work this is God's business and he is jealous over his work and over his people those who oppose him they will have to deal with the Lord and that's why it is important for us to bear this in our own mind now notice the third thing that we find out in verses five six and seven here is the accusation of Israel's enemy you see in the beginning they're trying to trick him to come down to ono but now see how the reality come to the surface first notice verse 5 sanbalat writes.

And he sent an open letter it says then sent sanbalat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand you see an open letter in Hebrew we call it when you send a letter to somebody usually you seal it in biblical time you seal the letter and He said, this is for Nehemiah. Nobody can open it because it's intended to arrive to Nehemiah. But this man, Zalbanad, sent a letter. He didn't seal it. He kept it open. So as the letter was passed from messenger to messenger, everybody said, let me read what this letter is saying. In other words, again, it's another form of trickiness that he was trying now to sow a seed in the Jewish community against Nehemiah.

You know after all this Nehemiah he has an intention here to be exalting himself and notice what the words of the open letter found in verse 6 and 7 it says wherein it was written it is reported among the heathen and Gashmu saith it that thou and the Jews think to rebel for which cause thou buildest the wall that thou mayest be their king according to these words and that thou has also appointed prophets to preach of thee in Jerusalem saying there is a king in Judah and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words you see what he's really saying to him in the open letter and everybody could read it as the letter passed from one servant to another whoever handed out this letter and they're opening this letter and they read it and say ah wait a minute mechemia actually has a selfish motive behind here he's really want to be the king of Israel he want to be the ruler of the people of Israel he want to be promoting himself you see.

He's after all really thinking of himself he doesn't care really for us this man by the name of Sanballat was intending to do by sending this open letter the Hebrew word again is igaret petucha igaret simply means a letter or a passage it's an open for everyone to read it well he was sending this letter that he wanted everyone to see it and you know isn't it true talking about emails you know somebody write an email and somebody says forward it and we'll have everybody else know what somebody said in his own email and brothers and sisters again i would like to challenge you and challenge myself are we interested in building the people of God and seeing the body of the Messiah growing well sometimes even if somebody does something wrong it's better not to spread it like cancer because cancer we are able to harm each other and to hurt the things of the Lord and we need to be extremely careful in whatever we do it is similar today we might not have this.

Open letter but we have the telephone the email the word of mouth all around the gossiping and talking against others and so on that it's not helping it doesn't build the house of God the body of Messiah and here he's spreading news and he's accusing the servant of God who left Persia just for the express purpose to come to build the walls of Jerusalem and the gates thereof which were broken down and the gates were burned by fire and men that had a desire to serve the Lord. And this is so sad. You know how many people, their ministry had been hurt because we were not careful, because we were divisive, because we were not judging our own heart, ourself.

Many people suffer because of this. And the work of the Lord suffer because of this. And Sanballat is going around and he's leaving this open letter to everybody. And then he says, listen, now do you want me to report this to the king of Persia? I'm going to report it. Now you can see the reality. It's really, he was not interested in helping Nehemia, but he wanted to cause Nehemia to fall. By the way, in about 597 BC, the last king of Israel by the name of Tzidkiyahu was taken by Nebuchadnezzar to Babel. He was taken to Babel. They cut his eyes, killed his children before him, and there was no king in Israel.

So now what he's really saying, Nehemia, you are now coming and you want to exalt yourself to make yourself a king in Judah. And so Nehemia had not this intention, though, may God raise these kind of men to be Kings of Israel, a godly man who love our Jewish people. So now here's notice the second thing that they tell him in verse 7, come now therefore and let us take counsel together. Nehemia, let's sit down together and see how we can avoid telling the king of Persia about your plan that you have to become the king of Israel. Actually here, they lie about the servant of the Lord.

And now they try to force him to agree with what they want him to do, so he will be afraid, because lest they will tell the king of Persia that he intends to be the king of Israel, the king of Judah. Well, this is amazing to see how Satan is doing such a thing. Again, please put your finger here and turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 11. In verse 14 it says, And no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is not a great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness whose end shall be according to their words.

You see, Satan is very crafty. And you know, our flesh is so sinful, even as believers, we are so easily able to follow after everything if we are not watching ourselves and being careful, wise, and humble, and broken before the Lord, seeking his help to help us to do the right thing. I mean, you see, they're accusing now, Nehemia, you really have done what you have done because you want to be the king. You want to be the ruler. You think yourself too much and you know brothers and sisters according to Revelation chapter 12 and verses 7 to 10 Satan is called the accuser of the brethren he accused the brethren in the context of chapter 12 of Revelation these are the Jewish brethren who were doing the tribulation being persecuted he is still accusing them before God he is the accuser of the Jewish people he is an accuser of the believers in Yeshua the Messiah They are accusing us before God.

Trying to always find fault in us. And many times he is right. Because there is a lot of faults in us. But it is sad to see what he tries to do. In order to harm the work of the Lord. So let's go back to Nehemiah chapter 6. In verses 8 and 9. Nehemiah now responds to the false accusation. And so we read in verse 8. Then I said unto him saying. There is no such a thing done. As thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart. For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done.

Now therefore, O God, strengthen mine hand. See, Nehemiah responds and he says, Really, you know what, Sanballat, Tuvaya, this is coming out of your own imagination. This is not true, what you are saying. And you see, there are many times we can be accused because we are many times not living the way we ought to be. But when we do the right thing, when Nehemiah did the right thing and sought really to please the Lord, to build a wall and to be a blessing to the people of Israel by Sanbalat and Tuvaya blaming him and accusing him, he had a clean conscience and he says, listen, this is nothing but coming out of your own heart.

There is nothing here that I have any intention to force myself to be the king of Israel. You feign these things out of your own heart. And you notice that the Bible does say that the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. The Lord said it through the prophet Jeremiah. In fact, long before the flood came, God saw the wickedness of man upon the face of the earth. So wicked that the imagination of the thoughts of their heart was evil all the day long Genesis chapter 5 that's how wicked man is able to harm somebody else never mind just as long that this person will not be successful in doing what the Lord have done for him so you notice what Nehemiah does it says in verse 9 Nehemiah knew the purpose of the enemy and you notice what he began to do he is praying again oh God strengthen my hands now the word oh God is not found in the Hebrew text it just simply means strengthen my hand he was not talking to Sanballat he was not talking to anybody he was actually talking to God and you can see another thing that I think it's very important to learn from Nehemia is that he was a man of prayer how is your life of prayer do we start the day by talking to the Lord in prayer do we get up as we go on during the day.

Do we honestly pray and take the time to say Lord you know my weaknesses you know my needs you know my problem help my wife help my children help my husband help my friend help the brothers and sisters in the local fellowship and so on do we pray see Nehemiah was a man that prayed he took it seriously and you can see that the very fact in the king James that put all God even though it is not mentioned in the Hebrew text understanding that he was naturally talking with the Lord like first Thessalonians 5 17 says pray without ceasing can you imagine to have such an attitude of prayer if you just again go back to chapter 1 of Nehemiah verse 5 you find the first time that he prayed and said I beseech thee all Lord God of heaven the great and terrible God that keepeth the covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandment let thine here now be attentive unto me and hear my prayer he said in chapter one notice in chapter two and verse four.

We find Nehemiah again praying it says then the king said unto me for what does thou make request so I prayed we never read what he said in this in verse four but when he prays says God help me to know how to answer the king he was praying beloved brothers and sisters you can see that he was a man of prayer turn to chapter 4 of Nehemiah again notice there in verses 4 and 5 heal oh our God for we are despised and turn the reproach upon their own head and give them for a prey in the land of captivity and cover not their iniquity and so on he was praying to the Lord even though he was praying you might say under the old test of the law praying against those who sought to oppose him but you can see that he was praying to the God of heaven he was consistently praying chapter 5 and verse 19 he says think upon me my God for good according to all that I've done for.

These people he was a man of prayer in Hebrew we say tefillah or lehit palel it's a person who expresses dependence upon God and we need brothers and sisters to pray without ceasing Yeshua said watch and pray why because our adversary constantly seek to devour the people of God and we are to pray we need to pray for each other why do you think every time when we come to meeting we pray we have a public prayer when we pray for general prayer some individuals and their need we need to pray we have a book of prayer you know you can open you can find out some answers to prayer that we have been praying at the meeting we need to pray beloved brothers and sisters but not only at the meeting there is an individual prayer there is a family prayer there is a collective prayer there is a public prayer that we are taught in the Scripture various time in which we are exhorted to pray.

Here's Nehemiah in chapter 6 and verse 9. Again, he's praying. He was a man of prayer. You know, one brother told me, a good friend of mine, he says, Brother Gideon, he says, don't be ashamed and afraid to ask the brethren to pray for you. So I'll take the opportunity to ask you to pray for me. We need to pray for each other that the Lord will help us in our life as we walk with the Lord. So you can find that Nehemiah responds to this false accusation. You brought it out of your heart. There's nothing of a sort, and I am going to look to the Lord in prayer.

And indeed, he asked the Lord to help him in prayer. So let's move along now. Notice from verse 10 to verse 14. Now here's the beguiling of Sanballat and Toviah and Geshem and all those enemies of Israel, of the Jewish people and Nehemiah. Look at now how they are seeking to tempt him to hide in the temple. Now we find out the man who was an informer now, notice that. It says here in verse 10, afterward, you see a little bit of time passed by, but the one who tricks him does not stop. Because I came into the house of Shamiah ben Daliah ben Mehitav El. This man, his name actually, as it says, is Shama'iah.

He was the son of Dalia, and he was also the son of Mehitav El. He went to the house of this man, and this man was shut up. Shut up, he was held in his home. And then, notice what it says here, in verse 10b. And he said, this man, by the name of Shama'iah, 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 yeah in the night will they come to slay thee apparently look what Sanbalat, Tuvaya and Geshem the enemies of Israel the enemies of the Jewish people what they do right now they gather around them individuals that maybe from within they infiltrate and they sway others to cause Nehemia to stop the work and to cause him let's go and hide together because they're going to come and kill you now let me tell you when somebody is warning you that you are going to be killed by someone the natural inclination is to save one's life and to say listen I don't want to be killed maybe i should listen to what this man by the name of shamiah is saying unto me but you see again you see how this person was actually influenced by those from without and so.

We find out in verse 11 nehemias respond and i said should such a man as i flee and who is there that being as i am will go into the temple and save his life i will not go in now maybe he didn't know immediately that this shamaya was actually an informer who made an agreement with the others from without to trick him but it sounds kind of great when some of the brothers and says you know what let me help you and let's go together and hide in the temple by the way you notice that the temple was in existence by now why because earlier Zerubbabel came already with over 50,000 people to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem and then Ezra came later on to beautify the temple so the temple was in existence but the walls were not yet built and the gates were burnt with fire and that was the ministry of Nehemiah to do about 445 BC when he came to Jerusalem so now.

They are telling him you know what let's go and hide in the temple in the house of God notice at the end he says let's go in the house of God within the temple and let us shut the doors of the temple now first of all we know very well that the ones that are to go into the innermost place of the temple are only the Levites the Levine secondly and the Kohanim the priests and not everyone could get in just like that but Nehemiah is kind of being swayed to go and hide in the temple to save his life and the life of this man by the name of Shemaiah but you see Shemaiah it's interesting he was not for Nehemiah even though he was from among the brethren from among the people of Judah because immediately it says here notice that in verse 12 Nehemiah discerned Shemaiah's words he was actually hired you see he said and love I perceived that God had not sent him but that he pronounced this prophecy against me why for Tuvaya and Sanbalat had hired him.

Look at the extent that we are capable to go in order to harm someone else's work and we are able to buy someone just to do this evil work how terrible this you know it reminds me of the Apostle Paul, again I'm mentioning Shaul Paul because he had experienced so much persecution and he had experienced those who were what you call false brethren, those who were part of the people of God but they were falsely seeking to harm the work of the Lord but in this case it could be one from the nation from among the people but he was bought, he was hired you know when you hire somebody you have to give him something and as an exchange you do this and I give you that that was the arrangement he was hired you notice that and you see this is sad in Hebrew we call it Achei Shekel false brethren turn with me again to 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 the Apostle Paul with all his experiences and his suffering he says in verse 22 are they Hebrews so am I.

Are they Israelis so am i are they of the seed of Avraham so am i but then notice further down in verse 26 he says that he have experienced suffering in journeyings often in perils of water in perils of robbers in perils by mine own countrymen in perils by the heathen in perils in the city in perils in the wilderness in perils in the sea and notice that in perils among false brethren you know Paul knew what Nehemiah have gone through and it's so sad you know when some seems to make it their business to cause harm to the work of the Lord and they allow themselves to harm their own brethren just that they will get some gain out of it.

Knowing that Tuvaya and knowing that Sanballat is opposing the work of the Lord and yet allowing these to come into the surface. Go to Galatians chapter 2 Paul again writing now to the Galatians and he said to them, listen because of false brethren unawares brought in who came privately to spy out our liberty which we have in the Messiah Yeshua that they might bring us into bondage. You see, it's not new. It happened in Nehemia time. It happened before Nehemia time. It happened in the time when our Lord Yeshua the Messiah was here on earth. It happened when the apostles began, the founded, the early church age, the assembly age.

And it's happening today. But we need God to help us not to participate in this, but to be a blessing to the people of God. And so in verse 13, Nehemiah knows that Shemaiah was hired so to cause Nehemiah to sin and to stumble. He says, therefore was he hired that I should be afraid and do so and sin and that they might have metr for an evil report that they might reproach me you see they hired Shemaiah in order that he will cause Nehemiah to stumble and he called it to sin amazing he looked at the ceasing of the work of the Lord that God had given to him and hiding as a sin before God can you imagine what a devoted man he was you and i might say well listen i'm not going to continue because i have to take care of myself you know why should i continue on i'm just going to go hide in the temple and make sure the work stop as long as i save my life but look at the chemia he looks at this as a sin i mean he was a man of spiritual caliber very high in his attitudes towards the things of the Lord So again, beloved brothers and sisters, verse 14, he prays again.

Now he says, My God, think thou upon Tuvaya and Sanbalat, according to their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets that would have put me in fear. Now when I read this verse, I want you to notice that he zeroed in on a woman by the name of Noadiah who was a prophetess why does he say Noadiah Hanneviah the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets why doesn't he zero in on one of the names of the other prophets or those who claim to be prophets who are men why does he zero upon a woman now it is interesting now I was just thinking again I'm just comparing Scripture with Scripture God gave the place of leadership in the assembly in the church among the people of Israel to the men it's not because I said it it's because God said it, the head of every woman is the man, the head of the man is the Messiah the head of the Messiah is God that's the order that had been given to us by divine instruction and when these reversing of the roles happen and when the sisters did not take the place in the right way as God had given it problems rises up to the surface.

You see the woman devora was also a prophetess but she was a mother in Israel she loved Israel she was building the people she did not want to take the front place when she could take the public place and the leadership she said if you remember to the other judge he says you will be the one that will take leadership and if you will not the enemies of Israel will be given but to the hand of a woman and you see we learned that it is so important to take our place as before the Lord not because somebody said not because a preacher says it because the Bible says it and we can read many verses the woman ought not to usurp authority Timothy teaches us this 1st Timothy chapter 2 and all of a sudden out of nowhere all of a sudden her name is mentioned she was a prophetess but you notice what it says about her my God think thou upon Tuviyah and Sanbalat according to these their works and on the prophetess Noadaya and the rest of the prophets.

That would have put me to fear in other words she was now used by Tuviyah Sanbalat and Geshem to seek to put Mechemia to fear now do you remember Jezebel? You remember what Isabella have done to the prophet Elijah when he was afraid of her and he ran away she was the wife of the wickedest king of Israel Ahab and instead of him leading her she led him and instead of him being king and reigning over Israel in a godly way he allowed her to influence him to follow other idols that caused and brought about the judgment of God upon the people of Israel. But Elijah fled from hell.

And you see, here is another one who wants to cause fear upon Nehemiah. So he will flee and he will not build the work of the Lord. It's sad, but yet you can see the pattern. You see, a sister can be a blessing to God's people. And she called to be a blessing to God's people. You and I as the body of Messiah are called the bride of the Mashiach of Christ. Israel as a woman is called the wife of Jehovah. But when the woman, Israel, or the woman, the church, or the woman in a personal way don't take her place in a God-ordained way, that's only going to lead into more and more problems.

And that's why we can see here how the Spirit of God bring it to the surface. And he's all of a sudden mentioning this out of nowhere, you and I might say. He's mentioning this prophetess by the name of Noadia. Or in the other prophets. Oh, they're probably under her authority and supervision. And she took the place that was not given to her. If she had taken the place, she could have been like Dvorah, a prophetess in Israel, a mother in Israel, a blessing to the people of God. And so now, brothers and sisters, in verses 15 and 16, we find out that finally the wall was completed.

It says, and the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month of Elul, in fifty and two days, 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 in our God. The wall was finally finished in only 52 days. In the Hebrew month of Elul, on the 25th day of the month of Elul, this is about September, the whole wall was finished only 52 days to build that big wall around the city of Jerusalem, which was nearly you might say humanly speaking impossible to do this hard labor from the time that they start to build until the time that they finish the whole wall was finished and now you notice that what it says here that the enemies realize that this must be in a work from God that is not a work for man it said at the end this work was wrought of our God it was not only that the Jewish people build the wall on their own it was done by God who assist them to build and they were much cast down the enemies of Israel we tried to harm it we tried to stop it we tried this way we tried this way and still the wall was brought up and everything is finished in 52 days now this.

Is also a great lesson to learn from this beloved you know God's plan will surely come to pass nothing will stop the plan that God had for Israel our nation and for the body of Messiah the church as well nothing will stop Yeshua said in Matthew chapter 16 the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it I will build my assembly upon this rock I will build my assembly and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it and when it comes to our people Israel it says these people have I chosen for myself that they may show forth my glory God is yet going to restore Israel and Israel ultimately is going to be a nation of a blessing here in this world and the body of Messiah will continue without ceasing because God has a plan it is a work of God it he wrote it it's not that man does it and what we learn from this that doesn't matter what happened how much enemies we will have we should continue.

On pressing forward even if there are discouragement we are to continue on all of us in our personal life in our family life in a congregation life in a public life we are to press forward to continue on because the Lord wrote that Psalm 126 is really connected with Nehemiah chapter 6 because these people the Jewish people who came to the city of Jerusalem in the songs of ascents he said in Psalm 126 when the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion we were like them that dream then was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with singing and then they said they among the heathen the Lord has done great things for them the Lord has done great things for us whereof we are glad turn again our captivity, O Lord, as the stream in the south, they that sow in tears shall reap in joy.

He that goeth forth weeping, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. In other words, when we sow in tears, ultimately we will. Reap with gladness here we see the conclusion of the building or the wall now back to Nehemiah the last verses 17 18 and 19 here is again the wrong that is now done between some of the people of Israel and some of the enemies and this is also show us how even though things are building up still a mixture always happened that brings about always problems and I'm going to just read those last three verses verse 17 moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto tuviah and the letters of tuviah came unto them for there were many in Judah sworn unto him because he was the son-in-law of shechaniah the son of ara and his son Yohanan had taken the daughters of Meshulam the son of Berachiah also they reported his good deeds before me and uttered my words to him and Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear so in conclusion you find out that even though the walls were built and they were successful in building the wall in Jerusalem.

Well apparently some of the nobles of Judah married some of the Samaritans there was a relationship now which brought about again problem for the people of Judah and when we finish the book of Nehemiah you will see that Nehemiah is telling them they should not have had a mixture of marriage with those from without who were unbelievers who ultimately led them astray you see many in Judah sworn unto him because there was Tuvaya and some of his family members married some of the nobles of the people of Israel and we learn this very much that a believer with an unbeliever mixed together it just doesn't work not because the believer is better it's because they don't have a common path to walk together.

That's why the Apostle Paul says, be not unequally yoked with unbelievers, because ultimately that will lead us, will lead the people of God away from the Lord. Well, brothers and sisters, may the Lord help us to learn from Nehemiah and continuing to build the house of God.