Nehemiah 6:14

Nehemiah 6:14 says, My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.  Nehemiah didn’t attempt to punish Tobiah, Sanballat, Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets who were claiming to speak for God when they weren’t, but he prayed to God and asked that He deal with them since they had tried to instill fear in him.  We should always just pray to God for guidance when someone attempts to lead us away from what His word teaches us, and then we should leave their punishment up to God. 

Verse fifteen adds, So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days. Nehemiah didn’t allow the threats of others nor the suggestions of the false prophets to keep him and the others from continuing to build the wall.  We cannot allow anything to stop us from doing what God has called us to do today.  The wall was finished as Nehemiah continued to oversee the work, even if he had been threatened and advised to hide away.  We need to continue to do what God has called us to do and never give in to fear. 

Verse sixteen continues, 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. Then Nehamiah tells us that those who opposed the building of the wall were cast down in their own eyes, because they knew that the work was ordained by God.  If we successfully do God’s work today, Satan and his forces of evil are going to be cast down in their own sight, because they will know that we are doing God’s work, and they cannot stop us. 

Verse seventeen states, Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them.  Some of the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah instead of supporting Nehemiah.  If we are a follower of Christ, we need to always support others who are doing God’s work and never plot against them.  We cannot serve both God and the world. 

Verse eighteen adds, For there were many in Judah sworn unto him, because he was the son in law of Shechaniah the son of Arah; and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.  Nehemiah said many of the people of Judah had remained faithful to Tobiah since Shechaniah and his son had both married Israelite women.  They were trying to help him because of who his parents were.  We cannot put anyone above God, no matter who their parents may be. 

Verse nineteen continues, Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.  Nehemiah said that the people of Judah were writing to Tobiah and Tobiah was writing to him in order to make him afraid.  Matthew Henry says they may have been acting this way because Jerusalem was being rebuilt and cities in their area were not, but Nehemiah had only been given permission to rebuild Jerusalem. We should never allow the success of others in doing God’s work to make us envious and cause us to work against them.