p. 162 | And Gashmu Saith It

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 9, 1871

And Gashmu Saith It.

“AND who is Gashmu?” Why, simply an Arab renegade, and railer, a confederate and crony of Sanballat and Tobiah, who, having failed to scoff down the work of God, now tries to slander his workmen out of existence. Neh. 2:19; 6:1, 6 (margin).

“And who is Gashmu talking about?” Why, Nehemiah, to be sure, who could not abide in a Persian palace while Jerusalem lay waste; and who, after days and nights of sadness, tears, and prayers, had been prospered of the Lord, and permitted to come to Jerusalem and repair its desolations.

“And what is Gashmu troubled about?” “The desolations of Zion? the ruins of the temple? the captivity of Israel?” Oh, no! none of these. But he sees some one else trying to do something for God, and he wants to hinder it all he can.

“Why did not Gashmu mind his own business?” Perhaps he had no business to mind; may be he thought Nehemiah was handling more money than any one ever dared to trust him with; possibly he conceived that Nehemiah was influential while he was only despicable, and so he wanted to meddle and mar as much as possible.

“How did Gashmu go at it? Did he go and see Nehemiah and talk with him about his work? Did he investigate the character of his undertaking? Did he confer with those best acquainted with the matter?” Oh, no! these things were not in Gashmu’s line of business.

But first he and Sanballat and Tobiah clubbed together, and laughed, and scorned, and sneered; and then, when that availed nothing, they started a batch of falsehoods, and accused Nehemiah of trying to rebel against the king. But through all this dust and smudge, the man of God kept right along with his work, which the Lord had called and appointed him to do.

Then these same worthies sent four times in succession for Nehemiah to come down into some of the villages in the plain of Ono, and talk over matters; so that they might get him in their power and do him some mischief. But Nehemiah kept about his work, sent them word that he was too busy to leave his post of duty to listen to their babblings.

Then the fifth time comes a servant from Sanballat, with “an open letter” in his hand, impudent and insulting, and it read: “It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel, and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together.”

So they kept at it. Once they tried to frighten him to leave the walls and hide in the temple; but he said “Should such a man as I flee?” But still the lies flew back and forth, fast and furious; nobles in Judah wrote to Tobiah, correspondence was kept up, and Gashmu’s falsehoods were peddled among the heathen outside and the hypocrites within, till the timid were terrified, and the strong made weak; but still Nehemiah kept about his work, which went steadily up beneath his zealous hands.

Gashmu dealt in talk and slander, Nehemiah in stone and timber. Gashmu used lies, and Nehemiah lime. Gashmu peddled his abuse among the scoffers, and Nehemiah cried to God for help, and hurried up the walls which had been broken down. And when the walls were finished, and the chop-fallen foes beheld them, “they were much cast down in their own eyes, for they perceived that this work was wrought by our God.” Neh. 6:16.

Let the servants of God learn a lesson from this story. Gashmu the Arabian is around yet, with his hand against every man, and his tongue like a two-edged sword. And he is at his old business. His stock in trade costs nothing. If he cannot pick up lies by the wayside, he can make them to order about any man who serves the Lord and minds his own business. And so “it is told among the heathen, and Gashmu saith it.”

Well, what of it? Let the old liar lie, like his lying father; you keep at your work. What if the air is thick with lies, and murky with rumors and false reports, keep about your work. Let them lie, you keep building. And if false-hearted friends around you peddle Gashmu’s scandal, still do you keep building up the fallen walls. God will take care of Gashmu and his lies, as he has taken care of other liars before and since. Persistent fidelity will conquer difficulties; the Lord will send prosperity; success will compel silence; the walls when once up can never be talked down; and by-and-by your distrustful friends who have believed and whispered the falsehoods that have so harassed your soul, may have grace to come and own their sin, or sense enough to perceive their folly, and policy enough to pretend that they always had perfect confidence in everything you did.

Let Gashmu talk; only see to it that his talk about you is not true, and you will come out right at last.—The Christian.