Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand;
The message was a fifth attempt to draw Nehemiah away from rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem, repeating the invitation to meet after four invitations to a conference had been refused on the ground that he was doing a great work that must not cease by his leaving it to go down. This time the message came by a servant carrying an open letter, and its openness allowed others to read it. The letter made a false public accusation that Nehemiah and the Jews were planning rebellion and that Nehemiah intended to become king.
Its aim was to frighten and discredit Nehemiah, to interrupt the wall-building work and undermine him. Its openness was meant to alarm and intimidate the people, to weaken the builders, and to draw Nehemiah into a trap. The enemies resorted to such deception because they could not stop the work by open force.
This maneuver belonged to a wider campaign of repeated messengers, bold threats, angry mocking of the Jews, ridicule that even a fox would break down the stone wall, and flattering inducements with promises of freedom from restraint and wonderful privileges if the workers would join interests with the enemies and stop building. The workers were commanded to avoid controversy with their enemies and to answer not a word so as to give no advantage. Nehemiah answered the contempt with prayer for God to hear because they were despised and to turn the reproach back on the enemies.
Through this Nehemiah stayed joined to the Lord, did not turn from following Him, and kept His commandments, and the Lord was with him. His course stands in contrast to the falsehood and treachery set against his devotion and self-sacrifice. The episode shows that opposition to God's work may continue, change its tactics, and recur in similar efforts to distract, weaken, frighten, and discredit His workers, while workers should remain focused on the work entrusted to them and not leave it.
The message was a fifth attempt to draw Nehemiah away from rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem, repeating the invitation to meet after four invitations to a conference had been refused on the ground that he was doing a great work that must not cease by his leaving it to go down. This time the message came by a servant carrying an open letter, and its openness allowed others to read it. The letter made a false public accusation that Nehemiah and the Jews were planning rebellion and that Nehemiah intended to become king.
Its aim was to frighten and discredit Nehemiah, to interrupt the wall-building work and undermine him. Its openness was meant to alarm and intimidate the people, to weaken the builders, and to draw Nehemiah into a trap. The enemies resorted to such deception because they could not stop the work by open force.
This maneuver belonged to a wider campaign of repeated messengers, bold threats, angry mocking of the Jews, ridicule that even a fox would break down the stone wall, and flattering inducements with promises of freedom from restraint and wonderful privileges if the workers would join interests with the enemies and stop building. The workers were commanded to avoid controversy with their enemies and to answer not a word so as to give no advantage. Nehemiah answered the contempt with prayer for God to hear because they were despised and to turn the reproach back on the enemies.
Through this Nehemiah stayed joined to the Lord, did not turn from following Him, and kept His commandments, and the Lord was with him. His course stands in contrast to the falsehood and treachery set against his devotion and self-sacrifice. The episode shows that opposition to God's work may continue, change its tactics, and recur in similar efforts to distract, weaken, frighten, and discredit His workers, while workers should remain focused on the work entrusted to them and not leave it.