Ne. 6: Opposition, Completion

Nehemiah 6:12 "I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him."

Nehemiah is still facing opposition from those rascals Sanballat and Tobiah. They won't give it up. They have a major stake in Israel not completing their wall. They start rumors of a phony Israelite revolt, and even send a false prophet to lure Nehemiah to the temple under the guise that he'd be killed otherwise. But Nehemiah sniffs it out, because to this point, God has given him the green light on this wall, and that was what Nehemiah needed to do. 

Interesting that it didn't take a personal visit from one of God's prophets to warn him. Nehemiah appears to have figured it out on his own. Smart guy! He wouldn't step away from his work for some stupid meeting either.

I find verse 14 interesting. Nehemiah tells God to remember Tobias and Sanballat because of what they'd done. In a place where Nehemiah could have called down all the curses he could think of, or wish personal harm on them, he relies on the justice and holiness of God to deal with them. Could I do that? I wonder.

Anyway, victoriously, the wall is completed in a mere 52 days, which was devastating to the confidence of the surrounding nations. This large city was now walled in and protected, by a ragtag bunch of people whose specialty wasn't exactly wall building, or even devotion to God. But God's hand in this wall was evident.