Nehemiah 6:14
O my God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat for what they have done, and also Noadiah the prophetess and the other prophets who tried to intimidate me.
O my God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat for what they have done,

Nehemiah placed his enemies before God rather than taking personal revenge. Tobiah and Sanballat had repeatedly opposed the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s wall, using ridicule, threats, deception, and political pressure to stop the work.

Psa 74:18 Remember how the enemy has mocked You, O LORD,…
Psa 137:7 Remember, O LORD, the sons of Edom on the day…
2Ti 4:14 Alexander the coppersmith did great harm to me.…

and also Noadiah the prophetess

Noadiah joined the effort to frighten Nehemiah. Though she claimed prophetic authority, she stood with those resisting God’s work and sought to weaken Nehemiah’s resolve.

Ezk 13:17-19 Now, O son of man, set your face against the daughters…
Rev 2:20-21 But I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel…
Deu 18:20-22 But if any prophet dares to speak a message in My name…

and the other prophets who tried to intimidate me.

Opposition came not only from political adversaries but also from religious leaders who used fear and false messages against Nehemiah. He recognized their efforts as attempts to hinder the rebuilding and entrusted their judgment to God.

Jer 1:17-19 Get yourself ready. Stand up and tell them everything…
Ezk 13:22-23 Because you have disheartened the righteous with your lies…
Isa 51:12-13 “I, even I, am He who comforts you. Why should you be afraid…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Nehemiah
The central figure in the book, Nehemiah is a Jewish leader who is instrumental in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. He is known for his strong leadership and deep faith in God.

2. Tobiah
An Ammonite official who, along with Sanballat, opposed Nehemiah's efforts to rebuild Jerusalem's walls. He is often seen as an antagonist in the account.

3. Sanballat
A Samaritan leader who, like Tobiah, sought to thwart Nehemiah's work. He represents external opposition to God's plans.

4. Noadiah
A prophetess mentioned in this verse, who, along with other prophets, attempted to intimidate Nehemiah. Her actions are seen as contrary to God's will.

5. Jerusalem
The city whose walls Nehemiah is rebuilding. It is a central place of worship and identity for the Jewish people.
Teaching Points
Faithful Leadership
Nehemiah exemplifies a leader who remains steadfast in the face of opposition. His reliance on prayer and God's justice is a model for Christian leadership today.

Discernment in Opposition
Nehemiah's ability to recognize and call out false prophets and adversaries highlights the importance of discernment in spiritual matters.

Prayer as a Weapon
Nehemiah's response to intimidation is prayer, demonstrating the power of prayer in spiritual warfare.

Trust in God's Justice
Nehemiah entrusts the judgment of his enemies to God, reminding us to rely on God's justice rather than seeking personal vengeance.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Nehemiah's response to opposition in Nehemiah 6:14 inspire you to handle challenges in your own life?

2. In what ways can you apply Nehemiah's example of prayerful leadership in your community or workplace?

3. How does the opposition Nehemiah faces compare to the spiritual battles described in Ephesians 6:12?

4. What can we learn from Nehemiah about discerning true and false spiritual guidance?

5. How does Nehemiah's trust in God's justice challenge or affirm your understanding of dealing with personal adversaries?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Ezra 4
This chapter describes earlier opposition to the rebuilding efforts in Jerusalem, providing context for the ongoing resistance Nehemiah faces.

Psalm 35
This psalm is a prayer for deliverance from enemies, similar to Nehemiah's plea for God to remember his adversaries.

Matthew 5:44
Jesus teaches about loving enemies and praying for those who persecute you, offering a New Testament perspective on dealing with opposition.
God with UsR.A. Redford Nehemiah 6:1-14
The Temptations of Earnest Moral Life and ServiceJ.S. Exell Nehemiah 6:1-16
HinderersHomilistNehemiah 6:1-19
Nehemiah's HeroismJohn McNeill.Nehemiah 6:1-19
PersistencyHomiletic CommentaryNehemiah 6:1-19
The Witness to the TruthW. Ritchie.Nehemiah 6:1-19
Trial and VictoryW. Clarkson Nehemiah 6:10-19
People
Arah, Berechiah, Delaiah, Gashmu, Geshem, Jehohanan, Johanan, Mehetabel, Meshullam, Noadiah, Sanballat, Shecaniah, Shechaniah, Shemaiah, Tobiah, Tobijah
Places
Hakkephirim, Jerusalem, Ono
Topics
Afraid, Fear, Frighten, Intimidate, Making, Mind, Mindful, Noadiah, No-adi'ah, O, Prophet, Prophetess, Prophets, Purpose, Remember, Rest, Sanballat, Sanbal'lat, Theirs, Tobiah, Tobi'ah, Tobijah, Trying, Wanted, Works
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Nehemiah 6:14

     7778   school of prophets

Nehemiah 6:10-14

     7774   prophets, false

Nehemiah 6:11-14

     8833   threats

Library
June 18. "I am Doing a Great Work, So that I Cannot Come Down" (Neh. vi. 3).
"I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down" (Neh. vi. 3). When work is pressing there are many little things that will come and seem to need attention. Then it is a very blessed thing to be quiet and still, and work on, and trust the little things with God. He answers such trust in a wonderful way. If the soul has no time to fret and worry and harbor care, it has learned the secret of faith in God. A desperate desire to get some difficulty right takes the eye off of God and His glory. Some
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

Hindrances to Revivals.
Text.--I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you."--Nehemiah vi. 3. THIS servant of God had come down from Babylon to rebuild the temple and re-establish the worship of God at Jerusalem, the city of his fathers' sepulchres. When it was discovered by Sanballat and certain individuals, his allies, who had long enjoyed the desolations of Zion, that now the temple, and the holy city were about to be rebuilt, they raised a great
Charles Grandison Finney—Lectures on Revivals of Religion

Sharon. Caphar Lodim. The Village of those of Lydda.
Between Lydda and the sea, a spacious valley runs out, here and there widely spreading itself, and sprinkled with villages. The holy page of the New Testament [Acts 9:35] calls it Saron: and that of the Old calls the whole, perhaps, or some part of it, 'the plain of Ono,' Nehemiah 6:2, 11:35; 1 Chronicles 8:12... The wine of Sharon is of great fame, with which they mixed two parts water: and remarkable is that they say concerning the houses of Sharon. R. Lazar saith, "He that builds a brick house
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica

"My Little Children, These Things Write I unto You, that Ye Sin Not. And if any Man Sin, we have an Advocate with the Father,",
1 John ii. 1.--"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father,", &c. Christ Jesus came by water and by blood, not by water only, but by blood also, and I add, not by blood only but by water also, chap. v. 6. In sin there is the guilt binding over to punishment, and there is the filth or spot that defileth the soul in God's sight. To take away guilt, nothing so fit as blood for there is no punishment beyond blood, therefore
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Exhortations to Christians as they are Children of God
1 There is a bill of indictment against those who declare to the world they are not the children of God: all profane persons. These have damnation written upon their forehead. Scoffers at religion. It were blasphemy to call these the children of God. Will a true child jeer at his Father's picture? Drunkards, who drown reason and stupefy conscience. These declare their sin as Sodom. They are children indeed, but cursed children' (2 Peter 2:14). 2 Exhortation, which consists of two branches. (i) Let
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

Ezra-Nehemiah
Some of the most complicated problems in Hebrew history as well as in the literary criticism of the Old Testament gather about the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Apart from these books, all that we know of the origin and early history of Judaism is inferential. They are our only historical sources for that period; and if in them we have, as we seem to have, authentic memoirs, fragmentary though they be, written by the two men who, more than any other, gave permanent shape and direction to Judaism, then
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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