Nehemiah 6: Holding On to the End Without Being Turned Aside

Introduction

"So the wall was finished in the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days." Stéphane Guillet, pastor of the Église protestante Paris Alésia, continues his series in the book of Nehemiah with this message. He focuses on the first sixteen verses of chapter 6, the ones that lead to the completion of the wall.

Before peace, there is fear. The last days of the building project are marked by three maneuvers from the adversaries to unsettle Nehemiah. Each time, he answers with firmness, discernment and courage.

The pastor sees in this story a lesson on staying the course in your calling, and above all an invitation to look to Jesus, who went all the way to the end and could say: "It is finished."

Message Outline

1. A Wall "at Peace"

To say that the wall was finished, the Hebrew text uses the verb shalam, which gave us the word shalom, peace.
In Hebrew thought, shalom first of all describes a state of completion, fullness and fulfillment. The idea of peace flows from it.
Jesus, who would say on the cross "It is finished," could say beforehand, with that fulfillment in view: "My peace I give to you." Peace rests on the completion of something that is no longer unfinished.
So we could say, in a very Hebrew way: "The wall was at peace." It is finished, and peace becomes possible for the people.
Verse 16 confirms it: the enemies are as if deflated and disarmed, aware that this work was God's doing and that God had the last word.

2. An Enemy Who Lashes Out Just Before the End

Before this peace, the first fourteen verses show that things were far from peaceful for quite a while. The word "fear" comes up three times: in verse 9, verse 13 and verse 14.
Verse 1 sets the moment: the wall is rebuilt, there is no gap left, only the leaves of the gates remain to be hung. The end is almost in sight.
That is when the adversaries attempt one last maneuver, "a final outburst of violence before the happy ending."
The pastor sees here a strong biblical pattern that reappears, on a very different scale, in the New Testament: an enemy who lashes out just before the end. He invites us to reread Revelation 20, "a difficult text, but read it again anyway."
Between verse 1 and verses 15 and 16, the story contains three attempts to unsettle Nehemiah, all built the same way: a message sent to Nehemiah (verses 2, 6-7 and 10), then a firm answer from him (verses 3, 8 and 11).

3. First Attempt: "I Am Doing a Great Work"

Sanballat and Geshem, already met in chapter 4, invite Nehemiah to meet them in the valley of Ono. This place was probably on the border between Samaria, of which Sanballat was the leader, and Judah, of which Nehemiah was governor: neutral ground, suited to negotiations.
Nehemiah senses the trap: "They intended to harm me." The text highlights his sharp discernment, an indispensable quality for a good leader of the people, which he was as governor appointed by the emperor.
The pastor finds the French rendering "I have a lot of work to do" a bit bland. He prefers the French TOB translation, which says in effect: "What I am doing is a considerable work." Literally: it is a great work that I am carrying out.
Nehemiah does not say "I'm too busy, I can't come," the excuse we sometimes use. He stresses the importance of the work he is engaged in body and soul, the work of his life, the one God called him to. Nothing justifies turning away from it.
Paul says the same thing in Philippians 3: "forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, I press on toward the goal." Nehemiah sees that it is almost finished, and he runs toward the goal.
It is an invitation to keep in mind the priority of your heavenly calling and to discern the distractions that do you more harm than good. The adversaries send the same message four times: they will not wear him down.

4. Second Attempt: The Rumor in the Open Letter

In verses 5 to 9, the message comes back, this time accompanied by an open letter. A letter was normally sealed with wax, and only the recipient could read it. Left open, it can be read by everyone.
It was a way of spreading a rumor. "A bit like the ancient equivalent of our AI-generated fake news going around on social media. It looks real, but it's false."
The rumor: Nehemiah wants to become king and rebel against the emperor, he is rebuilding the wall to stand up to him, and he has already appointed prophets to proclaim his kingship. It is false. But with a rumor, "it is not enough to say it's false."
The danger is twofold. The rumor could reach the emperor's ears, more than a thousand kilometers away, and lead him to stop the work, as had already happened a few years earlier (Ezra 4:7-23). The people, for their part, could give in to fear or lose confidence in Nehemiah.
Nehemiah simply denounces the rumor as false, without trying to justify himself: "There are no such things done as you say, but you imagine them out of your own heart." His conscience is clear, he is at peace within himself.
But he understands how treacherous the move is, and it touches him personally. He no longer holds all the cards: if the rumor grows, he will not be able to stop it.
So he prays: "Now therefore, God, strengthen my hands." He simply asks for God's help, as Scripture urges us to: in everything, make your needs known to God, and the peace of God will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.

5. Third Attempt: Refusing to Sin in Order to Protect Yourself

In verses 10 to 14, Tobiah, who seems to be the instigator, has bribed the prophet Shemaiah. Shemaiah urges Nehemiah to hide in the temple, in the area reserved for priests, claiming that men are coming to kill him during the night.
Had Nehemiah given in, he could have been slandered: a layman like him had no right to enter the parts of the temple reserved for priests.
Here again, he shows discernment and does not give in to fear. "Should such a man as I flee?" He is not a man who hides, he looks his adversaries straight in the eye.
"Who is there that, being such as I, would go into the temple to save his life?" Governor though he is, he does not place himself above the rules God has set. He refuses to disobey God in order to protect himself, as if to say: if I must die, I would rather die without sinning against God.
The pastor connects this courage with Paul's in Acts 20:24: "But I do not count my life of any value to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus."
"What a leader!" he exclaims: a leader who can give courage to his people, set a direction for them and tell them that we do not turn aside to the right or to the left.

6. Looking to Jesus, Who Accomplished It All

While studying this story, the pastor's thoughts were led to the temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4. The comparison may seem odd, but the account is built the same way.
Three attempts by the devil to turn Jesus away from his great work, from the mission for which he was sent to earth. Three firm answers from Jesus, determined to go to the end without faltering.
Through Nehemiah, we are invited to look to Jesus, the leader who perfectly fulfills his calling and brings it to its completion, to its peace.
He did not let himself be turned aside, he did not give in to rumors, he did not sin against God, even at the final moment.
Unlike Nehemiah, he really did have to face death, because it was part of his path. He faced it so that he could proclaim on the cross, just before dying: "It is finished" (John 19:30).
"Before this 'It is finished,' let us take time to contemplate our Lord Jesus, who went all the way for us."

Key Takeaways

In the Bible, peace is tied to completion: the wall is "at peace" when it is finished, and Jesus gives his peace because he accomplished everything.
The adversary often lashes out just before the end. The final stretch calls for particular vigilance.
Keeping your priority means discerning the distractions that pull you away from the work God has entrusted to you, without turning aside to the right or to the left.
Facing a rumor, Nehemiah simply tells the truth, without justifying himself, then prays: "Now therefore, God, strengthen my hands."
Nehemiah refuses to sin to protect himself. He points to Jesus, who went all the way and could say: "It is finished."

Personal Reflection

What is the "great work" God has called you to, and what distractions are trying to pull you away from it today?
Are you in a final stretch where fatigue or opposition pushes you to give up? What does "running toward the goal" mean for you this week?
How do you react to a rumor or an unjust accusation: by endlessly justifying yourself, or by telling the truth and then entrusting the matter to God in prayer?
Is there an area where fear pushes you to take a shortcut that would lead you away from obeying God?
Take a moment to contemplate Jesus, who went all the way for you. What does his "It is finished" change in the way you hold on?

Verses Cited

Frequently Asked Questions

What does "the wall was finished" mean in Nehemiah 6:15?

Stéphane Guillet explains that the Hebrew verb used, shalam, gave us the word shalom. In Hebrew thought, shalom first describes a state of completion and fullness, from which the idea of peace comes. We could say the wall was "at peace": it is finished, and peace becomes possible for the people.

What are the three attempts against Nehemiah in Nehemiah 6?

First, an invitation to negotiate in the valley of Ono, which was a trap to turn him away from the work (verses 2 to 4). Next, an open letter spreading the rumor that he wanted to become king (verses 5 to 9). Finally, a false prophecy from Shemaiah to push him to hide in the temple and sin (verses 10 to 14). Each time, Nehemiah answers with a firm word.

What is the link between Nehemiah 6 and the temptation of Jesus?

For Stéphane Guillet, Matthew 4 is built the same way: three attempts by the devil to turn Jesus away from his mission and three firm answers. Nehemiah invites us to look to Jesus, who did not let himself be turned aside, faced death, and could say on the cross: "It is finished."