Now, as we continue with our Bible studies in the book of Nehemiah, we shall study today what is recorded in chapter six. We're going to then look at some of the things said in the sixth chapter of the book of Nehemiah. Before we do so, let us bow for a moment of prayer. Our Father, we acknowledge thee again. Thou art the giver of every good and every perfect gift. We thank thee for the gift of thy love when thou dost give thy well-beloved son to die on Calvary's cross. We thank thee, O God, for sending the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, whose prerogative it is to take of the things of Christ and reveal them unto us. We thank thee for the Holy Spirit who is called the Comforter and the Spirit of Truth. And our prayer now is that he shall take the truth that we read in this chapter Help us to understand it and take it in and be encouraged thereby. We ask it in the Savior's name. Amen. Now I have been seeking to give you some titles for each chapter as we have proceeded throughout this book. Those of you who have been following through in our studies will remember that in chapter one we presented Nehemiah as the exercised man. a man whose heart was touched with a great need. In chapter two we find this man as a man of action. In chapter three as the work commences we discover it's to every man his work. In chapter four there are difficulties from without but in spite of those difficulties and opposition the work must go on. When we studied chapter five, we discovered that there were internal difficulties, and these internal difficulties called for strict discipline. And so that was the study in chapter five. But now in chapter six, we find the work is completed in spite of opposition from without and difficulties from within and so it's a word of great encouragement when we come to verse fifteen of chapter six where we read so the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul in fifty and two days but now in leading up to that great climax when the wall was finished there are some lessons to be learned from the preceding verses of chapter six. First of all, we are faced with a very subtle proposition. Here we find that the enemy from without is still in opposition to the work of God. Now might I say this to every Christian who is listening to me today, wherever a work is executed for God, there is sure to be opposition from the enemy. Satan never allows a work to go on for God without giving some opposition. Even in Old Testament times we find this, then again you find it in the Gospels when the Lord Jesus Christ was here enough, he had to face the opposition of the enemy. Then when the Lord went back to the glory, The Holy Spirit was sent down and the Holy Spirit empowered these early Christians to go out and preach the gospel. They also had to face opposition from the enemy. But the enemy does not always approach in the same way. Sometimes he comes like a roaring lion. Sometimes he comes dressed up like an angel of light. You would almost think he was your friend, but he's very subtle. I'll see what we have in the opening verses and discover something relative to the subtle proposition of the enemy. Now it came to pass when Sanballot and Tobiah and Gisham the Arabian and the rest of our enemies heard that I had builded the wall and that there was no breach left therein, though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gate. that San Balot and Gisham sent unto me saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono, but they thought to do me mischief. Now let us pause on these two verses for a moment or two. See if we can learn a lesson from them. Here is a man who has been exercised by God to do a work in connection with God's property, a work in connection with God's people, a work in connection with the reinstating of God's principles. And the moment he commences this work, he's opposed by the enemy. Up till this point, the enemy has been unable to detract this man from his work. Here is a man who has set his face steadfastly towards this work and is prepared to see it through. When they roared at him like roaring lions, they failed. But now they come with a very subtle proposition. By this time the walls themselves are really completed, that is, there's no breach in them now. You will remember that each man was working on a particular part of the wall, and so you had all these men working round and round the city, and now they have joined their work together. Only the gates are not yet placed in position. So the gates are still open, although the walls are erected, which means if the enemy was to come at them now, the enemy would require to come in at these open gates. But seeing that the work was so far advanced, the enemy tries another subtle tactic. He makes a proposition to this great leader of God's people. And he said, why don't you come down? And let us have a conference together. Let us meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono. You'll say, here is a... proposition being made for what in present day terms we would call a summit conference. Come down and meet with us. Those of you who are Jews come down and have a conference with us who are the Arabs. So that's what it says in verse one, Gisham the Arabian. He's one of the enemies along with the others. Here is a conspiracy. Because you have an amalgamation here of the different enemies. They may have been enemies with each other, but they're going to join forces against what they consider the common enemy. They're going against Nehemiah and the people of God. Come and let us have a summit conference. Let us discuss this thing over the table, so to speak. And let us understand each other as to what we're doing. That would seem to be the proposition. But Nehemiah, being a man of God, was able to see beyond the surface. He could see beyond the smoke screen. He could see right to the very source of the matter. And it says at the end of verse two, But they thought to do me mischief, which seems to suggest to me that Nehemiah was not only a man who was exercised to do the work of God, Not only was he a man who became active in the doing of it, and a man who could stimulate others to get on with the work. Notice here, my friend, Nehemiah was a man with spiritual perception. Oh, here is something we need at the present time. Spiritual perception. That is, he was able to understand the great movement of the enemy. He was a man who was being energized by God. This man had a perception of things. He said, These people, if they get us to the conference table for this summit conference, and I'm not here, the work will be impaired, and in all probability when I'm away, they'll send their armies in at these open gates to upset the whole thing. They thought to do me mischief. Now remember, This man had to give an answer. When we come to the next verse, here's what we read. And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and come down to you? Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort, and I answered them after the same manner. I suggest in these two verses we learn another thing about the character of this man Nehemiah. He was a man with a settled purpose. He knew his objective in life. He knew what the work entailed. And he was prepared to leave everything else aside and pursue this one thing until he reached the point of completion. Now, he didn't exactly ignore them. He was very courteous towards them. But he didn't go out. He sent messengers unto them. And the messengers were simply to say, Nehemiah is doing a great work so that he cannot come down. Whether they said it verbally or whether they carried it on a letter, well, perhaps it makes no difference. He sent the messengers unto them. And this was the message he sent. I am doing a great work so that I cannot come down. In plain words, he said, if I leave this work to come down and consult with you, then remember this work will stop. And it is more important for me to do the work of God than to sit around and have a conference with you who have proved yourselves to be the enemies of God. My friend, here is a principle. that should strike deep at the hearts of all those who profess to be Christians today. What is the most important thing in life? Ah, there was a man who said, This one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, I press on towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God, which is in Christ Jesus, pressing on towards the great objectives. The Lord Jesus Christ taught when he was here on earth, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Then let us face this great issue today. There must be things to get the first place in our life. What are the most important things in life? What should be given the first place? Well, Nehemiah had no doubts about it. He says, this is the thing I must do. I am doing a great work so that I cannot come down. I cannot leave it. To meet with you would only be a secondary thing. It might accomplish nothing. In fact, it might be for my detriment, and it may be that the work of God would cease while I am away. So I'm sorry, gentlemen. Have your conference if you like. I'm not coming. I have something more important to attend to. But you know, they were not content to accept his answer. Notice how subtle they are. He says that they sent unto me four times after this sort. You know, sometimes if people keep pestering you, you're liable to give in. But here was a man who was not going to give in. They came and four times they sought for him to come and meet with him at this conference down in one of the villages, taking him away from his work. And four times he gave them the same answer. He answered them after the same manner, here is my answer. I am doing a great work so that I can't come down. He was a man who could not be moved, a man with a settled purpose in life. I sometimes feel that that is our drawback at the present time. It's a difficulty with many of us. We do not have a settled purpose in life. I personally make it my business to ask young people when I get the opportunity, of course, especially young men who are in university or preparing to go to the university, leaving high school, I'll say to them, Have you made up your mind what course you want to pursue in life? Plain words, what is your objective in life? Mostly I get this answer. I'm not sure yet. I haven't decided. Now, my friend, listen. If a young man hasn't decided what course he wants to pursue in life, there's something missing. I can overlook that when a man just starts his studies, but after a man has had three or four years in university and still doesn't know what he wants to pursue in life, something has gone wrong somewhere. And then when you meet someone way up in the late twenties or the early thirties, and they still don't know what course they want to pursue in life, again I say something has gone wrong. Now when it comes to those of us who profess to be Christians, We ought to accept this from God. Seek ye first the kingdom of God. And all these things shall be added unto you. So we have to seek God's kingdom and his righteousness. That should be the course we should be pursuing in life. That should be our objective. And everything else should fit into that. He was a man with a settled purpose. I appeal to each listener today. Know what your purpose is in life, and pursue that course with all the energy and wisdom that God gives you. Then so four times they sent to him, four times he gives the same answer, I'm doing a great work, and I cannot come to us. He was a man who recognized this, that darkness can have no fellowship with light, that truth can have no fellowship with error. Plain words, the work of the Lord. can have no fellowship with the work of the devil. The line of separation must be drawn, and we must proceed and pursue the course that will be well-pleasing to the Lord. But these that are his enemies don't give in so easily, you know. Verses five through seven set before us a very slanderous plot. They're plotting now how to get this man tripped. They want the work stocked, and they're going to upset this man. Then sent Sanballot his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time, and this time with an open letter in his hand. Play words, it comes with an open letter. Anyone can read it. Nothing secret about this. Wherein was written, it is reported among the heathen, and Gashmoo said it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel, for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king according to these words. And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah, and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words. Come now, therefore. Let us take counsel together. Now you see how slanderous this is. The first thing was subtle, and he perceived that. And now they try slandering him, an open letter, written things about him that are not true, said things that they cannot prove. They're going to try this. They're going to try and cause this man to be overcome with fear. And so they send him this open letter for everybody to read and everybody to know, and they slander the man. and an effect of saying to the people of Jerusalem, How this man, Nehemiah, he wants to be your king, you know, and he's going to lead you in rebellion. And after all, he's not fit to be your king, and you'll be in trouble. All this idea could be fostered through the open letter. But now, what could Nehemiah do with regards to that? He's got to answer the open letter. So he gives his answer. He says, Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou fearest them out of thine own heart. You see, here was a man again who had spiritual perception. Now, it's no good spending time trying to argue or reason with men of this caliber. Don't try to reason with the enemy at all. For the simple reason, he's going to tell lies. And if he's going to tell lies, he certainly will not admit the truth. So therefore, why try to reason with him? The only thing is you resist him, and he free from you. That's what he did here. He didn't try to reason with him. He just resisted him. But notice how he resisted him. This man has forged many lies, slanderous lies about the man of God, Nehemiah. Nehemiah simply answered him like this. He says, There are no such things done as thou sayest. In plain words, what you're saying is not true. This is a slanderous untruth. So therefore, there are no such things as thou sayest. Then why did you see them? But thou fearest them out of thine own heart. Here was Nehemiah now, again with his spiritual perception. He realized that these things were forged in the evil heart of this man, Sanballat, who was his enemy. And so Nehemiah simply gives them the straight answer and tells them, now, you have only imagined these things in your own heart. But now Nehemiah didn't stop there. It brings us to verse nine. And oh, I hope this gets down to all our hearts today. Here again we find this man going to prayer. You remember we saw him praying in chapter one. He prayed again in chapter two. He prayed again when the enemy came in. See, this man knew what to do with his difficulties. He takes them and sets them before the Lord. Verse nine says, For they all made us afraid, saying their hands shall be weakened from the work that is to be done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands. You see how simple that prayer is. How short, yet how sincere. He spreads the matter before God. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands. Now following that little prayer, there comes a man to him from within now with a very, very subtle suggestion. He says to him, Now look, These people are going to come in after you. They're sure to go for your life. If you want to save your life, Nehemiah, there's only one thing to do. Why don't we go in? Let us meet together in the house of God. You wouldn't go out and meet with them out in the villages. That would take you away from your work. Why don't we meet together in the house of God? Let's go into the temple. And if we go within the temple, let us shut the doors of the temple. For they will come to slay thee, yea. In the night will they come to slay thee. So here was something more subtle now, to get this man to spoil his own character by going into the temple, which he had no right to do, for he was not a priest. Now he's got the answer of this man. And I said, Should such a man as I flee, and who is there, that being as I am would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in. And lo, I perceived that God had not sent him. You see, he perceived this was not of God, because God never asked you to do anything that's contrary to his own will. This man was suggesting something that was against the revealed will of God. However, he was hired by the enemy to do this, to get Nehemiah to sin, that they might have a matter against him, an evil matter. They may be able to report this. They may be able to reproach him. Spoil his good character. But then, He gave himself to prayer again. And when we come to verse fifteen, so the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month. Hello in fifty and two days. What a tremendous work. Completed in spite of opposition, in spite of difficulties. Opposition from without, difficulties from within. The work went on and the work was completed. What a glorious day that must have been when the wall was finished and the door set up. And then there were people there who could rejoice with them. And it came to pass that when all our enemies heard thereof and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cashed down in their own eyes for they perceived that this work was wrought of God. That's tremendous. The work was wrought of God. My friend, when God does a work, All the powers of hell cannot prevent it. Remember this, he said, I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.