Nehemiah 6 Kjv (2024)

FAQs

What does Nehemiah chapter 6 mean? ›

The enemies wanted God's people to fear men. And yet, we already know that Nehemiah feared God. And therefore he would refuse to fear men. And this consideration brings us finally to the title of this message and I think the message of Nehemiah 6 — To accomplish God's work you must overcome the fear of man.

God's leader is not discouraged by adversity.

Nehemiah listened but persisted. Nehemiah knew he was “doing a great work” (6:3) and could not come down from the wall to debate with the enemies. Nehemiah persisted even when adversity came. God's people cannot give up when adversity comes.

Nehemiah takes the problem to God, and asks Him to handle things by strengthening his hands for the task he was called to do. He's not asking for strength to annihilate his enemies, but strength to simply do what God has called him to do.

The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.” When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven.

He asks God to use him as a servant to assist in the task of restoring Jerusalem and its people. The two important lessons at the beginning of the book of Nehemiah are i) that he identifies the need and ii) that he seeks God in prayer as God is the only one who can change the situation.

The Book of Nehemiah in the Hebrew Bible, largely takes the form of a first-person memoir by Nehemiah, a Jew who is a high official at the Persian court, concerning the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile and the dedication of the city and its people to God's laws (Torah).

Leaders Lead by Perseverance

There will always be opposition. Nehemiah learned that lesson as he led the effort to rebuild Jerusalem's walls. From chapter two to the end of the book, enemies threw up obstacle after obstacle including attempts to kill Nehemiah. Yet Nehemiah persevered until the walls were completed.

The main themes of Nehemiah and lessons that we learn from this book are: God's work will always encounter opposition, this should spur us on to persist in the work that God has given, and to not be discouraged or give up. The reason for the destruction of Jerusalem and Israel was the people's sin.

One of the powerful messages of Nehemiah is how much you can accomplish when you align yourself with the will and plan of God. Nehemiah and his followers do what seems to be the impossible because they are doing what God has called them to do. You don't have to rebuild a wall to do the will of God.

Sanballat is best known from the Book of Nehemiah, which casts him as one of the chief opponents of the Jewish governor Nehemiah during the latter's efforts to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and carrying out his reforms among the Jews.

What does Nehemiah 6:11 mean? ›

Nehemiah 6:11. Once again the enemy switches his tactics, reverting again to subterfuge. A word comes in the form of a prophecy, but this man is a false prophet. He claims to have hidden knowledge that men are coming to kill Nehemiah and advises him to go into the temple to save his life.

Shemaiah son of Delaiah, a false prophet who hindered the rebuilding of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 6:10) a priest involved in the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 12:42)

Walls can be seen as a source of imprisonment and division. They are often referred to as things we need to break down and overcome. However, when we look at walls in the bible, they are also seen as structures that protect, providing security, and represent a place of shelter forming a sense of belonging.

The walls were a protection, but they were also an important physical symbol of the establishment of the Jews as a people. The holy city became a unifying force as families were chosen by lot to come live in it (see Nehemiah 11:1–2).

All the biblical prophets spoke of the walls and gates of Jerusalem also, in connection to God's faithfulness. The city is described as “the place where God dwells” (Psalm 46:4). Believers are told that God himself “has set watchmen on her walls” (Isaiah 62:6) and are commanded to pray for her peace.

The walls were a protection, but they were also an important physical symbol of the establishment of the Jews as a people. The holy city became a unifying force as families were chosen by lot to come live in it (see Nehemiah 11:1–2).

In addition, the Lord swears that Abraham's descendants will conquer their enemies. Put poetically, they will possess the gates of enemy cities. This is a more specific way of pointing to the day when Israel would conquer her enemies while taking possession of the promised land of Canaan.

The city of Jerusalem at the time of Nehemiah is a type or representation of what a holy life looks like when the Messiah is centered in our lives. The gates further illustrate how Jesus is the “door into the sheepfold,” and the “gate” by which we must enter is repentance and baptism.