Then sent Sanballat his servant to me in this manner the fifth time, with an open letter in his hand,
Four times Sanballat has approached Nehemiah, and four times Nehemiah has refused. The fifth message comes as a letter carried open in the servant's hand, where anyone can read it.
One writer warns that a firm refusal can weaken over time, and explains why this letter was left open.
This refusal does not repel the enemy. It often happens that we oppose him with a firm refusal at the beginning. Then, when we have grown only a little weary, we end by giving in to him. After four fruitless attempts, Sanballat makes a fifth, with a most dangerous trick. He sends his servant with an open letter in his hand. Anyone might know what that letter contained, and the enemy made sure to spread it. The accusations and threats it held had to reach the ears of the people, so that Sanballat could win recruits.
The wording of the letter sounds like concern for Nehemiah's good name. Its openness gives it away.
The letter uses friendly terms and pretends great concern for Nehemiah's reputation. It claims to fear that his name will suffer from certain damaging reports about him and his work. But as an "open letter" it has one deliberate purpose: to damage Nehemiah by spreading evil reports abroad.
Sanballat does not accuse outright. He passes on what others are said to be saying, and names a witness, Gashmu. Commentators count the charges differently, but each one leads to the same danger — a report to the king.
He put on a very clever mask. In his letter he manages to hint at three distinct charges. If these charges reached the king, they might well endanger Nehemiah's character, if not his life. First, he speaks of rebellion, and even produces a witness — Gashmu or Geshem, the Arabian. Then he suggests what would go with rebellion, if the first claim were true: that Nehemiah's aim in building the wall was to make himself king. And finally, he says people reported that Nehemiah had appointed prophets to preach about him in Jerusalem, saying, "There is a king in Judah."
One of the charges rests on nothing more than a rumour.
There is a rumour spreading (how often souls are frightened by these words: "there is a rumour!") that you have ambitious plans. You want to become their king. They will accuse you of trying to take the place of the ruling authority.
Nehemiah's reply in the next verse is one sentence: "No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind." Notice what he does not do.
Nehemiah will not be drawn into any argument with the tempter, and he gives no explanation of his work or his motives. With great wisdom and restraint he denies the accusation and exposes where these evil reports came from. He sees too that the real aim of the "open letter" is to terrify the people. It would lead them to think they are tied to a rebel plotting against the king. Terrified like this, their hands would be "weakened from the work." But, as always with Nehemiah, God was his resource. The enemy attacked Nehemiah to weaken the hands of the people. Nehemiah turns to God to strengthen his own hands, so that he could support the people.
Agreeing to meet would have told the watching people something about Nehemiah.
Satan's method is always to draw us off the ground of faith in the living God. In this case Nehemiah saw their aim: to make the people of God afraid of what the authorities might do. But fear is not faith. If Sanballat could tempt Nehemiah into meeting him, even the Jews would conclude that Nehemiah was afraid. Their confidence in a man of faith would be shaken. Let us not fear any kind of threat if we are doing what the Lord has sent us to do.
One writer points to who stands behind such attacks.
As it was in Nehemiah's day, so it is still. Wherever people do the work of the Lord and God's servants labour to glorify Him, the enemy will rise up and hinder the work. When the Lord opens a door, then many adversaries will appear. The sneers, the hatred, the tricks and the lies of the world are the same today. Behind them stands the same person who acted through Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem — Satan, the god of this age.
- Persistence. Four refusals did not stop the enemy. He came a fifth time, counting on weariness to soften the answer.
- Publicity. Sanballat left the letter open on purpose. He wanted the people to read the charge, not just Nehemiah.
- Pretence. Friendly concern for his reputation hid three charges: rebellion, crowning himself king, and appointed prophets. Each was aimed at the king's ear.
- Precision. Nehemiah gave no explanation and no debate, only a flat denial that named the charge as invented.
- Prayer. The attack aimed to weaken the workers' hands. Nehemiah turned to God to strengthen his own, so he could hold up the people.
in which was written It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says [it, that] thou and the Jews think to rebel, for which cause thou buildest the wall, and according to these words thou wilt become their king.
Commentary for this verse has not been generated yet.
And thou hast also appointed prophets to proclaim concerning thee at Jerusalem saying, There is a king in Judah! And now it will be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together.
Sanballat's fifth message came as an open letter . Anyone could read it on the way. It claimed Nehemiah was building the wall to crown himself, and had hired prophets to announce it. Why send an accusation unsealed? And how should a servant of God answer a charge that is false but almost believable?
The letter came unsealed, carried in the open. Writers see that as part of the attack.
After four unfruitful efforts, Sanballat tries a fifth time, with a most dangerous trick. He sends his servant with an open letter in his hand. Everyone might know what that letter contained, and the enemy did not hold back from spreading it. The accusations and threats in it had to reach the ears of the people, to win supporters for Sanballat.
The letter sounds as if Sanballat were shielding Nehemiah from gossip. Underneath, it stacks one charge on top of another.
The third snare is the trick of the "open letter" (6, 7). It is worded in friendly terms and pretends great concern for Nehemiah's reputation. The letter claims that reputation will suffer from certain damaging reports about Nehemiah and his work. But as an "open letter" its real purpose is to damage Nehemiah by spreading evil reports abroad. If true the charges would indeed be serious. For it is said that Nehemiah — the cupbearer and appointed governor of the king — is going to "rebel." What is more, a witness can be produced to support the charge, for "Gashmu says it." It is also said that Nehemiah's ultimate aim, in building the walls, is to raise himself to the throne as king. And finally, report has it that Nehemiah has appointed prophets to preach in Jerusalem. In this way he would back up his claim to royalty by a professed word from God.
Was there anything real behind the charge about the prophets? One writer thinks there may have been — a true event that an outsider read the wrong way.
It is more than likely that there was a show of truth in the last statement. Nehemiah cared deeply about his nation. He would not forget that all their hopes were centred in the promised Messiah. So he may have sought, through the ministry of prophets, to revive the flagging energies of the people. He would do this by reminding them of the glowing descriptions of the future kingdom under the rule of the true David, recorded, for example, in the writings of Isaiah. A stranger could not enter into this or understand it, and might well conclude that Nehemiah was sowing sedition and rebellion.
The letter ends by warning that the king will hear these reports. That threat gave it force. Nehemiah held his post only by the king's trust.
There was enough here to make even the greatest courage fail. There was suspicion cast on the character and purpose of the Lord's servant. And there was the fear of seeing his conduct slandered before the king who had put his confidence in him! The conclusion of the letter was an invitation repeated for the fifth time: "So now come and let us take counsel together."
Sanballat wrote to Nehemiah, but he aimed at the workers on the wall.
He sees, too, that the real aim of the "open letter" is to terrify the people by leading them to suppose they are linked to one who is a rebel plotting against the king. Terrified in this way, their hands would be "weakened from the work." But, as always with Nehemiah, God was his resource. The enemy attacked Nehemiah to weaken the hands of the people. Nehemiah turns to God to strengthen his own hands, so that he might support the people (8, 9).
Nehemiah's reply is a few words long. Writers draw a rule of conduct from its shortness.
His answer is simplicity itself: a plain denial in a few words of the truth of these alleged reports. At the same time he traced them back to their true source — Sanballat's own wicked heart… And this answer teaches us that we should never enter into argument with the tempter. We may repel his accusations. But if we once begin to reason with him, or even to explain, he will surely defeat us.
- Open — Sanballat left the letter unsealed on purpose, so the charge would reach the people and win him supporters.
- Layered — friendly concern on the surface, and underneath it rebellion, a named witness, a bid for the throne, and hired prophets.
- Plausible — talk of a coming king may have echoed real preaching about the promised Messiah. An outsider could only read it as rebellion.
- Aimed — Sanballat struck at the leader to weaken the hands of the builders.
- Answered — a short denial, no argument, no explanation, and then Nehemiah turned to God for strength.