IT IS TIME FOR WORK AND NOT FOR DEBATE This chapter presents to us a magnificent portrait of the minister of God who never goes astray from his goal in Christ Jesus. Man’s life being short, and his days few, It is not befitting of him to corrupt it by fear of failure, loss of temporal things, or the oppression by the enemies, etc. But he should always bear the spirit of strength, love, and balance. To prevail upon fear, it is befitting of us: a- To study the tricks of the enemy, who does not cease to stir up in us the spirit of fear, anxiety, and feeling of failure and despair b- To perceive that fear actually comes from our human inner weakness. For the devil has no authority to terrorize us. c- To resort to God, who strengthens us to work; and grants us the power to execute. Concerning the building of the wall of Jerusalem, the opposition was already defeated; for neither the ridicule, nor the threats, nor the inner problem could stop the work. There was nothing, therefore, before the enemy except to plot a plan to have Nehemiah killed. They invited him to a meeting with them to discuss the situation; with the evil intention to have him killed. But, being aware of their wickedness, Nehemiah rejected their invitation four times to meet them in a village 20 miles north of Jerusalem; with the excuse that he does not wish to interrupt the work within his hands (1-4). For there is time for work, and another for debate. https://coptic-treasures.com/ Attempting to use pressure on Nehemiah, Sanballat sent to him a piece of papyrus or leather to read (5), in which he wrote that Nehemiah intends to make himself a king, to rebel against the king of Persia (6), and that he bribes the prophets to proclaim what he wants them to do (7) But such a message could never shake the heart of a serious man like Nehemiah. He denied those accusations, and to put the whole thing before God Himself, who, alone can defend him. Failing in all their attempts, to accuse Nehemiah of cowardice, they sent to him someone called Shemaiah, to claim that he could not come out of his house, and to provoke him to go and take refuge together with him in the temple, to flee from attempts to have them killed. But, again, Nehemiah perceived his deception, and declined his offer to go to the temple, for not being a priest. Sanballat and Tobiah paid bribes to Shamaiah and probably to some prophets and prophetesses, to prophesy that the end of Nehemiah’s days was close at hand (10-14). Despite all those attempts by the devil, the building of the wall was done in a record time – 52 days (15-16). But the enemy did not cease to try other ways. Tobiah, this time, used his wife and daughter to go around among the families in Jerusalem, to corrupt Nehemiah’s reputation. 1- Plots against Nehemiah 1 - 8 2- The reaction of the enemies to the completion of rebuilding of the wall 15 – 19 1- PLOTS AGAINST NEHEMIAH: https://coptic-treasures.com/ This is the fourth time the enemies plot against Nehemiah to stop building the wall, which was about ready. “Now it happened when Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall, and that there were no breaks left in it (though at that time I had not hung the doors in the gates)” (1) “that Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying: ‘Come, let us meet together among the villages in the plain of Ono’, but they thought to do me harm” (2) Perceiving that all their plots have utterly failed to make Nehemiah stop working, there was nothing more before the enemies but deception, under the pretension of entering with him into a debate. Sanballat and Geshem sought to negotiate with Nehemiah, a request that may seem to some as something harmless; and even wise. But by it, the enemy actually intended to interrupt the work. Ono:, about 7 miles south-east of ‘Japha’, near ‘Lod’, a location out of Jerusalem, most probably in the domain of the tribe of Benjamin, close to the River Jordan. Although it was suggested as a neutral location; yet Nehemiah perceived that the invitation was a trap to take him away from his friends to be able to kidnap or to kill him. …….He refrained from entering into negotiations, so as not to waste his energy in things of secondary importance to his main mission; about which the apostle Paul. exhorting us to avoid the vain law disputes, says: “Avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife”” (2 Timothy 2: 23”. + By the disputes, Paul might also mean the debates with the heretics, with which he wishes us not to waste our time and effort , for it ends up to nothing. For, if a denier persists on his position and his view, why then do you sow on the rock, at a time you would rather direct your great work for the sake of the kingdom of God?! https://coptic-treasures.com/ (St. John Chrysostom) “”So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?”(3) Refusing to enter with the enemy into debate, Nehemiah proclaimed that there is time for work and time for talk. ……..Despite the importance of edifying debates between the ministers in the church, and between the ministers and the congregation, yet we should have the spirit to discern between the time for work and that for talk; for the later is easier and more attractive than the former. How beautiful are Nehemiah’s feeling that what he practices has been give to him by God Himself; therefore he says with pride: “I am doing a great work” (3). The greatness of the work in the church of God is that it is provided by the Lord, and to the account of the kingdom of God. That is what the apostle confirms by saying: “There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities but the same God who works all in all” (1 Corinthians 12: 4-6) + Even though you may be given a lesser gift than what is given to someone else; yet, because the Giver is One; you therefore has an equal honor. + There are differences in the gifts, but there is no difference in the Giver; For all draw from the same Fountain. + One may be disappointed when he finds out that someone else has a greater gift than his; but taking into consideration that ministry involves https://coptic-treasures.com/ labor and sweat, why should you complain if someone else do more to make your burden easier?! (St. John Chrysostom) Nehemiah rejected to go down to Sanballat and Geshem; for he is doing a great work for the Lord; and his mind, words, and actions are in continuous ascent, and would never go down. The life of a true believer is a continuous ascent, from glory to glory, and an enjoyment of new experiences by sitting together with the Lord Christ in the heavenly places. + No one who seeks perfection, persists on ascending to heaven, and looks up high, can stop at one height, with the assumption that he has already consummated his work, and in no further need to ascend to a higher level. He should rather keep on ascending, until death open before him the door to reach the haven of the saints……. .It would be better for, O lover of virtue, to think and meditate to go on forward; you are committed always to put in your consideration that there is a better life story than yours…….For if you happen to assume that you have already ascended in virtue up to where you should, your seeking would be in vain; and you will start to descend from the beauty of humility. (St. (Mar) Jacob El-Serougi) “But they sent me this message four times, and I answered them in the same manner” (4) https://coptic-treasures.com/ “Then Sanballat sent his servant to me as before, the fifth time, with an open letter in his hand. In it was written” (5) It was the custom in those days to write the messages on papyrus papers, (as it was known to the Egyptians, after whom their neighbors took); on the skin of animals; or on palms of palm trees; then to roll it on, tie it by a rope or a thread, then seal it by mud or wax, to guarantee that the message-bearer cannot open it and read what is in it. But Sanballat and Geshem sent their message open without seal, to let its bearer read it, and tell what came in it to many, to cause a kind of terror among the rulers and the people, and to stirs them up against Nehemiah, as one who would bring upon them a great trouble, by irrationally rebelling against the Persian king. The enemies called for a meeting for negotiations with Nehemiah four times; but the later preferred to continue working, and not to waste any time in foolish debates. For the first time, it is referred to the message in the Holy Book, the one sent by king David to Joab (2 Samuel 11: 14); to the one written by Jezebel in the name of her husband king Ahab (1 kings 21: 8); to the message sent by the king of Syria to the king of Israel (2 kings 5: 5-7) and those sent by Jahu (2 kings 10: 1). It was the custom in Persia and the Eastern countries, in case a message is sent to someone prominent in the society, to roll the message on in the form of a scroll, put it in a closed case, and seal it with wax or mud, to keep anyone from opening it until it reaches the recipient (Isaiah 8: 16; 29: 11; Daniel 12: 4, 9; Revelation 5: 4, 9; 10: 4; 22: 10); which implies a kind of respect to the recipient; whereas sending it open like what Sanballat did with his message to Nehemiah, implies that the later is of a lesser status. ……… Moreover, by sending it open, Sanballat assumed that the accusations that came in it were not something secret or hidden; for everyone in Judah and all around it, know the seriousness of what Nehemiah did of rebellion against the king of Persia. .. https://coptic-treasures.com/ “It is reported among the nations, and Geshem says, that you and the Jews plan to rebel; therefore, according to these rumors, you are rebuilding the wall, that you may be their king” (6) “ And you have also appointed prophets to proclaim concerning you at Jerusalem, saying, “There is a king in Judah!” Now these matters will be reported to the king. So come, therefore, and let us consult together” (7) Sanballat false-claimed that the prophet Malachi’s prophecy about the anticipated coming of the Messiah (Kings 3: 1-3), was provoked by Nehemiah to proclaim himself the Messiah.. And in an attempt to stir up the local authorities, he also claimed that Nehemiah was going to implicate them before the king of Persia, because rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem, only means a rebellion against him. He started his message by claiming that Nehemiah intends to make himself a king, supported by the people around him. The possible reaction of such a serious false claim, on one aspect, is to condemn Nehemiah, and all the people of Judah with rebellion against Persia. On another aspect, this accusation is not only forwarded by Sanballat, but by all the surrounding nations, that, according to Sanballat, are aware that what Nehemiah and those around him were doing, is not to serve God, but to rebel against the king of Persia. By claiming that he knows your evil intention, the devil intends to make you lose your inner peace, and provoke you to anger against the others. https://coptic-treasures.com/ “Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say are being done, but you invent them in your own heart.”(8) Without any arrogance, Nehemiah replied to that message by saying that what came in it was lies; and that he has no time to waste in responding to such vain accusations. …….. He most probably, sent a secret message to the king of Persia to confirm his loyalty to him, Of the prominent features of Nehemiah was his great care not to waste his time in foolish and vain debates; which he made clear in his short, yet prudent response to Sanballat.. + I wish we behave likewise, for who can bring to us back the time we lost, when we need it. . St. Arsanius often repeats to himself:: [O Arsanius. Remember why you left the world} (Father Dorotheos) + The time is not under your control. ……..Being sojourners, nomads, and foreigners. You, therefore, have no right tot seek glory, authority, or revenge, Endure everything that time brings upon you. I imagine someone living in a great mansion, to whom some people come to kill him; and he had to pay them a ransom to redeem his life……. So you are, O believer, You have a great mansion, and a true treasure in your safe; If they come to confiscate all that, give them all what they want, but keep the main thing, namely, your “faith’ He says: “For the days are evil” The worst evil of the body is illness https://coptic-treasures.com/ The worst evil of the soul is sin The worst evil of the water is bitterness. For everything its evil conforms to its nature, and corrupts it. When I say: {I had a bad and evil day], The good events that happen on that day are from God; whereas the evil events are from wicked people. https://coptic-treasures.com/ “ For they all were trying to make us afraid, saying, “Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will not be done.” (9) Those accusations did not shake Nehemiah’s heart, nor destroy his psyche. Knowing for sure that his intention and inner motive are the obedience of the divine commandment, he kept on working, and seeking from God protection and support, to strengthen his hands. The way Nehemiah was accused with vain accusations, so was the prophet Jeremiah, about whom the princes of his home town said to the king: “Please, let this man be put to death, for thus he weakens the hands of the men of war who remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such words to them” (Jeremiah 38: 4). In all situations Nehemiah used to raise his heart up to God with prayers seeking His divine intervention. This book is packed with such quick and heartily prayers kindled with the fire of love. “Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands” (9). + I wish we always use such magnificent prayers wherever we are, and in all situations. + By the heart we seek; by the heart we ask; and to the voice of the heart, the door will be opened. + God will not help someone unless he contributes by something; He will be helped if he prays. + The complete effect of faith is: God lets us ask to take; seek to find, and knock to open the door for us. Whereas he who debates, causes the door of God’s mercy to be shut before his soul.. https://coptic-treasures.com/ (St. Augustine) “Afterward I came to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was (confined to his house); and he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you; indeed, at night they will come to kill you.” (10) It so seems that Shemaiah had some way of connection to the temple; or he was most probably a priest, and a friend of Tobiah the Ammonite. By saying that to Nehemiah, he pretended to care for Nehemiah’s life. Although, according to some, he did not mean the inner sanctuary, but the outer court, where it was possible to take refuge and be safe, according to the divine statues, saying: “He who strikes a man so that he dies, shall surely be put to death. However, if he did not lie in wait, but God delivered him into his hand, then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee” (Exodus 21: 13; see 1 Kings 1: 50-53; ; 2: 28: 34;; 8: 64; 2 Kings 16: 14). The most dangerous way used by the enemy against us, is to make our own friends break our zeal to work for the sake of the kingdom of God. Although the motive of these friends would be love and compassion; yet they may not perceive that they are actually tools used by the devil himself. They often become offended when their counsel is not well received by the men of God who persist on following the divine counsel... Shemaiah sought from Nehemiah to meet together in secret in the house of God “within” of the temple, in the darkness of the night that usually covers the attempts of murder. Not being a priest, and he had no right to enter into that section of the temple, Nehemiah declined, even though Shemaiah assumed that for the sake of the public interest, Nehemiah being a prominent leader should be https://coptic-treasures.com/ protected in that way. …….. What a great deception! Knowing that Nehemiah was a man of prayer, and a faithful worshipper of God, he sought to enter together with him in the temple, and to close its doors behind them; as though he is calling him to encounter God, and enter into a debate with Him. But beyond all that pretense, he intended to put fear in his heart, and make him desert those who worked with him. It is very good to resort to the house of the Lord to seek protection and counsel. But the situation here is different in the following ways:: a- On one aspect, Nehemiah, not being a priest, had no right to enter the sanctuary, and to reside in it. b- On another aspect, it is not befitting of the leader to flee and hide to save his own life; for this would bring forth the spirit of fear and terror among his co-workers. c- Nehemiah’s rejection of that counsel, was not because he does not believe that God will protect him, for he was a true man of prayer. d- It was befitting of the priests to support Nehemiah by praying in the temple to God to work by him. But that does not imply that Nehemiah and the people should not also pray for the sake of the work. The apostle calls us to pray for the sake of those with authority (1 Timothy 2: 2). “And I said, “Should such a man as I flee? And who is there such as I who would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in!” (11) Nehemiah declined that council, because, on one aspect, to flee may indicate that he lacks the courage, would bring forth the spirit of fear and terror into the leaders and the people, and he would become a bad role model before them; And on another aspect, he was not one to break the law, by forcing himself on a place he has no right to be. https://coptic-treasures.com/ “Then I perceived that God had not sent him at all, but that he pronounced this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him” (12) He perceived that Shemaiah was not sent by the Lord, because his council was contrary to the word of God, and provokes him to cowardice. “ For this reason he was hired, that I should be afraid and act that way and sin, so that they might have cause for an evil report, that they might reproach me”.(13) “My God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat, according to their works, and the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who would have made me afraid” (14) There are no more information in Holy Book about this prophetess, who, according to some, was one of a group in Jerusalem, whose goal was to destroy the efforts of Nehemiah. Yet the appearance of her name refers to that women carried out certain religious works in the reform period; and in the period before captivity (Exodus 15: 20; Judges 4: 4; Isaiah 8: 3; 2 kings 22: 14). The Old testament referred to three other prophetesses: Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron,(Exodus 15: 20); Deborah (Judges 4: 4;; Huldah (2 kings 22: 14; 2 Chronicles 34: 12) 2- THE REACTION OF THE ENEMIES TO THE COMPLETION OF REBUILDING THE WALL: https://coptic-treasures.com/ “So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days” (15) The month of Elul is almost analogous to September; and according to some, the rebuilding of the wall was finished in the twenty-seventh of October of the year 445 BC.. …. The prophet Daniel who was taken into captivity among the first batch in the year 605 BC, prophesied the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem (Daniel 9: 25). And behold, his prophecy was realized. It was not expected for such a great project to be completed in that very short time; but it was God’s hand that does the impossible; particularly when we work together by a collective spirit of love and cooperation. “ And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was done by our God” (16) Although the enemies perceived that the work was done by God, and that what was achieved would never happen in such a way without a special exalted help from God; and even though they were very disheartened in their own eyes, yet, they did not cease their opposition.. “Also in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came to them” (17) Although the work for which Nehemiah came, has been finished, yet even after its completion, there were problems; for, among the nobles of Judah who https://coptic-treasures.com/ pretended to be Nehemiah’s friends, there were actually traitors, working to the account of Tobiah the Ammonite, the opponent of the good of Jerusalem. + In case there is one who loves me, and whom I also love, and I perceive that I am harmed because of his love, I should completely cut off my relationship with him. (Abba Agathon) + In case you are friendly with someone, and was harmed by his friendship, hasten to cut yourself off him. I do not say that you should hate people; No, but I exhort you to cut all causes of iniquity. (St. (Mar Ephraim the Syriam) “ For many in Judah were pledged to him (to Tobiah), because he was the son-in-law of Shechaniah the son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah” (18) This is an actual practical portrait of the danger of mixed marriages between believers and non-believers. “ Also they reported his good deeds before me, and reported my words to him. Tobiah sent letters to frighten me” (19) https://coptic-treasures.com/ The enemy sometimes uses those working with us, and those in high position, to give good report of the enemy, and to convince us that we misjudge them. ----------------------------- AN INSPIRATION FROM NEHEMIAH 6 SANCTIFY, O LORD, EVERY SECOND OF MY LIFE + O Lord, Whoever gets attached to You will enjoy a fellowship in Your heaven; You work, and will keep working for the edification of Your creation; Grant me to work, and never to cease; Grant me to work by, and for the sake of Your kingdom. + Sanctify every moment of my life; So that the enemy would not corrupt a single second of it; Instead of the foolish and vain debates; My heart would raise up to talk to You. + Entrust me to work to the account of Your kingdom; Let me cry out together with Nehemiah: “I am doing a great work”; And I shall not come down; https://coptic-treasures.com/ Why should the work cease when I leave it and go down for a vain debate? Whoever gets attached to You will perpetually ascend; He would go up from glory to glory; He will never go down; Let my whole life be an unceasing ascent; Let my thoughts, words, and behavior be a fragrance of incense before You. + Grant me, O Lord, the wisdom; For the devil will never cease to plot and to deceive; Under the pretense of praying to You, he intends to let me stop my work with You And under the pretense of taking a refuge in Your house, He intends to provoke me to terror and fear; Grant me, O Lord, the spirit of wisdom and discernment. + I do not care much for the number of seconds of my life; Only to know that my life is short; But because my whole life is a gift from You; If I live, I live for You; And If I die, I die for You; All the seconds of my life are Yours, O the Beloved of my soul.
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