What does Nehemiah 6:15 Mean?

Study Notes

Elul
sixth month i.e. September.

Verse Meaning

The builders finished the walls only52days after construction had begun ( Nehemiah 6:15). "Elul" is late August and early September. Israel"s enemies viewed their rapid progress as evidence that God had helped the workers ( Nehemiah 6:16). [source][source]

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"The best answer to opposition is to keep working and fulfill God"s will; thus others will see God"s power." ^[1] [source]

The writer mentioned another detracting ploy the enemy instigated. By doing Song of Solomon , he suggested that this additional problem may have plagued Nehemiah throughout the whole process of rebuilding the wall. As mentioned before, Tobiah"s name implies that he was a Jew. He had intermarried with Jews who had returned to the land and evidently participated in the restoration projects, though he himself did not approve of the restoration. His marital and social ties with the princes of the restoration community resulted in their commending him to Nehemiah. In short, Nehemiah suffered from pressure that Tobiah and Nehemiah"s colleagues brought on him. This powerful Jew, who did not share God"s desires for His people, had considerable influence with many of the restoration leaders. [source][source]

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Sometimes powerful brethren who have influential supporters create the Christian leader"s most difficult problems. They may really want to see something other than God"s will accomplished. [source][source]

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Note the following lessons in leadership from Nehemiah 1-6. A leader must be a person of prayer (ch1), have a vision ( Nehemiah 2:1-3), and be a wise planner ( Nehemiah 2:4-8). He must inspire his followers ( Nehemiah 2:11-20), organize his task (ch3), and combine faith and common sense (ch4). He needs to be compassionate ( Nehemiah 5:1-13), possess personal integrity ( Nehemiah 5:14-19), be absolutely impartial (ch5), and display a sense of mission (ch6). [source][source]

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Having finished the walls, Nehemiah took steps to ensure that the city would remain secure by appointing guards. Now temple worship could flourish ( Nehemiah 7:1). The gatekeepers usually guarded the temple entrance, but Nehemiah posted them at the city gates because of the imminent danger there. The "faithful man" ( Nehemiah 7:2) was Hanaiah, not Hanani, though he too was, of course, reliable. To minimize the threat of potential invaders, Nehemiah ordered that the gates of Jerusalem be open only during the busiest hours of the day ( Nehemiah 7:3). People had not been living in Jerusalem because it was vulnerable to attack ( Nehemiah 7:4). The small population rendered it more vulnerable than it would have been with the city full of people. Nehemiah later proposed a plan that would increase the population and consequently the security of Jerusalem ( Nehemiah 11:1-2). [source][source]

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Context Summary

How often Satan tries to call us off from our work for God! He cannot endure to see us engaged so eagerly on our Master's business and therefore raises up all sorts of hindrances and hostilities. Amid all these we have but one duty to perform. We must lose ourselves in our work. Ours to reply, "I am doing a great work, I cannot come down; why should the work cease?" If we will see to God's business, He will see to our safety. False friends, who prophesy in God's name, are more to be dreaded than open foes. We must learn to discern the spirits. The counsel which savors of self is always to be suspected. Note that Nehemiah considered that to have fear would have been to sin. But God was with the little band through dangers, and the wall was finished in spite of all opposition, 1 Corinthians 15:58. [source]

Chapter Summary: Nehemiah 6

¹  Sanballat practices by craft, by rumors, and by hired prophecies, to terrify Nehemiah
¹⁵  The work is finished, to the terror of the enemies
¹⁷  Secret intelligence passes between the enemies and the nobles of Judah