Nehemiah 6:2
Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: "Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono." But they were planning to harm me.
Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message:
Sanballat and Geshem were leaders of opposition against Nehemiah's efforts to rebuild Jerusalem's walls. Sanballat was the governor of Samaria, and Geshem was an Arab leader. Their opposition represents the external threats faced by the Israelites. This reflects the broader biblical theme of God's people facing opposition from surrounding nations, as seen in the stories of Moses, David, and others.

“Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.”
The plain of Ono was located northwest of Jerusalem, near the border of Judah and Samaria. It was a neutral area, which might have seemed like a reasonable place for a diplomatic meeting. However, the invitation was a ruse. The plain of Ono is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 8:12, indicating its historical significance. The call to meet in a neutral place can be seen as a tactic to lure Nehemiah away from his work, similar to how Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11).

But they were planning to harm me.
Nehemiah's discernment and awareness of their true intentions highlight the need for spiritual vigilance. This reflects the biblical principle of being "wise as serpents and innocent as doves" (Matthew 10:16). Nehemiah's ability to perceive their deceit is reminiscent of the wisdom granted to Solomon (1 Kings 3:9). The phrase underscores the theme of divine protection and guidance for those who are faithful to God's mission, as seen throughout the scriptures.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Nehemiah
The central figure in the book, Nehemiah is a Jewish leader and cupbearer to the Persian king Artaxerxes. He is tasked with rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.

2. Sanballat
A persistent adversary of Nehemiah, Sanballat is a Samaritan leader who opposes the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls.

3. Geshem
Also known as Gashmu, he is an Arab leader allied with Sanballat in opposing Nehemiah's efforts.

4. The Plain of Ono
A location mentioned in the text, it is a region northwest of Jerusalem. It is significant as a place where Nehemiah's enemies sought to lure him away from his work.

5. The Plot to Harm Nehemiah
Sanballat and Geshem's invitation to meet was a ruse intended to harm Nehemiah and disrupt the rebuilding efforts.
Teaching Points
Discernment in Leadership
Nehemiah's ability to recognize the deceitful intentions of his enemies highlights the importance of discernment in leadership. Leaders must be vigilant and wise in assessing the motives of others.

Staying Focused on God's Work
Nehemiah's refusal to be distracted from his mission serves as a reminder to remain steadfast in the work God has called us to, despite external pressures and temptations.

The Reality of Opposition
The opposition faced by Nehemiah is a common experience for those doing God's work. Believers should be prepared for resistance and rely on God's strength to persevere.

The Importance of Prayer and Planning
Nehemiah's account underscores the necessity of prayer and strategic planning in overcoming challenges and fulfilling God's purposes.

Trusting God's Protection
Nehemiah's confidence in God's protection encourages believers to trust in God's sovereignty and care, even when facing threats.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Nehemiah's response to Sanballat and Geshem's invitation demonstrate discernment, and how can we apply this in our own lives?

2. In what ways does the opposition Nehemiah faced mirror the challenges Christians encounter today when pursuing God's work?

3. How can we stay focused on our God-given missions when distractions and opposition arise?

4. What role does prayer play in Nehemiah's leadership, and how can we incorporate similar practices in our decision-making processes?

5. How does Nehemiah's trust in God's protection encourage us to rely on God in times of danger or uncertainty? Can you think of other biblical figures who demonstrated similar trust?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Ezra 4
This chapter provides context for the opposition faced by the Jews during the rebuilding of Jerusalem, showing a pattern of resistance from surrounding peoples.

Proverbs 27:12
This verse speaks to the wisdom of foreseeing danger and taking precautions, much like Nehemiah's discernment in recognizing the threat.

Matthew 10:16
Jesus advises His disciples to be "shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves," which parallels Nehemiah's cautious approach to his adversaries.
The Christian WorkmanW. Clarkson Nehemiah 6:1-9
God with UsR.A. Redford Nehemiah 6:1-14
The Temptations of Earnest Moral Life and ServiceJ.S. Exell Nehemiah 6:1-16
HinderersHomilistNehemiah 6:1-19
Nehemiah's HeroismJohn McNeill.Nehemiah 6:1-19
PersistencyHomiletic CommentaryNehemiah 6:1-19
The Witness to the TruthW. Ritchie.Nehemiah 6:1-19
People
Arah, Berechiah, Delaiah, Gashmu, Geshem, Jehohanan, Johanan, Mehetabel, Meshullam, Noadiah, Sanballat, Shecaniah, Shechaniah, Shemaiah, Tobiah, Tobijah
Places
Hakkephirim, Jerusalem, Ono
Topics
Chephirim, Evil, Geshem, Harm, Intended, Lowland, Meet, Meeting, Message, Mischief, Ono, Plain, Planning, Purpose, Sanballat, Sanbal'lat, Saying, Scheming, Thinking, Towns, Valley, Villages
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Nehemiah 6:2

     5969   treachery

Nehemiah 6:1-2

     8281   insight
     8787   opposition, to God

Nehemiah 6:1-4

     5589   trap
     8720   double-mindedness

Nehemiah 6:1-8

     5355   invitations

Nehemiah 6:2-13

     5948   shrewdness

Library
June 18. "I am Doing a Great Work, So that I Cannot Come Down" (Neh. vi. 3).
"I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down" (Neh. vi. 3). When work is pressing there are many little things that will come and seem to need attention. Then it is a very blessed thing to be quiet and still, and work on, and trust the little things with God. He answers such trust in a wonderful way. If the soul has no time to fret and worry and harbor care, it has learned the secret of faith in God. A desperate desire to get some difficulty right takes the eye off of God and His glory. Some
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

Hindrances to Revivals.
Text.--I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you."--Nehemiah vi. 3. THIS servant of God had come down from Babylon to rebuild the temple and re-establish the worship of God at Jerusalem, the city of his fathers' sepulchres. When it was discovered by Sanballat and certain individuals, his allies, who had long enjoyed the desolations of Zion, that now the temple, and the holy city were about to be rebuilt, they raised a great
Charles Grandison Finney—Lectures on Revivals of Religion

Sharon. Caphar Lodim. The Village of those of Lydda.
Between Lydda and the sea, a spacious valley runs out, here and there widely spreading itself, and sprinkled with villages. The holy page of the New Testament [Acts 9:35] calls it Saron: and that of the Old calls the whole, perhaps, or some part of it, 'the plain of Ono,' Nehemiah 6:2, 11:35; 1 Chronicles 8:12... The wine of Sharon is of great fame, with which they mixed two parts water: and remarkable is that they say concerning the houses of Sharon. R. Lazar saith, "He that builds a brick house
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica

"My Little Children, These Things Write I unto You, that Ye Sin Not. And if any Man Sin, we have an Advocate with the Father,",
1 John ii. 1.--"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father,", &c. Christ Jesus came by water and by blood, not by water only, but by blood also, and I add, not by blood only but by water also, chap. v. 6. In sin there is the guilt binding over to punishment, and there is the filth or spot that defileth the soul in God's sight. To take away guilt, nothing so fit as blood for there is no punishment beyond blood, therefore
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Exhortations to Christians as they are Children of God
1 There is a bill of indictment against those who declare to the world they are not the children of God: all profane persons. These have damnation written upon their forehead. Scoffers at religion. It were blasphemy to call these the children of God. Will a true child jeer at his Father's picture? Drunkards, who drown reason and stupefy conscience. These declare their sin as Sodom. They are children indeed, but cursed children' (2 Peter 2:14). 2 Exhortation, which consists of two branches. (i) Let
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

Ezra-Nehemiah
Some of the most complicated problems in Hebrew history as well as in the literary criticism of the Old Testament gather about the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Apart from these books, all that we know of the origin and early history of Judaism is inferential. They are our only historical sources for that period; and if in them we have, as we seem to have, authentic memoirs, fragmentary though they be, written by the two men who, more than any other, gave permanent shape and direction to Judaism, then
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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