Nehemiah 6:9
For they were all trying to frighten us, saying, "Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will never be finished." But now, my God, strengthen my hands.
For they were all trying to frighten us
This phrase highlights the opposition Nehemiah faced from external enemies, primarily Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem. These adversaries used intimidation as a tactic to halt the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls. This reflects a common biblical theme where God's people face opposition when undertaking His work, as seen in the stories of Moses, David, and the early church in Acts. The enemies' strategy was psychological warfare, aiming to instill fear and doubt.

saying, “Their hands will be weakened in the work,
The phrase indicates the specific method of discouragement: predicting failure. In ancient Near Eastern culture, hands symbolize strength and capability. By targeting the workers' hands, the enemies aimed to undermine their physical and mental resolve. This tactic is reminiscent of the serpent's deception in Genesis, where doubt is sown to weaken faith and action.

and it will never be finished.”
The completion of the wall was crucial for the security and identity of Jerusalem. The enemies' assertion that the work would remain unfinished was not just a practical threat but also a spiritual one, challenging God's promises to restore His people. This echoes the doubts faced by the Israelites in the wilderness, questioning whether they would reach the Promised Land.

But now, my God, strengthen my hands.
Nehemiah's response is a prayer for divine empowerment, reflecting his reliance on God rather than human strength. This mirrors the biblical principle found in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Nehemiah's prayer is an act of faith, invoking God's power to overcome human weakness, similar to Jesus' reliance on the Father during His earthly ministry.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Nehemiah
The central figure in the book, Nehemiah is a Jewish leader who is instrumental in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. He is known for his strong leadership and deep faith in God.

2. Sanballat and Tobiah
These are adversaries of Nehemiah who oppose the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls. They represent external threats and opposition to God's work.

3. Jerusalem
The city whose walls Nehemiah is working to rebuild. It is a symbol of God's presence and the spiritual center for the Jewish people.

4. The Wall of Jerusalem
The physical structure that Nehemiah is focused on rebuilding, representing protection, security, and the restoration of God's people.

5. The Jewish Workers
The people who are working under Nehemiah's leadership to rebuild the wall, facing both physical and psychological challenges.
Teaching Points
Dependence on God
Nehemiah's immediate response to opposition is prayer, demonstrating the importance of relying on God for strength in times of trouble.

Perseverance in the Face of Opposition
Despite the threats and attempts to intimidate, Nehemiah remains steadfast, teaching us the value of perseverance in fulfilling God's work.

Spiritual Warfare
The opposition Nehemiah faces is not just physical but also spiritual. Believers must be aware of spiritual battles and rely on God's strength.

Leadership and Encouragement
Nehemiah's leadership is marked by encouragement and prayer, setting an example for leaders to support and uplift those they lead.

Faith in Action
Nehemiah's prayer is coupled with action. He doesn't just pray for strength but continues the work, showing that faith must be accompanied by action.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Nehemiah's response to opposition in Nehemiah 6:9 inspire you to handle challenges in your own life?

2. In what ways can you apply Nehemiah's prayer for strength to your current circumstances?

3. How does the opposition faced by Nehemiah compare to spiritual battles you might face today?

4. What other biblical figures demonstrate similar reliance on God in the face of adversity, and what can we learn from them?

5. How can you encourage and support others in their faith journey, following Nehemiah's example of leadership and prayer?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Ezra 4
This chapter describes earlier opposition to rebuilding efforts, showing a pattern of resistance against God's people.

Philippians 4:13
This verse speaks to the strength that believers can find in Christ, similar to Nehemiah's prayer for strength.

Isaiah 41:10
This passage reassures God's people of His presence and strength, echoing Nehemiah's reliance on God.

2 Corinthians 12:9
Paul speaks of God's strength being made perfect in weakness, paralleling Nehemiah's prayer for strength amidst opposition.
God's Various Ways of Strengthening His People's HandsJ. N. Pearson, M. A.Nehemiah 6:9
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
Afraid, Carried, Completed, Discouraged, Drop, Fear, Feeble, Frighten, Hands, Hoping, Making, O, Prayed, Saying, Slackened, Strengthen, Strong, Thinking, Trying, Wanted, Weak, Weakened
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Nehemiah 6:9

     5156   hand
     5630   work, divine and human
     5888   inferiority
     8358   weakness, physical
     8416   encouragement, promises
     8787   opposition, to God
     8795   persecution, nature of

Nehemiah 6:2-13

     5948   shrewdness

Nehemiah 6:5-9

     5817   conspiracies

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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