Ignoring Shemaiah

Of all the leaders in the Bible, Nehemiah is one of my favorites.  He confronts a wide variety of problems, but through them all, he remains steadfast in his purpose, trusts God, and eventually achieves success. 

One of Nehemiah’s most revealing actions, though, is something that he does not do.  Nehemiah 6:10-13 tells the story.  At this point in the book, the work of rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem is nearly completed.  The enemies of the Jews, led by Tobiah, Sanballat, and Geshem, have already tried the threat of force, assassination, and a whispering campaign.  However, due to Nehemiah’s determination, none of these schemes have worked.

Their next attempt is even subtler.  Beginning in v. 10, Nehemiah visits the house of a prophet named Shemaiah.  Shemaiah reports that Nehemiah’s enemies are coming to kill him, so in order to save his life, Nehemiah needs to flee into the temple and bar the doors behind him.

Nehemiah reacts with outrage, and he does so for two reasons.  First, such cowardice would be exactly the opposite of the example that the people need.  Second, Nehemiah isn’t a priest.  He knows that he isn’t allowed to enter the temple, into which only the priests can go as part of their daily and yearly service.  In Nehemiah’s view, it would be better for him to die outside the temple than to flee into the temple and save his life.

At some point, Nehemiah realizes that Shemaiah has only said these things because Tobiah and Sanballat have paid him to do so.  However, whether we are faced with hired liars or not, Nehemiah’s resolution has much to teach us.  In our lives too, there are those who encourage disobedience to the law of God because it appears to be expedient.  These false counselors will advise us to reject God’s pattern for worship because you need a praise band up on stage in order to draw young people.  They’ll tell us that we should use anything from raffles to free food to attract those whom the gospel won’t attract, so that maybe they’ll get a little gospel on the side.

Though such advice appears wise to the world, it can only bring disaster to the kingdom of God.  First, it requires us to abandon our conviction that God’s way works.  I believe in the power of the gospel to touch hearts and change lives just as it did 2000 years ago.  I believe that the simple pattern of the New Testament will still please God and edify men as it did in the first century.  Why abandon the perfect wisdom of God for the wisdom of men, which has proven to be anything but perfect? 

Even if God’s way isn’t working anymore, even if we are living in a time like the time of Noah, there’s no point in using clever tricks to expose sinners to a powerless gospel.  If those who will have no interest in God come for the sake of free food, their interest will continue to be in free food and not in God.  They will remain unconverted.  Conversely, if the power of God can reach them, the free food is unnecessary.

No matter how threatening the times may seem to be, the example of Nehemiah shows us that the best course is to remain steadfast.  What is right always has been right and will continue to be right.  The ancient paths will lead us to success, but listening to Shemaiahs can only entice us into failure.