Day 32 – Still opposition. Yep, even after Nehemiah finished the wall, he was still facing opposition. Read Nehemiah 6:17-19. Also in those days many letters went from the nobles of Judah to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them. For many in Judah were bound by oath to him because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah. Moreover, they were speaking about his good deeds in my presence and reported my words to him. Then Tobiah sent letters to frighten me. Nehemiah 6:17‭-‬19 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/neh.6.17-19.NASB Now remember, the wall is already done.…

Day 31 – 52 Days. Why are we studying Nehemiah for 52 days? Because that was how long it took for God to do an incredible work. Read Nehemiah 6:15-16. So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations surrounding us saw it, they lost their confidence; for they recognized that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God. Nehemiah 6:15‭-‬16 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/neh.6.15-16.NASB They finished the wall in 52 days. Even with all the opposition and attempts at distraction, God used Nehemiah and the people to accomplish something incredible. What…

Day 30 – Another try. His enemies kept trying to find ways to get at Nehemiah. Read Nehemiah 6:10-14. When I entered the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined at home, 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, and they are coming to kill you at night.” But I said, “Should a man like me flee? And could one such as I go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.” Then I perceived that surely…

Day 29 – Strengthen me. How does Nehemiah respond? Check this out. Read Nehemiah 6:8-9. Then I sent a message to him saying, “Such things as you are saying have not been done, but you are inventing them in your own mind.” For all of them were trying to frighten us, thinking, “They will become discouraged with the work and it will not be done.” But now, O God, strengthen my hands. Nehemiah 6:8‭-‬9 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/neh.6.8-9.NASB There are two things here that Nehemiah does to respond. Lies are being spread about him and shared among the entire Kingdom. Yet Nehemiah’s only focus is on these two things. The first, he…

Day 28 – Opposition continues. It didn’t stop, it just changed tactics. Read Nehemiah 6:5-7. Then Sanballat sent his servant to me in the same manner a fifth time with an open letter in his hand. In it was written, “It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel; therefore you are rebuilding the wall. And you are to be their king, according to these reports. You have also appointed prophets to proclaim in Jerusalem concerning you, ‘A king is in Judah!’ And now it will be reported to the king according to these reports. So come now, let us take…

Day 27 – Persistent opposition. They just kept on and on. Read Nehemiah 6:1-4. Now when it was reported to Sanballat, Tobiah, to Geshem the Arab and to the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall, and that no breach remained in it, although at that time I had not set up the doors in the gates, then Sanballat and Geshem sent a message to me, saying, “Come, let us meet together at Chephirim in the plain of Ono.” But they were planning to harm me. So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the…

Day 26 – Remember. Nehemiah relates what he has been doing, but then makes it very clear that he is only intrested in God remembering what he did, not other people. Read Nehemiah 5:16-19. I also applied myself to the work on this wall; we did not buy any land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work. Moreover, there were at my table one hundred and fifty Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us. Now that which was prepared for each day was one ox and six choice sheep, also birds were prepared for me; and once in…

Day 25 – Fear of God. Why did Nehemiah do what was right? He feared God. Moreover, from the day that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, for twelve years, neither I nor my kinsmen have eaten the governor’s food allowance. But the former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people and took from them bread and wine besides forty shekels of silver; even their servants domineered the people. But I did not do so because of the fear of God. Nehemiah 5:14‭-‬15 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/neh.5.14-15.NASB Sure, others had done things…

Day 24 – Praise. After there was repentance, there was praise. Read Nehemiah 5:12-13. Then they said, “We will give it back and will require nothing from them; we will do exactly as you say.” So I called the priests and took an oath from them that they would do according to this promise. I also shook out the front of my garment and said, “Thus may God shake out every man from his house and from his possessions who does not fulfill this promise; even thus may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said, “Amen!” And they praised the Lord . Then the people did…

Day 23 – Give it all back. Read Nehemiah 5:7-11. I consulted with myself and contended with the nobles and the rulers and said to them, “You are exacting usury, each from his brother!” Therefore, I held a great assembly against them. I said to them, “We according to our ability have redeemed our Jewish brothers who were sold to the nations; now would you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us?” Then they were silent and could not find a word to say. Again I said, “The thing which you are doing is not good; should you not walk in the fear of our God…