Sent Four More Times - Nehemiah 6:4

In the book of Nehemiah, Nehemiah said, “Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;) That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief. And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, while I leave it, and come down to you?”, and in chapter six and verse four of Nehemiah, Nehemiah said, “they sent unto me four times after this sort”, where we read,

Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.

The verse reads, “Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort;” Nehemiah began with the words, “yet they sent unto me” or “still they, Sanballat and Geshem” dispatched and assigned messengers to me, Nehemiah” “four times after this sort” which means “four additional times following the same manner of invitation”. Nehemiah shared how “Sanballat and Geshem” attempted to draw him to meet with them four additional times in that same manner as before. 

The verse continues, “and I answered them after the same manner.” Nehemiah added the words, “and I answered them” or “and I, Nehemiah, responded to them, Sanballat and Geshem” “after the same manner” which means “in the equal way as he previously answered”. Nehemiah shared how he responded to the additional invitations of “Sanballat and Geshem” in an equal way as he previously did. 

When we think through the words in this verse, we learn through Nehemiah how persistent “Sanballat and Geshem”were in their attempt to have him meet with them. Nehemiah was wise and unrelenting in his response to them, so there was a definite stalemate. God wants us to rely upon Him in this type of situation, and when we surrender our lives to His Son Jesus who died on the cross and was raised from the dead three days later, we will be forgiven of our sins, granted everlasting life and given the wisdom and fortitude to be unrelenting in our response to the enemies of our souls whenever they attempt to persuade.

Next time Nehemiah says, “then sent Sanballat his servant unto me”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".