PEOPLE OF GOD DO NOT LIVE IN FEAR

PROCLAMATION

“And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me; for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.  Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid …”  Nehemiah 6:12-13 (KJV)

EXPLANATION

The Bible Book of Nehemiah was written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by Nehemiah, the cupbearer to Artaxerxes the king of Persia.  When Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that the Jews had rebuilt the wall around Jerusalem that they sent a message to Nehemiah saying that they wanted to meet with him in one of the surrounding towns.  However, Nehemiah replied that he was doing a great work on the wall and the he would not stop working and come down off of the wall.  They sent four such messages to Nehemiah and each time his reply was the same. (Nehemiah 6:1-4)  Then on the fifth time, Sanballat sent his servant with an open letter to Nehemiah stating that they were planning to rebel and that Nehemiah was to be the king of the Jews.  Nehemiah replied that none of that was true and that he was making it up in order to frighten them. (Nehemiah 6:5-9)  Afterwards Nehemiah went to see Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel.  He said for them to meet in the house of God, and to close the doors of the temple because those who were coming to kill him would come at night and slay him.  Nehemiah responded should a man such as he flee from his enemies; and what kind of man would hide in the temple?  So he did not go to the temple.  Then Nehemiah perceived that God had not sent Shemaiah, he was hired by Sanballat and Tobiah. (Nehemiah 6:10-13)  So when the wall was finished, all of the surrounding nations were afraid of them because they thought that this work could only have been accomplished by the help of God.  However, many of the nobles of Judah had sworn allegiance to Tobiah and sent letters to him because he was the son in law of Shechaniah the son of Arah.  They reported the good deeds of Tobiah to Nehemiah, but Tobiah kept sending letters to Nehemiah to make him afraid. (Nehemiah 6:14-19)

APPLICATION

All of the attacks against us by our enemies are not physical.  Some of the time our enemies will say things or do things in order to strike fear in our hearts.  But The Lord God did not give believers the spirit of fear. (2 Timothy 1:7)  Psychological warfare can be very effective, it can weaken the resolve of some people.  That is why we must put on the whole armor of God in order to withstand all of the attacks against us including those of spiritual wickedness. (Ephesians 6:11-18)  The Bible says, “fear not” in seventy-five different verses.  “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)