Daily Archives: November 18, 2006

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Nemiah, chapter 6. This is where it gets interesting and has parallels in "this week's news"

By this time, there was no breach left in the wall. The bad guys ("Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies") were still around; and they used tactics that are still around today.

1) Distraction.

"Come and let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono."

The bad guys were sounding like they wanted to "make nice" and get together. Nehemiah knew that "sounding like" didn't mean that these guys actually had any intention of meeting with him in order to get along.

Four times they sent this invitation and four times Nehemiah answered, "I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?"

2) The fifth time, they sent an "open letter" (yes, we do see this tactic today).

In the same way Sanballat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand. In it was written, "It is reported among the nations, and Geshem also says it, that you and the Jews intend to rebel; that is why you are building the wall. And according to these reports you wish to become their king. And you have also set up prophets to proclaim concerning you in Jerusalem, 'There is a king in Judah.' And now the king will hear of these reports. So now come and let us take counsel together."

Normally, these letter would have been sealed so that the person that the letter were meant for would see them before the recipient. Nehemiah was very specific: Sanballat sent his servant with an open letter. This was meant for "everybody" to see.

3) The world was meant to see these false accusations.

People who make false accusations generally don't care about what the accused actually says, much less care about what is meant. When they are called on their sin of false accusation, many times these false accusers respond with more accusations and/or claim victim status of their own. Nehemiah was clear about what he thought about the false accusations. I love his response (I think I'll remember it):

"No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind."

Why did Sanballat use this tactic? Nehemiah tells us, "For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, "Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done."

4) Intimidation is still attempted today.

5) We read in verse 10 that Sanballat also had "hired guns" - false prophets who spoke lies, saying that they were from God, in order to put fear into Nehemiah.

Despite false accusations, despite people writing "open letters", despite lies spoken behind his back, despite "hired guns" ganging up on him - Nehemiah persevered.

The wall was rebuilt in 52 days. Fifty-two!

Keep in mind that Nehemiah didn't have cranes, bulldozers and power tools. I don't know how long Nehemiah's wall was, but Israel is planning a security fence around Jerusalem that would be 32 miles.

That is a big wall for men without gasoline or electricity to build in 52 days.

Does this apply today?

Absolutely!

I can apply it in a couple of different ways.

1) A few of us are familiar with the term "watchblogger". Bloggers that keep an eye on blogs who disagree with them - and then visit that blog for the express purpose of disagreement and/or keep to their own blog and post negatively about the blogs they are watching.

Yes. They are out there.

2) More to the point today is a topic I posted about a few days ago: Mark Driscoll. This is not part of the "blog world", but it has certainly been written about on blogs.

People have doctrinal disagreements. Deal with it - if you have a belief, there is somebody who has a belief that is just as strong as yours - but different.

In Seattle, we have a woman pastor. Earlier on her blog she clearly states that she believes that complementarian theology is oppressive to women, rather than being a Biblical creation order.

She states that she has an agenda and that she will not stop - to make a place for women in leadership in the church.

Like Sanballat, Madrid-Swetman wrote an "open letter" (published it on her blog). And folks are taking it and running with it. There is going to be a demonstration outside of Driscoll's church in early December.

People are planning of folks showing up for a show of "strength in numbers". My guess is that Driscoll won't be intimidated.

Are there more parallels? Accusations? Yes, there are.

Misogyny is one accusation. As one who has been falsely accused of hatred toward another person, seeing a brother in Christ accused of hatred by on who claims to be a Christian is glaring to me.

Make no mistake.

Nehemiah's critics wanted him silenced.

Watchbloggers want posts that disagree with them silenced.

Those who organized the protest want Driscoll silenced.

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We're heading into the season when many single folks do a lot of introspection and lookig/hoping into the future.

Because of my passion for singles, and because of some of my own history, I've spent countless hours studying the Biblical issue of marriage, divorce, and remarriage in the church.

In the notes of the paper that I wrote, I said something to the effect of, even as a widowed person, I still need to know what it is that I believe about divorce and remarriage. If I intend to be single for the rest of my life, it's a non-issue. If I intend to date and possible remarry, I better know the boundries ahead of time. Whocan I date, who to consider, who can I marry?

There are Biblical reasons to divorce that leave a person free to remarry. Beyond that, what is a person to do - are they truly left to a lifetime of being alone? Or is there forgiveness and restoration in Christ?

Two resources that I use a lot are

Marriage, Divorce, & Remarriage By: Jay Adams - This is the book that many pastors, counselors and theologians consider to be the most biblical and the most helpful on the issue of marriage and divorce. The author examines the relevant passages in both the Old and New Testaments so that his readers can consider the many issues and interpretations that arise in trying to establish a consistently biblical position. As a result, you can see more clearly and accept more firmly the truth of Scripture.

Divorce and Remarriage in the Bible: The Social and Literary Context by David Instone-Brewer "Marriage in the ancient Near East was contractual, involving payments, agreed stipulations, and penalties..." [Note: I don't agree with some of Instone-Brewer's theology, but his historical information is very interesting.

Also, here is a shot article from Grace Community Church (John MacArthur)

This is a topic that takes lots of time, but every Bible-believing Christian needs to know and be convinced of what they believe on this topic.