Nehemiah 6:10-14 – Be trustworthy

When slanders, rumors, and attempts to get Nehemiah to compromise failed, the enemy now resorted to using mercenary prophets to lure him into discrediting himself. One of the key ones was none other than Shemaiah. For some unexplained reason, this man chose to stay home. He urged Nehemiah to meet him in the temple secretly, giving the impression that he wanted him protected from possible assassins who could be plotting his life. This was obviously a move to give the impression that Nehemiah was a coward and needed to hide for his own safety. Had he taken the bait, he would have done his own credibility in! 

But this wise servant was too smart for that. His response to Shemaiah was  “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.”  He perceived that God did not send Shemaiah to him but that he was hired to give him the wrong direction so that he would be misunderstood as a terrified man who only thought of his own security.  He would be perceived as one who would say one thing to appear bold but would do another to save his own skin. Apparently, Shemaiah was not the only one hired to do this. Nehemiah 6:14 also indicates that a prophetess named Noadiah and other prophets were hired to try to discredit Nehemiah too. He realized that the instigators of the move were Tobiah and Sanballat.  They were the ones that had hired those so-called prophets to trap him. And as his usual custom was, Nehemiah simply committed the matter to God in prayer.

The preacher in the book of Ecclesiastes in the first part of chapter 7:1 reminds us that a good name is better than good ointment. What does he mean by that? A good character is better than what one looks or smells like outwardly. Without character how one looks or smells will not matter. It is said that first impression counts, yes they certainly will. But what will make us truly trustworthy is our character. Yes, a good name is better than good ointment. And Nehemiah wanted to ensure that. What about us?