Meditate

6. Further Opposition

Intrigues of Enemies Foiled

 6

Now when it was reported to Sanballat and Tobiah and to Geshem the Arab and to the rest of our enemies that I had built the wall and that there was no gap left in it (though up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates),²Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come and let us meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to do me harm.³So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it to come down to you?”⁴They sent to me four times in this way, and I answered them in the same manner.⁵In the same way Sanballat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand.⁶In 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 this report you wish to become their king.⁷You have also set up prophets to proclaim in Jerusalem concerning you, ‘There is a king in Judah!’ And now it will be reported to the king according to these words. So come, therefore, and let us confer together.”⁸Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say have been done; you are inventing them out of your own mind”⁹—for they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.” But now, O God, strengthen my hands.

¹⁰ One day when I went into the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his house, 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; indeed, tonight they are coming to kill you.”¹¹But I said, “Should a man like me run away? Would a man like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in!”¹²Then I perceived and saw that God had not sent him at all, but he had pronounced the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.¹³He was hired for this purpose, to intimidate me and make me sin by acting in this way, and so they could give me a bad name, in order to taunt me.¹⁴Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, according to these things that they did, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who wanted to make me afraid.

The Wall Completed

¹⁵ So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days.¹⁶And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem; for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.¹⁷Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them.¹⁸For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah: and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah.¹⁹Also they spoke of his good deeds in my presence, and reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.

12. God Disciplines His Sons

⁷ Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God is treating you as children; for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline?⁸If you do not have that discipline in which all children share, then you are illegitimate and not his children.⁹Moreover, we had human parents to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not be even more willing to be subject to the Father of spirits and live?¹⁰For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share his holiness.¹¹Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

¹² Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees,¹³and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.

66. Psalm 66

Psalm 66

Praise for God’s Goodness to Israel

To the leader. A Song. A Psalm.

1

Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth;

2

sing the glory of his name;

give to him glorious praise.

3

Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!

Because of your great power, your enemies cringe before you.

4

All the earth worships you;

they sing praises to you,

sing praises to your name.”Selah

5

Come and see what God has done:

he is awesome in his deeds among mortals.

6

He turned the sea into dry land;

they passed through the river on foot.

There we rejoiced in him,

7

who rules by his might forever,

whose eyes keep watch on the nations—

let the rebellious not exalt themselves.Selah

8

Bless our God, O peoples,

let the sound of his praise be heard,

9

who has kept us among the living,

and has not let our feet slip.

10

For you, O God, have tested us;

you have tried us as silver is tried.

11

You brought us into the net;

you laid burdens on our backs;

12

you let people ride over our heads;

we went through fire and through water;

yet you have brought us out to a spacious place.

13

I will come into your house with burnt offerings;

I will pay you my vows,

14

those that my lips uttered

and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.

15

I will offer to you burnt offerings of fatlings,

with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams;

I will make an offering of bulls and goats.Selah

16

Come and hear, all you who fear God,

and I will tell what he has done for me.

17

I cried aloud to him,

and he was extolled with my tongue.

18

If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,

the Lord would not have listened.

19

But truly God has listened;

he has given heed to the words of my prayer.

20

Blessed be God,

because he has not rejected my prayer

or removed his steadfast love from me.