“And you have also set up prophets to proclaim concerning you in Jerusalem,
And now the king will hear of these reports. So now come and let us take counsel together.”
Nehemiah 6:7 ESV
Last time we read some untruthful venting for all to see from Sanballat. Today we see the rest of the accusations in the letter.
“And (gam – moreover, also, likewise) you have appointed (amad – to take one’s stand) prophets (nabi – spokesman, speaker, prophet) to announce (qara – cry, invite, make proclamation, call forth, be famous, preach) saying (amar):
The king will hear (shama – listen with intention to obey) these reports (dabar). So come (halak – go, walk, come, depart, be eased, be conversant) let us take counsel (yaats – consult, advise) together (yachad – completely, safely, one accord, united, together in unity).
Or: Moreover, the word is you have appointed prophets to take their stand and proclaim/preach/make famous the fact there is a king in Judah. The king will listen carefully to these reports. So let’s walk and talk about this as we consult together safely and in unity.
There is so much irony in these verses and some of the Hebrew definitions. Remember, Sanballat is seeking to get Nehemiah out from his work and brothers and co-laborers so he might kill him. But he has used this word yachad more than once in his appeals to our governor. It means “safely together, complete unitedness, one accord”. Under the guise of safety and united helpfulness, Sanballat is setting Nehemiah up.
Friends, God is turning things upside down in our day. The Spirit is shaking and we see the results everywhere. No matter how committed we are to Jesus and the Church, there will be times when we want to shrink back from all the madness. And sometimes we’ll do this in the name of unity.
Friend, if you recognize yourself in that last sentence, I’m right there with you some days. The crazy can overwhelm and conflict can make me sick to my stomach. But a false sense of unity that ignores what’s broken is no unity at all. And someone is usually left to struggle with injustice if our go-to is to sweep things under the rug.
Let’s take courage today. Without bitterness or resentment, let’s acknowledge the shaking and speak the truth to one another because it’s the loving thing to do. Let’s refuse the lie that seeking only our own interests never hurts anyone else.
Another irony of these verses and Sanballat’s appeal is how insistent he is Nehemiah come to him versus going to Nehemiah. If it was really that urgent, if he genuinely cared about the welfare of the new governor, wouldn’t he be willing to go directly to him? Particularly if he’s asked four previous times and been turned down?
There’s so much to be said for going to our brothers and sisters instead of waiting for them to come to us. Whatever the situation, if we’re committed to genuine unity, let’s be willing to make the trek. We all have blindspots, gaps, and areas of blatant sin. We do not need to get defensive or retreat; we can simply move toward each other, united in our common humanness.
Of course, our trek toward each other may not be face to face. We can make the first move in how we interact online, the way we speak about someone else in our daily lives, and the space we hold in conversations for people or positions with which we disagree. But, please, if there is someone in your community with whom you do need to get face to face, let’s obey there too. We won’t be going anywhere as a Church or a nation without this step, friends. And we all know we need to.
In every appropriate venue, let’s genuinely “walk and talk about this as we consult together safely and in unity.”