Session 10: The Voice

Session Overview

Creedal Statement

And God spoke all these words, saying,
I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
You shall have no other gods before me.
You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.

Key Elements

• Key Passage - Nehemiah 6:1–7:4
• Scripture Memory - My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires. James 1:19–20
• Catechism Question - Q: What instrument can bring life or death? A: Tongue.

Introduction

Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen.

I set it down as a fact that if all men knew what each said of the other, there would not be four friends in the world.

The way we use our words is a crucial aspect of our faith maturity. One of the most powerful instruments we possess is our speech. When we place our faith in Christ, God wants to transform how we talk. Godliness and ungodliness are manifest in the use of the tongue. On the one hand, our character is exposed by our words. What comes out of our mouths is a barometer of our spiritual maturity. On the other hand, our speech forms our character. How we speak, what we speak, when we speak, and why we speak shape the people that we become. We are, in a real sense, as good as our word. What we say is of immense importance in the Christian life. Our words carry great weight, impacting our experience of the best possible life. Human speech connects people in interpersonal relationships. Conversation and communication make these relationships meaningful, allowing us to have authentic knowledge of others and enabling us to be truly known by others. How we talk and what we talk about shape our reputation. What we say is often a reflection of what is in our hearts. Our tongue is a key instrument that we use to express our thoughts, hopes, desires, and feelings. With words, we communicate our love toward others, we discipline our children, we conduct our businesses, we govern our cities, we pass knowledge to the next generation, and we express our faith convictions. Even more, words aid us in our relationship with God. Spiritual disciplines such as prayer, teaching, confession, and fellowship are based on speech.

Inevitably, words expose the reality of our spiritual integrity. With human speech, we praise or curse God, we profess or deny our faith, we confess or excuse our sin, and we share or suppress the gospel. Words have the power to be life-giving instruments or deadly weapons. With words, we blame or forgive, gossip or encourage, lie or tell the truth, grumble or give thanks, and insult or honor. Words are tools to express and enjoy the essence of human experience. Natural to human experience, people often use words to express their joy, sorrow, fear, doubt, grief, hope, or wonder. Though words help to form the foundation of our lives, it is easy to neglect how we use our speech. We easily and often go astray with our words. We live in a culture where talk can be cheap. A loose tongue can regretfully cause pain to a close friend. Unwise counsel can lead a young adolescent astray. A quick, thoughtless response can exacerbate a marital feud. Sarcasm can kill the trust in a relationship. A false word can make us guilty of lying, perjury, flattery, broken promises, or blasphemy. Gratefully, God’s word helps us to think rightly about human speech.

The little-known narrative in Nehemiah 6:1–7:4 teaches us about the importance of human speech. After years in exile, Israelite exiles were permitted to return to their homeland. The walls of the city were in shambles. At this time, Nehemiah led Israel in completing the building of the wall of Jerusalem. However, as they worked on this task, they encountered opposition. Fierce enemies sought to undercut this work. One main weapon used by these Israelite opponents was words. As the story unfolded, Nehemiah became a target of harmful speech, false accusation, slanderous reports, and false prophecy. People heedlessly made vows and offered wrongful commendation. Throughout the story, as Nehemiah used his own words as weapons of righteousness, Israel’s fearless leader displayed faith, wisdom, and courage. The integrity of his speech serves as an example for us all.

As disciples of Christ, we must tame our tongues so that we can speak in a way that honors God and edifies others. In this biblical story, we will learn several dangerous ways that words can be used: deception, gossip, error, misguided vows, and flattery. In contrast to this evil speech, we also consider how our words can be used as instruments of righteousness and life. God himself took great care to give us his revealed word, the only sure guide for life, godliness, and truth. Speech is not only a major part of human experience but also a key component in realizing the best possible life. As we explore this dramatic and detailed biblical text, let us take a deep look within our own hearts as we begin to diagnose one of the most powerful instruments we possess as humans: our tongue.

Biblical Interpretation: Hearing the Word

Study the Text: The Bible is God’s inspired word to his people. Christian disciples mature in the faith when they are grounded in God’s word. In this movement, you will study the basic details of the biblical text.

Observation Questions

Read (or listen to) the whole passage of Scripture. Discuss the questions below for each section of the story. Pay attention to the details of the text to recall what the passage is saying. Use the focus verses to guide your conversation.

Storycraft

Retell the story in your own words, recounting the overall flow of the narrative, the main segments of the story, and the major developments that take place.

Narrative Elements

Story Retell

Theological Dialogue: Discussing the Plot

Explore the Text: God’s word is his trustworthy and sufficient revelation to his people. We grow as Christ’s disciples by rooting our lives in God’s unchanging truth. In this movement, you will explore vital teachings of this biblical passage.

Discussion Questions

Summarize the biblical story. As a community, discuss the following questions. Be attentive to the truths taught in this text. Use the commentary on the next pages to uncover core principles this passage teaches about the Christian faith.

Biblical Commentary

Use this commentary to help you understand the meaning of the text. Refer to the infographic on the next page to think through how narratives work.

Passage Introduction

Key Idea

Watch the way you use the words of your mouth.

Passage Overview

Our words matter. They matter in our relationship with God and our relationship with others. They affect our reputation, shape our interactions with others, and expose what lies deep in our hearts. If we are not careful, we can easily fall prey to many harmful uses of words. Gossip, slander, lying, flattery, false teaching, cursing, rash vows, and deceit can cause destructive consequences in our lives, families, and communities. Certainly, malicious words can threaten and oppose God’s work. Nehemiah experienced the threat and danger of evil speech. His enemies expressed their ill intent and violent aims through numerous kinds of evil speech. Nehemiah overcame this speech with faith, courage, and wisdom. In his personal testimony, we see the destructive power of words and learn how God-honoring words can build people up and honor God. When it comes to our words, the stakes are high. Since many do not often think about the words they say, this session allows the Bible to evaluate the character and content of our speech and adjust it according to God’s character and word. Consider the commentary below alongside your reading of the biblical text in order to grasp how God would want his followers to rightly use their speech.

Passage Outline

Using Words That Honor God

Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Speak little; and do not meddle in matters when you are not desired to do so. Complain of no one: ask for nothing, but if it should be necessary to ask, do so in few words. Abstain from contradiction: on no account let your words be other than pure. Let your language be offensive to none; let it be about matters such as will cause you no trouble if everybody knew of them …. Never forget that of every word uttered without the direction of obedience, God will require a strict account.

Introduction

We all have a way with words. How we talk and what we talk about is a vital part of our human existence and our Christian life. The words that come out of our mouths can be instruments of life or weapons of death. With words, we can comfort a wounded soul, give timely counsel to a burdened friend, express our most joyful life experiences, and seal our deepest love commitments. But an immature tongue has an equal and opposite power. Wrongly used, words can turn friends into enemies, strike conflict between lovers, lead people toward a path of destruction, and blaspheme God. Indeed, we all have a way with words. To be decided is whether our words are being employed for life or death.

Many consider their speech to be a trivial part of life. We often speak without thinking, then minimize the eventual consequences by saying, “They were only words.” We entertain a crude joke about someone and then try to rationalize, “We never meant to hurt anyone.” We refrain from telling the whole truth and then try to defend ourselves by saying, “What they do not know will not hurt them.” We gossip about a friend, colleague, or family member and think, “They will never know what I said.” However good our rationalizations may seem, reckless words reap harmful consequences—to others and ourselves. We speak harshly or abrasively to our children and then wonder why they speak with an acid tone. We hedge on the truth in one area of our lives only to find it easier to bend the truth in another. We become a channel of gossip and then sadly discover that we have lost the trust and confidence of others. We break promises and injure our closest and most intimate relationships.

On the contrary, when our words come from a loving heart, we can edify and uplift our neighbor rather than destroy and demean fellow humans. As we refrain from gossip, we can curb the painful cycle of rumor and slander and promote healthy and harmonious community life. By doing what we say and remaining faithful to our promises, we can foster trust by becoming trustworthy people. When we abandon empty chatter, vain flattery, or self-focused talk, we can strengthen our most meaningful relationships. As believers, we embrace God’s word as the standard of all truth so that we can discern truth from false teaching and herald the good news of the gospel to a lost world. Such truth-telling will further stoke our worship of God, extolling his worthiness and aligning our lives to his holy character. In the end, our words matter. Although we are only as good as our word, many have not given much thought to the content and manner of our speech. The present biblical story will help serve as a guide for disciples to grow in this very important area of the Christian life.

The biblical story recorded in Nehemiah 6:1–7:4 illustrates how wrongly spoken words are an obstacle to God’s purposes in the world. This historical account comes in the form of a personal testimony. Nehemiah encountered destructive and damaging speech from his enemies. A faithful servant of God and a godly leader of the Israelite community, Nehemiah faced words of deception, slander, falsehood, oath, and flattery. In response to these verbal attacks, Nehemiah demonstrated wisdom, faith, courage, and commitment to the truth. Although Nehemiah lived in ancient times, his unique experiences offer us timeless principles for godly living.

As we explore this story, we want to better understand what it means to “watch our word”: to guard ourselves from evil speech and to embrace a godly mode of talk. In the end, we hope to use our words as a tool for God’s glory, the good of the church, and the spread of the gospel. The unparalleled joy of the best possible life involves employing our words to worship God, edifying others, and announcing the good news of Christ. Many obstacles stand in our way. We must not allow ourselves to be controlled by thoughtless or immoral speech. Let us journey with Nehemiah to learn about this aspect of life most basic to human existence and godly living.

Planning to Harm: Discerning Words of Violence and Malice

Biblical Narrative (Nehemiah 6:1–4)

The events of this biblical narrative occurred during Israel’s exile. At this time in the ancient world, the Persians were a global power. Cyrus, the Persian king at this point in history, had decreed that the Israelites could return to their land (Ezra 1–2). When the Israelite exiles arrived back in their land, they rebuilt the temple (Ezra 3–6), reinstituted godly worship (Ezra 7–8), and renewed their covenant relationship with God (Ezra 9–10). Although Israelite returnees encountered opposition along the way (Ezra 4), they were eventually able to complete the difficult task of rebuilding the temple.

Now, under the leadership of Nehemiah, a new project began. Nehemiah learned that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down and in tragic disrepair (Nehemiah 1–2). He started an initiative to rebuild the walls of the city (Nehemiah 3). Eventually, after completing the project, the people of Israel rededicated themselves to God (Nehemiah 7–13). One of the major ways that Israel rededicated itself to God was by giving prime importance to God’s word (Ezra 7:1–28; Nehemiah 8:1–8), reestablishing God’s revealed truth as the foundation of the community’s life. In Nehemiah, the truth and beauty of God’s word for God’s people were starkly contrasted with the misuse and abuse of human speech by Israel’s enemies. During the task of rebuilding the wall, Nehemiah and the workers encountered resistance to their work (Nehemiah 4–6). While this fierce opposition to the Israelites came in many forms, one particular manifestation of this hostility toward God’s people was the use of violent and malevolent speech.

Previously, Nehemiah and the Israelites made much progress in their wall-building endeavors and had already overcome fierce opposition in their labors (4:1–5:19). Israel’s adversaries heard that Nehemiah “had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left” (6:1). The only work that remained was to install “the doors in the gates” (6:1). With the project nearly complete, Israel’s enemies launched a concerted attack against them, not wanting them to succeed in their work. Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem were some of these adversaries. They were familiar enemies to Nehemiah and the Israelites, having previously sought to undercut Nehemiah’s wall-building efforts (cf. 2:10, 19; 4:1, 7). Not only were these three noteworthy rivals a bane to the Israelite community, but many other foes—“the rest of our enemies” (6:1)—gathered in opposition to Israel.

This focused opposition targeted Nehemiah. Sanballat and Geshem concocted a scheme against Israel’s godly leader. They sent a message that invited Nehemiah to meet them at a certain place where “they were planning to harm [him]” (6:2). Their strategy was clear: if they could remove Israel’s leader, perhaps they could completely stop the rebuilding of the wall. Their message seemed harmless on the surface: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono” (6:2). Nevertheless, this seemingly innocuous invitation was laced with malicious intent. These words of invitation were an underhanded scheme of ill intent. If Nehemiah had listened to their words, it would have resulted in his harm or death. The words of these Israelite rivals were a sort of ambush: subtle and open enough to be enticing but mischievous enough to ruin their target. Plotting Nehemiah’s demise, Sanballat and Geshem spoke a summons that amounted to verbal bait.

Wisely, Nehemiah told his adversaries that he was “doing a great work and cannot come down” (6:3). Discerning their ploy and remaining committed to God’s work, Nehemiah reasoned with his foes that it would be irresponsible to allow the work to cease while he met with Sanballat and Geshem (6:3). Relentless in their efforts, Nehemiah’s enemies delivered “the same message” four times, and each time Nehemiah gave “the same reply” (6:4). Sanballat even ventured to send this message a fifth time through an open letter (6:5). Amazingly, Nehemiah’s self-discipline, self-control, and devotion to God were not eroded by these relentless words. Nehemiah’s faithful and discerning resistance overcame his enemies’ unabating verbal attacks.

Biblical Principles

Heart Motives and Harmful Intent. Clear in this opening scene is the reality that one’s words flow from one’s inner being. As adversaries of Nehemiah and Israel, Sanballat and Geshem intended to harm Nehemiah (6:2). These rivals hoped that injury to Israel’s leader would bring about a cessation of the nearly completed work (6:1). Further emphasizing the ill intent of these foes was the deceptive nature of their invitation. The general and open-ended character of their invitation to meet in the plain of Ono was suspicious at best and devious at worst. Their persistence and insistence further demonstrated the cruel and fierce nature of their opposition (6:4). In this short prelude to this biblical narrative, we encounter speech that is malicious, devious, and tenacious.

Words reveal the intentions of our hearts. What we say, like the message from Sanballat and Geshem, is not merely a surface matter. Our words expose our motivations, reveal our values, and disclose our allegiances. Often, we try to use words to cover up our real intentions. Being similar to the experience of Sanballat and Geshem, our intentions will always be found out. At some point, our tongue lays bare our inner thoughts. Our speech is a gateway to our hearts. This should be a warning and an encouragement. Certainly, we should guard our speech, being careful about what we say. In fact, we should adjust our speech so that we talk in a way that honors God and edifies others. But, simply changing our words cannot remedy a malformed heart that lies beneath a malicious tongue. Our speech is a means by which we can examine our hearts. Even what may seem innocent on the surface can come from ill intent. If we notice a deceitful, harmful, or malicious tint to our words, we must go to the spring from which our words come: the human heart (cf. Matthew 12:34, Luke 6:45).

As long as hate and anger live in our hearts, even the most innocent-sounding words can be used violently. Speech can be used to demean, disparage, deceive, and destroy. Words have caused wars, have fragmented families, and have broken the closest of relationships. Sincere words that come from a loving and godly heart can yield the opposite effects. While words hold the power to great harm, godly speech has the potential to promote much good. When we cultivate hearts of compassion, humility, gentleness, and peace, human speech can be a remedy to heal the wounded, a shield to defend the vulnerable, and a light to guide the lost. Godly words have encouraged the fainthearted, comforted the grieving, corrected the erring, warned the foolish, and summoned the sinner to eternal life. Motivated by compassion and genuine concern for others, speech tamed by God’s Spirit can be used for immense good.

Wisdom and Discernment. Since words are a reflection of the human heart, it takes much wisdom to navigate the world of human speech. This is the case when we consider what we say and how we respond to the speech of others. Sanballat and Geshem sent a devious and veiled message to Nehemiah. The substance and intent of their words did not match their surface meaning (6:2). Nevertheless, Nehemiah was able to discern the motives behind these deceitful words. His wisdom and insight in this passage are exemplary and divinely enabled. Nehemiah also demonstrated great wisdom in his response to his adversaries. He emphasized his commitment to God’s “great work” (6:3). Importantly, his refusal of his adversaries’ invitation was based upon his prioritized commitment to God and his work. This response describes the essence of all true wisdom: complete devotion to God that enables one to filter every other message that we encounter. Nehemiah’s devotion to God also enabled him to respond winsomely to his malevolent rivals. Nehemiah’s speech is a model to us: speech that exudes fidelity to God, concern for God’s work, and solidarity with God’s people. This exclusive and unadulterated devotion cultivates godly wisdom. Like Nehemiah, such godly wisdom and discernment become a crucial foundation to faithfully endure and overcome harmful speech of various kinds.

Inventions of the Mind: Unmasking Words of Gossip and Slander

Biblical Narrative (Nehemiah 6:5–9)

Being a discerning leader, Nehemiah rejected the persistent and malicious invitations from Sanballat and Geshem. Nehemiah’s commitment to God’s “great work” (6:3) guided Israel’s leader to withstand an underhanded scheme veiled by conniving words. After resisting this message four times, Nehemiah received the same message a “fifth time” (6:5). This time, Sanballat directed his servant to send the message to Nehemiah in “an unsealed letter” (6:5). The letter had a slanderous report against Nehemiah. In particular, the note accused Nehemiah of leading a rebellion in which he had hoped to establish himself as king (6:6–7). This letter alleged that Nehemiah and the Jews were “plotting to revolt” (6:6). It promoted a false report that Nehemiah “appointed prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim” that Nehemiah was king (6:7). The unsealed letter suggested that Nehemiah’s wall-building efforts were connected to a supposed revolutionary intent (6:7).

This slanderous and derogatory letter was blackmail used to pressure Nehemiah to meet with his rivals: “Come, let us confer together” (6:7). Demonstrating his discernment and wisdom, Nehemiah recognized that these reports were lies. Nehemiah replied to this letter with the following words: “There is nothing to these rumors you are spreading; you are inventing them in your own mind” (6:8). In this reply, he dismissed the rumors as false: they were untrue and inaccurate. He also stated that they were manufactured and imaginary. The baseless claims against Nehemiah and the Israelite community were meant to incite fear. A courageous and faithful leader, Nehemiah did not succumb to this verbal intimidation. All the efforts that attempted “to frighten” God’s people were a focused attempt to make the Israelites “weakened in the work” of rebuilding the wall (6:8). Nehemiah did not allow slander to derail his God-appointed assignment of rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. In the face of predatory speech and false accusation, Nehemiah pleaded for God to fill him with strength (6:9).

Biblical Principles

Truthfully Exposing Gossip and Slander. The fact that Sanballat sent a fifth message in “an unsealed letter” (6:5) revealed his intent to publicize rumors against Nehemiah and the Israelites. Rather than speaking directly and privately with Nehemiah—even if his concern had ever been sincere—Sanballat broadcast this defamatory report to the public ear. Even in the letter, Sanballat said that the news of Nehemiah’s alleged wrongdoing was “reported among the nations” (6:6). The letter referenced multiple “reports” (6:6) and warned that this news would eventually “reach the ears of the king” (6:7). Additionally, the allegations against Nehemiah and the Israelites were clearly false. Nehemiah was not revolting against the king. Quite to the contrary, Nehemiah had demonstrated incredible respect and honor to the king (cf. 1:1–2:8). Nehemiah did not enlist prophets to support a purported coronation. His effort in rebuilding the wall was an act of devotion to God rather than an initiative in self-promotion and self-aggrandizement.

Sanballat’s letter typifies gossip and slander. Seeking the destruction and ruin of others, humans can employ their words to publicly tear other people down. Gossip, slander, rumor, and character assassination are instruments of ruin. Such words are invented fictions and imagined realities that pose as truth. Inherent in slander and gossip is accusation and blame. Sometimes people truly believe the accusations they speak against others. Other times, people make claims against others—or at least embellish or exaggerate such claims—that they know are untrue. Rather than privately addressing supposed concerns with another, we often divulge or publicize rumors about a person for all to hear. Gossip is no different than writing falsehoods about someone in a letter and leaving the letter unsealed so the public can easily come to know the contents therein. Slanderous speech is dangerous. Rumors spread quickly. Gossip damages a person’s character. Libel imputes an ill motive. Hearsay and speculative speech—found in a tabloid culture, a fragmented team, an unhealthy workplace, a neighborhood community, or an immature church fellowship—contaminate and dismantle interpersonal relationships. We should not only resist taking up slander on our lips but also renounce entertaining it with our ears.

It requires great wisdom to expose and confront gossip and slander. The very nature of such speech is alluring. To be on the delivering end of slanderous reports (however subtle or significant) makes one feel a sense of power and control. Gossip amounts to a manipulative power play—a verbal extortion that seeks to exploit, a devious claim that seeks to control, and a false accusation that aims to blackmail. On the contrary, spiritual maturity exposes gossip by means of the truth. Nehemiah once again displayed wisdom and discernment as the target of slanderous reports. His ability to detect the slanderous report as unfounded and spurious is a commendable example to us. Armed with godly discernment, Nehemiah discovered his rival’s words as empty and imaginary (6:8). Certainly, all believers should heed personal criticism, honestly considering what element of truth is contained within an accusation. But we should not fall prey to the machinations of gossip or slander. Moreover, we must be cautious about the words we say about others, evaluating whether our words are empty inventions of our own making. When we become the object of a slanderous word, we should candidly respond to these words—whether it be a private assertion or a verbal reply—with truth and reality, not allowing gossip to hold a menacing grip on our minds, emotions, or behavior.

Divine Strength in the Face of Verbal Intimidation. Sanballat’s letter was not only spurious and imaginary, but it was also threatening. Nehemiah recognized that the rumors contained within the unsealed note were an act of verbal intimidation—they were “trying to frighten us” (6:9). As is often the case, fear discourages our service of God, causing us to be weakened and unmotivated to complete the work that God has called us to fulfill (6:9). Verbal intimidation can exist in many forms. Harsh tones, aggressive words, and foul language can be used to intimidate and bully. Sneers, taunts, ridicule, cursing, obscenity, or condemning language leverage fear and discouragement as weapons in their verbal warfare. Whatever its form, verbal intimidation is a threat to God’s people and God’s work.

We can face such verbal intimidation by doing what Nehemiah did: strengthening ourselves in God (6:9). Importantly, Nehemiah strengthened himself in the Lord through prayer. He used his own words to petition God for help to overcome his enemies’ malicious words of libel. Only by reinforcing our identity in the Lord can we overcome verbal attacks. God’s presence and person are our only means of victory on the battlefield of speech. Divine power outfits us to endure and dismiss frightening words. Even if aggressive words turn into violent actions, we rely upon God’s strength to persevere through physical suffering and targeted persecution. Strengthened in the Lord, we can expose and overcome misguided and malicious words. Personal security is not the main goal of such a triumph. Rather, we want to overcome verbal intimidation in order to fulfill the work to which God has called us.

Prophets for Hire: Spotting Words of Untruth

Biblical Narrative (Nehemiah 6:10–14)

After dismissing Sanballat’s slanderous report, Nehemiah went to visit a man named Shemaiah, a person who claimed to speak as a prophet. At this time, Shemaiah was “confined to his house” (6:10). He told Nehemiah that enemies were coming at night to kill him. Similar to the earlier invitations in this narrative (cf. 6:2, 7), Shemaiah gave the following summons to Nehemiah: “Let us meet at the house of God inside the temple” (6:10). In fact, he enjoined Nehemiah to use the temple as a place of refuge, instructing him to “shut the temple doors” (6:10). Through repetition, and emphasis, he insisted that there was an imminent danger to Nehemiah’s life: “they are coming to kill you—by night they are coming to kill you!” (6:10).

In this episode, Nehemiah’s life had already been threatened. Consequently, Shemaiah’s words may have seemed like wise advice, expressing a genuine concern to protect Israel’s dauntless and determined leader. Although the surface of Shemaiah’s words appeared to establish him as Nehemiah’s close and caring ally, his words were a conniving scheme. Nehemiah discerned his ploy and evaded his plot. Nehemiah saw through his underhanded words and perceived that Shemaiah was not a messenger sent by God. Instead, he was a prophet for hire. Nehemiah “realized that God had not sent him” (6:12). Instead, Nehemiah understood that Shemaiah “uttered this prophecy against [Nehemiah] because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him” (6:12). His intent was malicious, like that of Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem, and the other enemies. He was hired to intimidate Nehemiah, enticing him to “sin by doing as he suggested” (6:13). That is, Shemaiah suggested that Nehemiah prioritize his safety by entering the temple, even though he was not lawfully allowed to do so. If Shemaiah could get Nehemiah to commit such a sin—appealing to an instinct of self-protection—it would have given Nehemiah “a bad name” and caused people “to discredit” him (6:13). Consequently, if these enemies could not win by libel, they sought to allure Nehemiah into an act of self-preservation that would ruin his character and credibility.

Nehemiah did not succumb to the seditious scheme of this false prophecy. He told Shemaiah that he would not respond in fear and cowardice: “Should a man like me run away?” (6:11). He also refused to betray God’s command to secure his own safety: “Should one like me go into the temple to save his own life?” (6:11). A man of truth and courage, Nehemiah defied Shemaiah’s false words. Not only did he refuse to hide in the temple—“I will not go!” (6:11)—but he also pleaded that God exact judgment on his enemies for their verbal warfare and violent intent against him (6:14).

Biblical Principles

False Prophecy. Hired prophets abuse a divine office and distort revealed truth. Shemaiah is culpable on both accounts. His false prophecy (6:10) was shaped by the intent of his most dishonest employers (6:12–13). A clear sign that Shemaiah’s prophecy was false was the fact that he called Nehemiah to act in a way that would disobey God’s revealed word. Additionally, he used fear to motivate and intimidate Nehemiah. Shemaiah preyed upon Nehemiah’s emotional and physical condition in order to get him to ruin his own character by defying God’s command. False words that pose as prophetic truth are nothing more than erroneous teaching that causes fear, stirs cowardice, promotes sin, ruins character, and encourages division.

False teaching and false prophecy abound in the world and even in the church. When we allow false teaching in our midst, we open ourselves up to compromising our faith. No matter how sweet-sounding or sugar-coated such words may seem, false teaching will lead to the destruction of God’s people. Like a cancer, the tumor of false teaching is aggressive and malignant. If not dealt with directly and decisively, the tumor of falsehood can rapidly metastasize with deadly results. People who claim to occupy positions of religious leadership can subtly use their roles to promulgate falsehood. Like Nehemiah, believers must be discerning, attentively discriminating truth from error. We should evaluate every claim of truth against the backdrop of God’s revealed word. Personal safety and well-being should never eclipse fidelity to God’s truth. We must measure all claims of truth against the plumb line of God’s unerring word. In fact, God’s truth is always the safest place to stand, even if it makes us a continued target of inimical and pernicious people. Grounded on God’s word, disciples of Christ must expose fear-mongering false teaching and reaffirm their undivided commitment to the truth.

Divine Judgment. Nehemiah’s prayer was a means to address false prophecy. While he rejected Shemaiah’s false words (6:11), he also trusted God’s righteous judgment to bring just retribution upon those who promoted falsehood (6:14). Nehemiah knew that God is the only (and best) arbiter of truth. All people will have a reckoning with God about the words they speak and the extent to which these words align with God’s revealed word. In the face of false teaching, believers should bind themselves to God’s word and entrust themselves to God’s final judgment. This serves as a warning and an encouragement. We should guard our own speech, evaluating the things we say in God’s name. Additionally, we should find great hope that the enduring word of God will ultimately prevail over every falsehood. However powerful, persuasive, or prosperous errors seem to be in the present day, to side with the truth of God’s word is to secure our eventual triumph and inevitable vindication.

Say What You Mean to Say: Ending Words of Flattery

Biblical Narrative (Nehemiah 6:15–7:4)

Nehemiah persevered in the Lord’s work despite undergoing such a wide array of verbal attacks. Eventually, “the wall was completed in fifty-two days” (6:15). Through faith, wisdom, and courage, Nehemiah and the Israelites successfully finished their God-appointed task. After the walls were rebuilt, Nehemiah appointed Hanani, his brother and a God-fearing man, to be in charge of the city (7:1–4). Nehemiah told the people to keep the city secure by stationing guards. Nehemiah also instructed them not to keep the gates open (7:3). The people needed to be safe and discerning because “the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt” (7:4). Hanani, “a faithful man who feared God more than most” (6:2), would offer continued leadership, guidance, and direction in a way that resembled the character and faith of Nehemiah. The enemies had not succeeded in intimidation or threat. The conniving and cruel words of God’s enemies would not win the day. Rather than Nehemiah growing afraid, Israel’s enemies were gripped with fear. A complete reversal had taken place. Nehemiah recounted how “all the surrounding nations were afraid and disheartened” when they learned “that this task had been accomplished by our God” (6:16). Rather than ruining the reputation of Nehemiah, Israel’s foes lost their confidence.

At this time, letters continued to be exchanged between Tobiah and the Israelite leaders, specifically “the nobles of Judah” (6:17). Many Israelites had pledged themselves in loyalty to Tobiah by oath (6:18). In some way, Tobiah was connected with priestly families (cf. 13:4). Because of Tobiah’s stature, the Israelites declared loyalty to Tobiah. Tobiah, however, was an enemy of God’s work (cf. 6:1). This was clear from his previous actions. In fact, Tobiah continued to oppose Nehemiah even after the wall’s completion. Even though Tobiah repeatedly tried to undermine Nehemiah’s work, people “kept reporting … Tobiah’s good deeds” (6:19). Nehemiah had his words “relayed … to him” and Tobiah “sent letters to intimidate [Nehemiah]” (6:19). No matter how positive people tried to speak about Tobiah, Tobiah’s letters to Nehemiah employed words intended to evoke fear. The kind words and oaths in this final scene of the narrative warn us about other kinds of misguided and malicious speech.

Biblical Principles

Pledges, Oaths, and Vows. In this biblical narrative, people declared their faithfulness to Tobiah “by oath” (6:18). Tobiah’s prestige, influence, and social position would have likely persuaded people to ally with Tobiah despite his previous history of attacking Nehemiah and the Israelites. Perhaps some people really believed that he had performed some “good deeds” (6:19) that warranted Nehemiah’s appreciation. Nevertheless, these people had joined a coalition with Israel’s enemy and sought to commend him to Nehemiah. Then and now, God takes oaths seriously. God will hold us accountable for everything that we say. God considers formal promises—oaths, pledges, and vows—to be very serious. Not only should we be careful about oaths we make, but we should also seek to be true in all of our ordinary speech. Our words should stand on their own as reliable, trustworthy, and true. In a culture where contracts can be renegotiated and revoked, we are ever more in need of people who are faithful to their word. Commitment to Christ, membership in the church, and vows in marriage are examples of times when we pledge our allegiance before God and others. These most sacred and public vows are to be guarded and protected. We are to enter into them with open eyes and sincere hearts. Importantly, those to whom we give our allegiance—usually through some form of verbal or written commitment—will shape the kind of people we become. Consequently, we should guard ourselves against hastily forming personal alliances with others.

Flattery. Another dangerous form of speech is flattery. In this passage, the “nobles kept reporting to [Nehemiah] Tobiah’s good deeds” (6:19). As mentioned above, it is possible that these nobles considered Tobiah to be a man of benevolence. Perhaps this was to maintain the oath-based pact they had formed. Or, these leaders may have simply been deceived about the true character of Tobiah. Regardless of their ignorance or understanding, these nobles were asserting things about Tobiah that were untrue. The narrative itself—based on Nehemiah’s own trustworthy testimony—shows that Tobiah was a malevolent enemy of Israel. Even in this latter correspondence with Nehemiah, he sought to intimidate Nehemiah (6:19). Consequently, whether the nobles recognized it or not, they were engaging in words of flattery, making claims of undeserved adulation and praise of Tobiah.

When left unchecked, our words can bind us in loyalty to another in a way that causes us to resort to flattery. Flattery is the destructive use of words in which we ignore a person’s real character and speak to them what they (or others) want to hear, usually for our own personal gain. Flattery seeks to boost the esteem of someone else in order to secure self-advantage. Although it looks like friendship on the surface, flattery is anything but friendship. In fact, flattery is an incredibly demeaning and selfish use of words. If one of the greatest signs of respect is to speak honestly to another, one of the greatest acts of shame is to withhold the truth from others. Whenever we seek to admire or compliment a person for our own good, we have treated that person like an object, manipulating them with our words. When we do this, we are no different than the nobles who pledged their unfounded allegiance to Tobiah. Evil words of harm and empty words of flattery both violate God’s standards of godly speech.

Conclusion

In this biblical narrative, we witnessed Nehemiah faithfully endure multiple attacks that were launched through evil speech. He overcame the harmful, deceptive, and violent words of Sanballat and Tobiah with wisdom and discernment. He appealed to God’s strength to withstand Sanballat’s gossip and slander. His commitment to the truth, fidelity to God, humility of character, and courageous resolve enabled him to perceive and reject Shemaiah’s false prophecy. Nehemiah navigated the misguided oaths of the nobles and the flattery of Tobiah with grace and conviction.

God takes our word seriously. We all have a way of using words that reveal our spiritual condition. Like the enemies of Nehemiah, we can use our words to disguise harmful intentions, spread slander, tempt people to sin, speak falsely in God’s name, pledge ourselves in an oath, or flatter with empty niceties. On the other hand, we can speak in a way that is aligned with God’s character and word: bringing encouragement to the downcast, outdoing each other in showing honor, testifying truthfully about God’s word, covenanting ourselves to God’s people, and speaking the truth in love. Words are a major part of the Christian life. Certainly, we need to be careful about telling lies, spreading gossip, or bearing false witness against our neighbors. But God’s vision for the best possible life is much greater than merely avoiding false speech. God has given us the honor of being truth-speakers in a world that has become tangled in a web of its own lies and deceit. As Christians, we have the high calling of speaking light into the darkness by employing words of righteousness and truth. May we take up this voice as our divine calling.

Session Synopsis

SESSION 10 SYNOPSIS
Godly Speech	In this passage, we learn about the importance of godly speech. During Nehemiah’s work of rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem, he encountered many different kinds of malicious and misguided speech. Ungodly words were used as weapons against Nehemiah and God’s people. Nehemiah remained faithful to God and responded to these verbal attacks with godly character, wise conduct, and truthful speech. This narrative is a warning against evil speech and an instruction on the use of godly words. A summary of this story’s principles is outlined below.
Speech Comes from the Heart	Our words come from our hearts. Our speech reveals our spiritual condition, faith maturity, and inner motivations (6:2, 9, 13–14, 19).
Bad Speech	Nehemiah faced many different kinds of evil speech: underhanded plots (6:2, 8, 10), slander (6:6–7), intimidation (6:9–10, 13–14, 19), false teaching and false prophecy (6:12–13), defamation (6:13), pledges (6:18), and flattery (6:19). Evil speech can often be persistent (6:2, 4–5), veiled (6:2), malicious (6:2), and selfish (6:12–13).
Righteous Speech	Godly speech is aligned with God’s character and God’s word. The more mature we are in faith, the more godly our speech will be. God wants us to speak the truth without compromise (6:8), pray to God for help (6:9, 14), encourage and uplift other faithful believers (7:2), demonstrate wisdom in a sinful world (6:3), and commit ourselves to God and his work (6:1, 3, 9, 15–16).
Divine Judgment of Human Speech	God will hold all of our words in judgment (6:14). We should trust God as the ultimate judge of all speech so that we can rightly respond to negative words against ourselves and be attentive to our own speech. God will judge all human speech, but oaths (6:18) and false teaching (6:12–13) God judges with stricter judgment.
Godly Conduct	Nehemiah responded to his opponents with faith (7:2), the fear of the Lord (7:2), discernment (6:12), courage (6:11), devotion (6:1, 3), conviction (6:11), perseverance (6:4), and complete dependence upon God (6:9, 14, 16).

Personal Reflection: Entering the Story

Apply the Text: The word of God is binding and authoritative, the only reliable guide for faith and godliness. True disciples submit themselves to God’s word. In this movement, you will apply God’s word to your lives.

Reflection Questions

Encourage one person to share a testimony about how this story has impacted them so far. Use the reflection questions to examine your life in light of this biblical passage.

Spiritual Practice

Reflect on Your Speech Through Silence

In the following exercise, take time to reflect on your use of words by being silent. For instance, attempt to go one week without saying anything about yourself in conversation with others. Take an extended time when you are simply silent before the Lord. Or, refrain from any use of social media for a week. As you choose one of these times of silence, reflect on the ways your speech is harmful and ways you can retool your words for God’s glory and others’ encouragement.

Ministry Practice: Rehearsing the Script

Minister the Text: God’s word is living and active. Through God’s word, the Christian community is edified. In this movement, you will utilize the biblical passage to minister to other believers and build them up in their faith.

Application Questions

Look at the infographic below. Use the questions to think about how to minister this text to other believers.

Missional Outreach: Publicizing the Truth

Witness the Text: The Bible is a message of God’s gracious salvation to the world. In word and deed, God’s people proclaim the good news of the gospel. In this movement, you will use this biblical passage to reach out to unbelievers.

Strategy Questions

Reflect on the infographic below. Consider how you can use this passage to witness to the surrounding world. Use the suggested ideas to prime your imagination. Then, put together a plan to share this passage with unbelievers, Afterward, reflect on this mission experience.