Fake News

Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies found out that I had finished rebuilding the wall and that no gaps remained—though we had not yet set up the doors in the gates. So Sanballat and Geshem sent a message asking me to meet them at one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But I realized they were plotting to harm me, so I replied by sending this message to them: “I am engaged in a great work, so I can’t come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you?” Four times they sent the same message, and each time I gave the same reply. The fifth time, Sanballat’s servant came with an open letter in his hand, and this is what it said: “There is a rumor among the surrounding nations, and Geshem tells me it is true, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel and that is why you are building the wall. According to his reports, you plan to be their king. He also reports that you have appointed prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim about you, ‘Look! There is a king in Judah!’ “You can be very sure that this report will get back to the king, so I suggest that you come and talk it over with me.” I replied, “There is no truth in any part of your story. You are making up the whole thing.” They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater determination. [Nehemiah 6.1-9]

Fake news is all it was. Lies.

Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem and others we simply making stuff up to accuse Nehemiah and the Jewish people. They were carefully crafting false stories to stop the work of (believe it or not) "building a wall" around Jerusalem.

Satan is the father of lies. He is a deceiver and the truth is not in him. His work in the earth is the same now as it was then - deception for the intent of death, theft, and destruction.

Nehemiah's work of rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem was good. It was good in that it was meant to preserve Jewish culture and way of life - it was meant to foster Israel's worship of Almighty God. It was meant to bring unity and solidarity to God's people. It was meant to provide the means to exclude (yes, no 'inclusiveness' here) those who would not devote themselves only to Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The similarities between this story and the current story of the USA today are remarkable.

Father, Nehemiah's story is worth understanding! It seems like the enemy has already succeeded in many ways in thwarting Your work in the USA. God help your people resist the lies of the enemy and stand on Your truth and proceed with protecting the Christian way of life the USA was founded to preserve!