Day 17

“Now when I went into the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his home, he said, 'Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple. Let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you. They are coming to kill you by night.' But I said, 'Should such a man as I run away? And what man such as I could go into the temple and live? I will not go in.' And I understood and saw that God had not sent him, but he had pronounced the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.” Nehemiah 6:10-12

Tobiah and Sanballat continue to scheme against Nehemiah so “that (he) should be afraid and act in this way and sin, and so they could give (him) a bad name in order to taunt (him)” (6:13). Nehemiah sees right through the plot of hiring false prophets to persuade him to run and hide. He understood and saw that God had not sent Shemaiah nor the other prophets because they spoke contrary to what God had put on Nehemiah’s heart to accomplish. He was not such a man as to run and hide. Nehemiah knew His God and He knew that what God had begun, He would complete. He knew that the Lord prepares a table in the presence of his enemies (Psalm 23:5). Nehemiah was not going to run and hide – he was going to stand firm in the power of God. He was going to complete the task for God’s glory and the sake of his people. Run and hide? Not such a man as this!

Child of God, are you being tempted to run and hide? Are you struggling with circumstances, people, responsibilities or life? The enemy wants you to run and hide. God wants you to sit at His table in the presence of your enemies. That is the kind of man or woman He has made you to be. The temple may well be the place of intimacy and encounter with God but it was never intended to be a place to run from the world and hide. Do not be deceived! It may sound spiritual to isolate yourself in the “temple” from the world and even the Church but if it is to escape and to hide, God cannot display His power, His goodness and His glory through you. Child of God, don’t listen to the enemy. Should such a person as you run away?

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„Und ich kam in das Haus Schemajas, des Sohnes Delajas, des Sohnes Mehetabeels. Der hatte sich eingeschlossen und sprach: Wir wollen zusammenkommen im Haus Gottes, im Inneren des Tempels, und die Türflügel des Tempels schließen; denn sie werden kommen, um dich umzubringen, und zwar werden sie bei Nacht kommen, um dich umzubringen! Ich aber sprach: Sollte ein Mann wie ich fliehen? Und wie könnte ein Mann wie ich in den Tempel gehen und am Leben bleiben? Ich werde nicht hineingehen! Denn siehe, ich merkte wohl: Nicht Gott hatte ihn gesandt, sondern er sprach diese Weissagung über mich, weil Tobija und Sanballat ihn angeworben hatten.“ Nehemiah 6,10-12
Tobia und Sanballat schmieden weiterhin Pläne gegen Nehemia, damit "er Angst haben und so handeln und sündigen soll, damit sie (ihm) einen schlechten Ruf geben können, um (ihn) zu verspotten" (6:13). Nehemia durchschaut den Komplott, falsche Propheten einzusetzen, um ihn davon zu überzeugen, wegzulaufen und sich zu verstecken. Er verstand und sah, dass Gott weder Schemaja noch die anderen Propheten gesandt hatte, weil sie gegen das sprachen, was Gott zur Erfüllung auf das Herz Nehemias gelegt hatte. Er war nicht solch ein Mann, der davonlief und sich versteckte. Nehemia kannte seinen Gott und er wusste, dass das, was Gott begonnen hatte, vollendet werden würde. Er wusste, dass der Herr einen Tisch in Gegenwart seiner Feinde vorbereitet (Psalm 23,5). Nehemia wollte nicht weglaufen und sich verstecken - er würde in der Macht Gottes standhaft bleiben. Er wollte die Aufgabe zur Ehre Gottes und um seines Volkes willen erfüllen. Weglaufen und sich verstecken? Nicht so ein Mann wie er!

Kind Gottes, bist du versucht, wegzulaufen und dich zu verstecken? Hast du mit Umständen, Menschen, Verantwortlichkeiten oder dem Leben zu kämpfen? Der Feind will, dass du fliehst und dich versteckst. Gott will, dass du an seinem Tisch in der Gegenwart deiner Feinde sitzt. Das ist die Art von Mann oder Frau, zu der er dich gemacht hat. Der Tempel mag durchaus der Ort der Intimität und Begegnung mit Gott sein, aber er war nie als Ort gedacht, um vor der Welt zu fliehen und sich zu verstecken. Lass dich nicht täuschen! Es mag geistlich klingen, sich im "Tempel" von der Welt und sogar der Gemeinde zu isolieren, aber wenn es darum geht, zu fliehen und sich zu verstecken, kann Gott seine Kraft, seine Güte und seine Herrlichkeit nicht durch dich zeigen. Kind Gottes, hör nicht auf den Feind. Sollte eine solche Person wie du davonlaufen?




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