Nehemiah 6:17-19

The *Jews had many enemies while they were building the wall. But even some of the chief men in *Judah were helping their enemies. Some of these chief men had promised to be loyal to Tobiah.

Tobiah and his son had both married women from *Judah. Tobiah was also a relative of Eliashib the priest (Nehemiah 13:4). God had told the *Jews not to marry foreigners, but many *Jews did not obey him.

In the past, when *Jews married foreign wives, these wives tempted them to *worship false gods. This even happened to King Solomon although he was a very wise man (1 Kings 11:1-8). God had sent the *Jews into *exile because they *worshipped false gods. Now God had brought the *Jews back from *exile to *Judah, but many *Jews were still not obeying his commands. When Ezra returned to *Judah, many leaders of the *Jews married foreign women (Ezra Chapter s 9 and 10). This made Ezra very sad and angry.

Now, while Nehemiah was the ruler, the leaders of the *Jews were again marrying foreign wives. Also, they were allowing their daughters to marry foreign men. These leaders were not loyal to Nehemiah and their own people. Instead, they were loyal to Tobiah, because of their foreign wives. They believed Tobiah’s lies. And they told Nehemiah about the good things that Tobiah did. They also told Tobiah what Nehemiah said to them. This probably helped Tobiah as he tried to frighten Nehemiah.

The devil always opposes God’s work. But God wanted the *Jews to become a nation again. He had a plan to save the world by means of a *Jew. That *Jew was Jesus Christ.

People were willing to work with the devil in order to oppose God’s work. That is very sad. The devil sent enemies like Sanballat and Tobiah to the *Jews from the nations near them. The devil also caused trouble among the *Jews themselves. And the devil used the *Jews who had become Tobiah’s relatives. Then those *Jews believed Tobiah’s lies. And they told him what Nehemiah was saying. But God helped Nehemiah and the *Jews who worked with him. And so they finished the construction of the wall.

Jews ~ all the people from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Or, just the people from the country called Judah.
Judah ~ the south part of the nation that belonged to the families of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. After the death of King Solomon, the nation split into two, and Judah became a separate country. Then, the inhabitants were called Jews. Judah was also the name of a son of Jacob. God gave the region called Judah to this man’s (Judah’s) descendants.
Arab ~ a member of a nation that opposed Nehemiah’s plans.
prophet ~ someone who tells God’s messages; a person whom God sends to speak for him; someone who is able to tell the will of God to other people; someone who declares God’s words. However, some people were false prophets. These people pretended to speak God’s words. But really, their messages came from the devil, or from their own imagination.
Judah ~ the south part of the nation that belonged to the families of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. After the death of King Solomon, the nation split into two, and Judah became a separate country. Then, the inhabitants were called Jews. Judah was also the name of a son of Jacob. God gave the region called Judah to this man’s (Judah’s) descendants.
Jews ~ all the people from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Or, just the people from the country called Judah.
temple ~ the special building in Jerusalem where the Jews worshipped God.
Jews ~ all the people from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Or, just the people from the country called Judah.
worship ~ to praise God and to give thanks to him; to show honour to God and to say that we love him very much. But some people worship false gods instead of the real God.
Judah ~ the south part of the nation that belonged to the families of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. After the death of King Solomon, the nation split into two, and Judah became a separate country. Then, the inhabitants were called Jews. Judah was also the name of a son of Jacob. God gave the region called Judah to this man’s (Judah’s) descendants.
sin ~ when people do bad things against God or other people; when people do not obey the commands of God.
worship ~ to praise God and to give thanks to him; to show honour to God and to say that we love him very much. But some people worship false gods instead of the real God.
exile ~ a period when people cannot live in their own country. This period may be for many years.