The Snare of Intimidation
Words of Faith 7-8-26
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2026
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Nehemiah 6
[10] One day I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home. He said, "Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you– by night they are coming to kill you." [11] But I said, "Should a man like me run away? Or should one like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!" [12] I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. [13] He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me.
[14] Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who have been trying to intimidate me.

The assignment of Nehemiah's enemy was simple: Stop the construction of the wall at any cost. So far, the enemy had used ridicule, distraction, lies, and rumors. The last snare was much more subtle—intimidation.

This crafty enemy used someone relatively close and trusted to attempt to undermine Nehemiah's confidence. Shemaiah was probably a priest who had some spiritual respect and had legitimate access to the Temple. Nehemiah was a layman who had no such access to the Temple. In fact, God's Word specifically forbade him, as a ruler, from using or seizing the Temple.

Shemaiah created the illusion of danger by hiding himself. He then urged Nehemiah to hide in the Temple. But if Nehemiah had given in to this, it would have destroyed Nehemiah'sleadership, showing him to be a coward with no regard for God's law. In the end, Nehemiah discovered that Shemaiah had been hired to create this intimidation and tempt Nehemiah to abandon faith in God and His Word.

One of the great snares plied by our Enemy today is to work from within through intimidation. It starts with someone who seems close and trusted, who may have, in a sense, "sold out" to the enemy as Shemaiah did. While it may not be as intentional as in Nehemiah’s case, a person or group may work to undermine the confidence of a leader. They may erode the confidence of the leader in their own judgment or in God, so that they doubt their ability to complete the task that has been assigned.

Such a person may even isolate themselves from the body but claim to have "inside spiritual knowledge" of danger as Shemaiah did. They may share this sense of "danger" as a "concern" in very spiritual language. Suddenly, amid all this perceived "danger", a leader may second-guess the vision that God gave or the direction He has already confirmed. The zinger is when this person suggests something that is against God's Word.

How do you battle this kind of subtle, crafty snare?

First, Nehemiah recognized the ploy and that it did not fit with his overriding trust and confidence in God. Such recognition is possible because a leader has attended to their relationship with God. Confidence in the Lord cannot be easily undermined if we are in daily conversation with Him.

Next, Nehemiah recognized that a true prophetic word would never instruct him to break God's Word. This is always a key litmus test when considering the counsel or advisors. One can only be clear in such discernment through great familiarity with the Word of God. We must do more than the quick course. We need to study and meditate upon His Word. We must soak ourselves in His Word.

Finally, having discovered the snare, Nehemiah prayed for those working against him. This was the sign of a powerful leader. We might say that Nehemiah was long ahead of his time. Jesus instructed this very thing in Matthew 5:44— “I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”The Apostle Paul put it this way— "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Romans 12:20-21).

Lord, protect my ears and heart from anything that would intimidate my faith in You and what You are doing in my life. Protect me from the "dangers" shared, the "concerns" whispered, and the “suggestions” that are not according to Your Word. Keep my eye on You and my faith in Your steadfast love. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2025
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2025 Jeffrey D. Hoy.