Satan's a schemer, part III

The rumor mill . . .
Gossip.
Innuendo.
Lies.
After four frustrating and unfruitful attempts to lure hard-working Nehemiah into an ambush, the enemy shifted tactics. Sanballat sent an open letter to Nehemiah that contained a rumor accusing him of plotting to rebel; it even said he wanted to be king!

Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter 6 in which was written:“It is reported among the nations—and Geshem says it is true—that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports you are about to become their king 7 and have even appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you in Jerusalem: ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now this report will get back to the king; so come, let us meet together.”8 I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.”9 They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.”But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.” (v 5-9, NIV)

Wow, look at that . . .
Sanballat sends his aide a fifth time with the same message. But this time there's an unsealed letter in his hand. In it, Sanballat accuses Nehemiah of plotting to revolt, to claim to be the king of the Hebrew homeland, and even hiring prophets to back up his alleged claim to kingship! And of course, there's the veiled threat -- if you don't meet with me, I will send this to King Artaxerxes, and won't you be in trouble then!
Today's scenario:
So, here's the email with the rumors about you. And here is my hand, poised over "send." (Grin)

Normally letters between officials were sealed and private. They were folded or rolled and then a special seal of a waxy substance placed on it, and then usually the leader would smash his Official Ring With Kingly Symbols On It into the wax before it hardened. Whoever the letter was addressed to would know if the letter had been opened before it reached his hot little hands!
Sanballat knew that if the letter were not sealed, the aide who carried it would be uber curious and would read it as he went. So would lots of other people that the aide would show it to. See, the curious thing about a rumor is that you only have to launch it with one person. It will spread like a kudzu vine (sorry, my Southern is showing). Never heard of a kudzu vine?
Well, some smartypants in the 1880's brought a fast-growing vine to America from Japan. It had an exotic sounding name: kudzu. It. Grew. Very. Fast. There was a real push in the 1930's to plant it, and the thought was that it would make cheap feed for cows. And it would feed them well, because, well, you know. It. Grew. Very. Fast. Turns out, though, that many cows turn up their noses at it. Goats like it, but by the time the smartypants realized that, thousands of acres had been planted, in places where there were cows, not goats. So much so, that the joke for decades was that kudzu was the plant that ate the South. It will envelope trees and even houses if left alone.
But I digress.
The point of my botany lesson was to draw an analogy between the kudzu and rumors. Launch a rumor with one person, and it begins to spread quickly. It will pick up speed as it travels, and usually becomes more slanderous and malicious as it goes. Such rumors launched by the devil attack the character and motives of an unsuspecting believer. "Whoaaaa, did you hear about Nehemiah? Did you know what he had up the sleeve of his robe? I wondered why he was working so hard on that wall.....makes sense now!"
The person being used by the devil has only to drop the germs of a rumor in one or two places, and then sit back and smile as they spread.
How did Nehemiah respond to this scheme of the devil? How should we?
Nehemiah used the truth. And prayer.

I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.”9 They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.”But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.” (v 8-9)

A rebuttal that would make any attorney proud . . . this letter was a public accusation, so Nehemiah did not remain silent. He spoke right up.  He immediately sent a message back to Sanballat, stating the truth and denying the charges made against him. Then he sent up one of his one-sentence prayers.

Just like Nehemiah, we should stand up for ourselves by firmly, calmly stating the truth for those who will listen. And then pray and keep on with the work God has given us to do.

These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts;  (Zechariah 8:16, NIV)

 Is the rumor mill working overtime against us? Listen to what the Psalmist said; stand firm:

With your help I can advance against a troop;    with my God I can scale a wall. As for God, his way is perfect:    The Lord’s word is flawless;
    he shields all who take refuge in him. (Psalm 18:29-30, NIV)

When Satan schemes against us with slanderous rumors and false accusations, we can resist him by standing firm -- stating the truth firmly and calmly -- and then praying to our Father to help us stand.

But don't get the idea that Satan is going to give up . . .