Perception

"I perceived..."  Nehemiah, in talking to a priest, one to whom Nehemiah should have been able to trust, had to draw off his own thinking in regard to what the priest had counseled.  (Nehemiah 6:12 KJV)  "And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he had pronounced this prophecy against me."  Again, Nehemiah had to draw off his own thinking!  What drives your thinking: Feelings, Fear,  Fortune?  With what kind of counsel do you expect from others your are suppose to trust?  Do you want them to be driven by the same thinking that drives you?

Nehemiah is in charge of rebuilding the physical realm of the city's security: the wall.  He and his workers, according to Matthew Poole's commentary, have shown "a prudent distribution of work and admirable zeal".  Nehemiah has been summoned five times by Sanballat, who is trying to discourage the work.  Nehemiah has refused to leave his job.  He answered Sanballat, "I am doing a great work so that I cannot come...".

Now the priest has summoned Nehemiah and he goes.  Nehemiah should be able to trust the priest, as the priest should have been an encourager to this great work and Nehemiah's part in it.  However, the priest gives Nehemiah more discouraging news.   This brings us to "I perceived..." or as another translation says, "I understood".   How does Nehemiah understand that this so called man of God, a priest, is giving bad counsel?  Matthew Poole offered a three-fold answer to this question.  "Nehemiah perceived partly the sinful nature and pernicious consequence of this counsel; partly, by the suggestion of God's Spirit, 'whose counsel and help I sought in this matter'; and partly by the event, which discovered that there was no such danger from the approach of the enemy as was pretended".   In other words, Nehemiah knew God's word in regard to the temple and knew this counsel was out of line.  Also, Nehemiah had sought God in prayer.  And the Holy Spirit pressed upon him the untruth of the counsel.  And lastly, Nehemiah found out later of the reality of the truthless priest.

Know, seek, wait.   How does that flesh out for us?  Know God's word in order to perceive error.  Pray for direction.  He will bless you with an answer.  And many times, God enables you to see the results of His direction.   Our perception, as believers, must always be based on the word of God.  Then we can rest in the direction He leads and our work will not be in vain.