“Now when Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it (although up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates), ² Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying,

“Come and let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono.”

But they intended to do me harm. 

³ And I sent messengers to them, saying,

“I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” 

⁴ And they sent to me four times in this way, and I answered them in the same manner” (Neh. 6:1-4)

~ In the above passage, Nehemiah referred to Sanballat & Co., as his enemies and he also knew that they intended to harm him. And yet when they send for him, asking him to meet with them, Nehemiah does not simply say “No.”

Why?

Nor does he say a number of things like:

• Hell! No!
• “Are you kidding me? I know what you are up to?”
• “Forget it. You guys are my enemies!”
• “No way! I know you are trying to trap me.”
• “Never! You are trying to sabotage the work!”
• “Absolutely not! I know you are scheming to harm me.”

Again why?

What Nehemiah said in response was not a lie, however, that was a secondary reason for not meeting with Sanballat & Co. It was not the main reason.

Sometimes diplomacy is the best way to say no.