Entertained by the Ambassador of the Enemy

It is 2:20 PM on Sunday afternoon, footsteps echo down the hall as Admiral Momura and Mr. Kurusu approached the office of Secretary of State Cordell Hall, for a requested meeting. The two Japanese representatives enter the office and hands the Secretary of State a decoded message from Tokyo saying, in brief, negotiations between the two nations were at an end. They were totally taken back and embarrassed by Secretary Hull’s reaction. You see, what they didn’t know is that moments before they entered the room, Secretary Hull had received word of the attack on Pearl Harbor by the same Japanese nation these men represented. That attack had happened at 1:53 PM Washington, D.C. time. In fact, they themselves didn’t even know of the attack at that time.

This picture of Pearl Harbor was
taken from a Japanese attack plane.

How like the enemy! No matter who your enemy is, they want to make you feel at ease and catch you “off guard” with their attack. The enemy of our soul tries the same tactics over and over again. He will send his ambassador to entertain us and keep us busy while he slips in the back door to destroy us.

The messenger arrived with a letter of great importance. I am shocked to receive a message by a messenger since almost all messages are sent by email or by text message now. I opened the envelope and read the message, surprised at the signatures at the bottom of the page. What could they possibly have to say to me? My surprise deepened when I read the contents as it was an invitation for coffee! Wow, who would have thought this would take place, not even in your wildest imaginations.

The invitation was from Sandy and Toby, two people who do not like me at all. They wanted me to meet them at the little Java Hut on the corner of Ono and Plains Streets. Which is not a good area of town; in fact, it is a good place to stay away from. These two men can have nothing good on their minds.

The messenger turns to leave but I stop him before he reaches the door. “Wait a moment and I will send the reply with you!” If they were going to be formal, I would as well. I would also handle this immediately since I didn’t have to think about my answer.

I sat down at the keyboard and quickly typed out the return message which read, “Ono, I won’t go! Why should I leave the work I am doing for God to be entertained by the enemy of my soul who desires to do me harm.” I hit print and as the message printed I grabbed an envelope. I gave it to the messenger, along with a tip for his efforts, and sent him on his way. The matter was all settled.

As Nehemiah refused to meet with Sanballat and Tobiah and the others, we should refuse to be entertained by the enemy of our souls. Nehemiah had purposed in his heart he was going to see Jerusalem rebuilt, no matter what the cost might be. When the enemy did their best, on several occasions, to distract him, he refused to be distracted. He refused their offers of entertainment. Ono, he just wouldn’t go to the Plains of Ono!

Satan tries his best to distract us from the work we are doing for God. He tries to get us engrossed in other things drawing our attention away from our purpose.
God tells Adam and Eve they can eat of every tree in the Garden except the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Satan appears and asks them, “…hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (Gen 3:1) Suddenly the emphasis is off what God is blessing them with, every tree but one, to what God isn’t giving them, not everything.

He speaks to a young man, Cain, and tells him it doesn’t matter what he sacrifices, just make a sacrifice. He wouldn’t have dared to say, “Don’t make a sacrifice!” That was too big a step. He just said your sacrifice is as good as what God is requiring, so do it your own way.
He spoke to Saul and said you are the King why do you have to wait for a prophet? Go ahead, the people expect you to make the sacrifice.

He comes against us with partial truths, which are only lies. He tries to distract you, confuse you and destroy you. Let me encourage you to refuse to sit down for coffee. Don’t let him in your living room or office. Don’t be entertained by the enemy.

When President F.D. Roosevelt gave the news to Secretary Hull he instructed him to not let the Ambassadors know that he already knew of the attack and to quickly and discreetly send them on their way. However, Secretary Hull called it as he saw it and the two men left in embarrassment. We don’t need to negotiate with the enemy, we need to send him on his way, with a firm, “ONO, I won’t go, why should I leave the work of God while you intend to do me harm?”

Just a thought!

God Bless!