Nehemiah was chosen by God because he was willing to cooperate with the Lord as a restorer. Falsehood and intrigue were used to pervert his integrity, but he would not be bribed. He refused to be corrupted by the devices of unprincipled men, who had been hired to do an evil work. He would not allow them to intimidate him into following a cowardly course. When he saw wrong principles being acted upon, he did not stand by as an onlooker, and by his silence give consent. He did not leave the people to conclude that he was standing on the wrong side. He took a firm, unyielding stand for the right. He would not lend one jot of influence to the perversion of the principles that God has established. Whatever the course others might pursue, he could say, “So did not I, because of the fear of God.”{3BC 1135.5}

Nehemias blev valgt af Gud fordi han var villig til at samarbejde med Herren som en genopretter. Falsknerier og rænker blev brug for at fordreje hans renhed, men han vil ikke lade sig lokke. Han nægtede at blive fordærvet af samvittighedsløse menneskers påfund, som er blevet hyret til at gøre et ondt arbejde. Han vil ikke lade dem efterligne ham ved en fej optræden. Når han så at der blev handlet på forkert grundlag, stod han ikke og så til som tilskuer, og samtykkede i tavshed. Han lod ikke folket konkludere at han stod på den forkerte side. Han tog et fast, urokkeligt standpunkt for det rigtige. Han ville ikke give en tøddel til fordærvelsen af de principper som Gud havde fastsat. Uanset den handlemåde som andre måtte udøve, vil han sige: "Sådan gjorde jeg ikke, fordi jeg frygter Gud."