3/11 Nehemiah
It was interesting that Nehemiah had never been to Jerusalem, yet he wept when he heard of the state of affairs from his fellow Hebrew Hanani: the wall surrounding the city had been decimated by foreign invaders and lay in ruins still. His response suggests that he knew the scriptures and that despite spending his entire life in Babylonsurrounded by idolators, he understood his position as one of God’s chosen people. Once hearing of it, he does not hesitate to seek King Artaxerses’ permission to go ‘home” and rebuild the wall, though it will mean walking away from a life of some privilege as the king’s cupbearer.
Our book points out that the wall here may represent what it does in many places in the Bible—God’s protection through salvation. It seems that that must be how Nehemiah regarded it. If it were allowed to remain a rubble heap, every enemy to salvation could come in unimpeded and all would be lost. So, off he goes and despite reistance from local foes, he and his workers rebuild the wall with trowel in one hand and sword in the other.
What a fantastic metaphor for what we must do! Surrounded by idolatrous nations, and living in an increasingly un-Christian United States, we must—if our sense of things is like Nehemiah’s—be in the process of rebuilding the safeguards against the forces of evil, ever on the alert for breaches in the wall of faith that protects us. And the key must not be missed: we must carry the sword of the Spirit, God’s Word, with us as we do the work, elsewise all will be lost. I pray that our country returns to that, but I fear that we are closer to Babylon than to revival. Still, are we any worse off thatn Nehemiah?
- Good words! We miss you with your wonderful thoughts. Lifting you up in prayer