The problem in our world is not the abundance of darkness. The problem in our world is the absence of light. In Nehemiah, chapter 11, we see God’s people being strategically mobilized to transform the City of Jerusalem which will be central to influencing the entire world throughout the ages.
Nehemiah 11:1-5 Now the leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem. And the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to live in Jerusalem the holy city, while nine out of ten remained in the other towns. 2 And the people blessed all the men who willingly offered to live in Jerusalem. ESV
There are long lists many names of the families moving into Jerusalem for this missions endeavor saying of them they were “valiant men”, “men of valor”, “heads of fathers’ houses” and “skilled craftsmen.”
Nehemiah addresses the need for the city of Jerusalem to be inhabited. Despite the challenges posed by the ruins and the dangers of city life in his day, some are called to step forward and dwell in the city. These people sacrificed personal comfort for a greater purpose of revitalizing a city and restoring its Kingdom influence.
This is all part of God’s plan to awaken people of light to push back darkness.
Spiritual awakening does involve the legal system – Nehemiah gained legal permission to do this great work.
Spiritual awakening does involve the political system –
Nehemiah had political favor in the midst of hostility seeking religous freedom for God’s people.
Spiritual awakening does involve sacrificial giving. God used Nehemiah to raise an incredible amount of money to fund ministry, restoring a place to gather for sacrificial worship, Bible teaching and experiencing God’s presence.
All these efforts together produced an atmosphere of awakening for God’s people to come alive! When God’s people came alive their dead, decaying society came to life!
The problem in our world is not the abundance of darkness. The problem is the absence of light. When we wake up to the power of God in our daily lives the world around us will absolutely begin to change!
We are all called to sacrificially invest in the advancement of God’s Kingdom. You have an assignment from God and it is vitally important you learn the eternal purposes for which you were created.
God’s plan for Daniel was for him to be a missionary to Babylon when Babylon destroyed Jerusalem.
141 years later God’s plan for Nehemiah was to be a missionary leading people back to Jerusalem.
God’s plan for all of us to release heaven into earth bringing the full impact of a good God and a prosperous Kingdom to a broken world in desperate need of God’s Love.
There are two world views at odds with each other in our world, that is continually getting worse. Those world views most greatly contrast at the point of the idea of the goodness of humanity. “Wokeism” claims mankind is basically good and should be left to himself to determine his or her own source of good and evil, right and wrong. The Bible, however, says man is fallen and broken in need of a Savior and if mankind is left alone destruction will be the result in this life and the next.
In Nehemiah’s day God’s people were called to live in a countercultural way in alignment with God’s Kingdom. This is still the case!
God’s Kingdom is a Kingdom of light while the world is about the kingdom of darkness.
In Nehemiah we are reading about God’s hand upon Israel and it has much to do with all that is taking place today in that land. God and satan both realize this city, Jerusalem, is a strategic point of influence to the world.
There has been roughly 4k years of hostility over this little piece of land that is 1/8 the size of Oklahoma.
Where is all this hostility coming from?
Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Isaac and Ishmael.
Jews and Christians know Abraham took the promised son, Isaac, upon on Mount Sinai. Isaac was a grown man who carried the wood up that hill on his back and was laid back on that wood in this very place that is under so much scrutiny. This is where day Jesus would later carry his cross up a hill and be laid back on that wood.
Islam teaches that God chose Hagar not Sarah Ishmael not Isaac. The descendants of Isaac are the Jewish people. The descendants of Ishmael Arabs & Palestinians. Hamas is true to the prophecy about the lineage from which they came.
The battle that started in Abraham’s home is the battle that continues in Abraham’s homeland today. Ishmael was sent away. Isaac’s son Jacob would have 12 sons who would become the 12 tribes of Israel. Ishmael would also have 12 sons who would become 12 tribes and the Bible reveals the fate of his lineage.
Genesis 16:12 He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.' NIV
Islamic eschatology is to rule over all. Convert or die. This is the spirit of antichrist and ultimately the antichrist will emerge from this rebellion against God that originated in heaven attempting to dominate God’s throne to rule over all.
Through Isaac we find life. Through Ishmael we find death.
Hamas attacked innocent civilians and they did so on a Saturday, not only was it the Sabbath but it was a Jewish holiday, Sukkot. People were visiting family members and most vulnerable when they were slaughtered, tortured and abducted. Their phones were used to send torturous videos to family members found in the phones. This is absolutely demonic.
This is a just war. Terrorist attack on civilians not military attack on soldiers and Israel is justified in their response.
Through Isaac we find life. Through Ishmael we find death.
Israel gives notice for innocent people to leave. Hamas attacked innocent people as their target and then refused to let their own people find safety from Israel’s response using innocent people as human shields and to facilitate riots that create political pressure against Israel.
Even in the midst of the horror of this situation we must remind ourselves this is not about good people and bad people. It’s about bad people and Jesus = that’s the storyline of the Bible.
2% of Israel's eight million people are Christians. 2% of the Palestinian population in the occupied territories are Christians.
Until Jesus is Lord of them all they will never reconcile. The answer to all of this is everyone bows their knee to Jesus and he rules over us all rather than trying to rule over one another.
God’s plan for all of us to release heaven into earth bringing the full impact of a good God and a prosperous Kingdom to a broken world in desperate need of God’s Love.
GP2RL: Continue to read Nehemiah daily asking God to help us all to consistently surrender our passions and desires to Christ.