The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Nehemiah 4:7-8,
"When Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem's walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it."
Here we see "Team Cain" plotting to attack "Team Abel" for reestablishing Jerusalem's viability by rebuilding the city's walls and gates. "Team Abel" led by Nehemiah in this case, were the workers the Lord used to help prepare Jerusalem for the eventual arrival of the Son of God to offer himself as a sacrifice of atonement for all mankind.
As I have mentioned elsewhere, I view those who are animated by the spiritual forces of darkness as "Team Cain", those who always oppose the things of God, particularly his agenda in any given age. "Team Abel", on the other hand, are those who work together with the Lord as he builds his kingdom on planet Earth.
Earlier in the chapter we read of these same characters, "When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, 'What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?' Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, 'What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!'" Nehemiah 4:1-3.
John told us to expect just this type of opposition if we engage ourselves in the things of God, "Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you." 1 John 3:12-13.
While this kind of opposition might be daunting, it should not be for those of us who are in Christ Jesus. We are on the winning team! I am reminded of Psalm 2:1-6:
"Why do the nations conspire
and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth rise up
and the rulers band together
against the Lord and against his anointed, saying,
'Let us break their chains
and throw off their shackles.'
The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
the Lord scoffs at them.
He rebukes them in his anger
and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,
'I have installed my king
on Zion, my holy mountain.'"
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
"When Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem's walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it."
Here we see "Team Cain" plotting to attack "Team Abel" for reestablishing Jerusalem's viability by rebuilding the city's walls and gates. "Team Abel" led by Nehemiah in this case, were the workers the Lord used to help prepare Jerusalem for the eventual arrival of the Son of God to offer himself as a sacrifice of atonement for all mankind.
As I have mentioned elsewhere, I view those who are animated by the spiritual forces of darkness as "Team Cain", those who always oppose the things of God, particularly his agenda in any given age. "Team Abel", on the other hand, are those who work together with the Lord as he builds his kingdom on planet Earth.
Earlier in the chapter we read of these same characters, "When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, 'What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?' Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, 'What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!'" Nehemiah 4:1-3.
John told us to expect just this type of opposition if we engage ourselves in the things of God, "Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you." 1 John 3:12-13.
While this kind of opposition might be daunting, it should not be for those of us who are in Christ Jesus. We are on the winning team! I am reminded of Psalm 2:1-6:
"Why do the nations conspire
and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth rise up
and the rulers band together
against the Lord and against his anointed, saying,
'Let us break their chains
and throw off their shackles.'
The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
the Lord scoffs at them.
He rebukes them in his anger
and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,
'I have installed my king
on Zion, my holy mountain.'"
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
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