Building the Wall!
2/28/2025
The book of Nehemiah is one of the most fascinating and encouraging stories in all of Scripture. It continues the story of the return from exile and the restoration of the city of Jerusalem. Nehemiah was a cupbearer to King Artaxerxes and was sent at Nehemiah’s request to rebuild Jerusalem. The book continues by recounting the heroic story of the city’s walls being rebuilt. Although the task would eventually be completed, the people of God rebuilt the wall under the constant threat of attack from their surrounding enemies. They heroically defended the city while building up her walls as we read about in 4:17–20.
Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other. And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built. The man who sounded the trumpet was beside me. And I said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “The work is great and widely spread, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another. In the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.” (ESV)
What a sight! The people were literally building the wall, stone after stone, with their weapons at the ready. In a moment’s notice they could throw down the rocks they were carrying and take up arms in defense of the city and their families. With the placement of every stone, the city became that much safer and the enemies of God’s people more afraid. Of course, they did so trusting in their God, who would protect them and bring their work to completion.
When looking at the twofold nature of the people’s work in both defending and building up the walls, I see a strong parallel with the Christian life. There are many ways in which believers both defend against the onslaught of the enemies of God while at the same time building upon the kingdom work that God has entrusted to them. Let’s think of a few examples.
For those of us who are parents, we’re called to raise our children up “in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). But at the same time we take up a defensive position as we seek to shield our children from and fight back against the attacks of worldly philosophies and false teachings, whether these be false religions, atheistic or evolutionary worldviews, or unbiblical gender ideologies.
For those of us who are pastors, teachers, and church leaders, we have a responsibility to build up the body of Christ with sound teaching while simultaneously fighting back against the encroachment of false theology, Satanic worldviews, and the erroneous teachings of men.
For every Christian, we’re called to equip ourselves with the armor of God and “take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16). As we stand against the attacks of Satan and the world, we’re to actively take the message of the Word of God into the world, trusting that God will work mightily through it.
Wherever you find yourself at work for the Lord, building up walls and defending against the attacks of Satan and the world, remember that “Our God will fight for us” (4:20). No enemy is too strong and no problem too big when God is on our side. You never have to go about this work alone for your God is with you!
Out of Exile
2/19/2025
In our last devotional, we saw how the people of Judah were exiled to Babylon for their unfaithfulness to God. But we also mentioned that this wasn’t the end of the story. In the Lord’s providence, He would restore the people to the Promised Land. As we’ll see today, God used an unlikely person in His plan to bring His exiled people back home to Jerusalem. This person was the Persian King Cyrus who would issue a decree allowing the Jewish people to finally return home.
“Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem. (Ezra 1:2–3 ESV)
God certainly works in mysterious ways. He had used a Babylonian king to enact His judgment of exile and was now using a Persian king to accomplish His restoration of the people to the land of promise. This restoration wasn’t merely a return to the land, but it included the rebuilding of the formerly destroyed temple and a spiritual reformation led by Ezra the priest.
The Babylonian exile was one of the darkest moments in Israel’s history. The people were removed from their homes and brought to a foreign land under the rule of a pagan king. There were no doubt many times when they felt discouraged and fearful of whether they would ever see home again. I would imagine that by the end of the 70 year exile, many memories of home had been lost. Most of the original deportees were likely gone and it was their children and grandchildren who were now living in Babylon, having never set foot in their homeland themselves. But God was still at work. He never forgot about His people and eventually brought them home through the unlikely person of King Cyrus.
If this story reminds us of anything, it should be the fact that God never forgets about His people and that He “will not leave you or forsake you” (Joshua 1:5). This is true even for Christians who have backslidden and are facing the Lord’s discipline, similar to what Israel went through during her exile. In fact, we could say that these things are especially true for Christians currently experiencing discipline from God. As a loving father disciplines his child, so the Lord’s discipline falls on those who are His (Hebrews 12:6). It can be challenging to discern if and when we’re being disciplined by God. I think the answer needs to be found through honest, prayerful, and Spirit-guided self-reflection. If you believe that you’re going through such a time, remember that God hasn’t forgotten you and is working in your life for the purpose of restoration. Run from your sin and back into the open arms of your loving, remembering, and gracious Father who will always be there to welcome you back home.
Into Exile
2/14/2025
At the end of 2 Chronicles, we’re given a picture of the Kingdom of Judah’s closing days before their Babylonian exile. The nation had fallen into great wickedness and idolatry and would soon face the consequences. When reading the words of the chronicler, one section in particular stood out.
The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD rose against his people, until there was no remedy. (2 Chronicles 36:15–16 ESV)
God had sent His prophets to warn the people of what would happen if they didn’t repent. Although there were times of reformation and revival, as was the case with King Josiah, the overall trajectory of Judah was a downward fall into exile. God was long suffering and repeatedly implored His people to turn back to Him through the preaching of the prophets. But they refused and found themselves in exile for 70 years. We know that they would eventually return to the land, rebuild the temple and Jerusalem’s walls, and await the arrival of the Messiah.
In many ways, the words of 36:15-16 are quite fitting in describing our world today. Since we want to keep passages in their context, we should remember that the words of the chronicler were specifically in reference to God’s Old Testament covenant people who had rejected His calling on their lives to reflect the goodness of God and His Law to a watching world. Keeping this in mind, we still see a similarity in God’s patient and long-suffering call to repentance in our day in light of coming judgment. This judgment isn’t another Babylonian exile but is the final judgment when Christ will return triumphantly to judge the living and the dead.
How does God warn unbelievers of the coming final judgment and their need for a savior today? One way is through creation itself. The grand masterpiece of creation testifies to the presence of an intelligent designer, who is none other than God. As the Creator God, everyone is accountable to Him and will face the consequences of rejecting this revelation they’ve been given. A second way is through the human conscience, which testifies to God’s objective moral standards and that everyone has failed to uphold them. Another way is through His Word. God’s Word, His revelation to man, is complete. Nothing more needs to be said. In the completed canon of Scripture we have constant reminders of who God is, His perfect holiness, the coming final judgment, and our dire need for a savior. A final way in which God warns unbelievers is through the proclamation of Christians as they implore those around them to turn from their sins and run into the arms of Jesus.
Let’s make sure to pray for the unbelievers in our lives. There are no doubt many. Pray that their hearts are softened and they become receptive to the warnings of coming judgment and their desperate need for a savior. Pray that they turn from their sin and place their faith in Christ so that their future isn’t one of wrath but is one of peace with God forever.
Sing Praises to the Lord!
1/31/2025
In preparation for this week’s devotional, I began surveying the book of 1 Chronicles and the account of King David’s reign. I realized that when I read these Old Testament stories, I often forget to slow down and really ponder the significance and beauty of the text. There was one hidden gem in particular that I had never seriously stopped to meditate on. The passage in mind is 1 Chronicles 16:8-36. David had just brought the ark to Jerusalem when he sang to the Lord out of thankfulness for God’s covenant faithfulness and mighty work of salvation.
Let’s consider just a few lines of this song. We read in 16:8-9, “Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!” (ESV). David sings near the end of the prayer, “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!” (16:34). Here’s David, looking upon the magnificent work of God on behalf of His people in times past, present, and guaranteed future, and all he can do is sing praises of thanksgiving to the Lord.
David had countless reasons to give thanks to God. He knew of the Lord’s miraculous salvation of Israel out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, in the wilderness, and into the promised land. David was spared from the hand of his enemies, including Goliath, the Philistines, and King Saul. God had also anointed David king over Israel after Saul was cut off. David had every reason in the world to sing this song to the Lord . . . and so do we.
As Christians, we have the full revelation of God’s Word, the 66 inspired books of the Bible, all of which testifies to the mighty and saving acts of God in the past, present, and future. We live in a world where all creation declares the glory of God, the personal Creator and Upholder of the universe. Believers also have their own salvation to look at as a constant reminder of how God turned a rebel God-hating sinner into a child of God.
Never forget the immeasurable blessings and great revelation that the Lord has given you. If you’re ever feeling discouraged and downtrodden, think about praying the words of David’s song and make them your own. Despite the dark valleys we may go through in this life, we always have a reason to thank the Lord because “his steadfast love endures forever!” (16:34).
Lessons From King Josiah
1/21/2025
As we move through the history of the people of God we come across a king named Josiah. We read about his reign in 2 Kings 22-23. Although the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah would have many evil kings, Josiah was regarded as one who “did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in all the way of David his father, and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left” (2 Kings 22:2 ESV) as he reigned over the southern kingdom of Judah. As Josiah was preparing to repair the house of God, a copy of the Law was discovered by the high priest Hilkiah (22:8). This lit a fire under Josiah, who recognized how far the nation had fallen into idolatry and the worship of false gods. He proceeded to zealously destroy any idolatry he could find throughout the kingdom. Because of this, Josiah was given a great commendation. “Before him there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses, nor did any like him arise after him” (2 Kings 23:25). Despite the many wicked kings Israel and Judah would have, Josiah was one of the good ones.
Let’s take a moment to consider the response of Josiah when he discovered the Law of the Lord, the Word of God. He recognized how far the nation had fallen from God and unhesitatingly took steps to bring it back into conformity with God’s Law. He recognized the idolatry that had taken root and destroyed it. He turned from the worship of false gods to the worship of the one true God.
What does this teach us about the Christian life today? First of all, it’s a reminder of the need to be on the alert for idolatry in our lives, which is anything that directs our affections away from God. Sometimes idolatry is obvious for both the idolater and those around him. Other times it’s more subtle, growing beneath the surface and slowly taking root in our lives. Regardless, any measure of idolatry is an emergency. Prayerfully identify any idolatry in your heart and redirect those misplaced affections towards God. Secondly, this story reminds us of the importance and authority that the Word of God has in our lives. Josiah recognized how the kingdom of Judah was in nonconformity with the Law and took immediate action. We too should be constantly measuring our lives against God’s Word, asking whether we’re in conformity with what it teaches. If not, it’s time to make a change.