It reminds me so much of our country. God allowed a people to come to this continent and establish it as a land where faith could be practiced without governmental control. We started well; God provided all we needed. As we prospered, we forgot and we rebelled. When things started going wrong, we called out to God and after He answered and things were good again, we went back to the same ole rebellion. Today this rebellion has become sheer blasphemy.
Judah became so bad, that God sent destruction upon it. However, in His love, God protected the Hebrew remnant (those who followed faithfully) from the destruction by “allowing” them to be taken into captivity for 70 years. When they were allowed to return home, however, they were no longer the owners of the land but under the rule of someone else. The last two verses of chapter 9 are so sad to me.
Nehemiah 9:36-37
“Here we are today,
slaves in the land you gave our ancestors
so that they could enjoy its fruit and its goodness.
Here we are—slaves in it!
Its abundant harvest goes to the kings
you have set over us,
because of our sins.
They rule over our bodies
and our livestock as they please.
We are in great distress.”
The next chapters record there was a time of confession and repentance after the
Levite’s sermon, but it was not long-lived. In their prosperity, their rebellion began
again. After all God had done, this was the final straw. He left them to their sin and
remained silent for 400 years.
I know we are in the New Covenant and our salvation is not dependent upon
whether or not our nation stands.
So, what is our hope? Become a part of the new remnant…the Bride of Christ…a
Believer. Accept Jesus as your Savior. Just as God protected the Hebrew
remnant, He will protect His Bride…maybe not in the way we want but in His perfect will. Those
Christians dying for their faith in Afghanistan understand something important: Our kingdom is
not the United States or Afghanistan or any other nation. Our Kingdom is not of this world but
is where Jesus is sitting at the right hand of the Father. Let this scripture in Colossians 3:1-4 be
your comfort in these uncertain times.
“So, if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”
Maranatha…Lord Jesus come.
