Rebuilding the walls

Darius’ decreed that Nehemiah should start restoring Jerusalem, became a significant prophetic marker, because the moment meant so much to God. Nehemiah enjoyed the favor, blessing and authority of God – a very important consideration, given that the same authority had sent once sent His people into captivity, some 70 years earlier.

Thus the Jewish Diaspora came full circle. They had been exiled for as many years as the Sabbath years that they had once dishonored, but with Darius’ decree the matter was closed and God moved on.

However, Sanbalat resented the Jews and did all he could to stop their recovery. Although Nehemiah had authority to take wood from the king’s forest and to quarry for stone, Sanbalat would have none of it. Guess who he characterizes?

So Nehemiah made rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, his priority. He knew that as long as they were exposed to Sanbalat, all other efforts would be fruitless. They were so single-minded about their approach that they built with their swords by their sides, ready to fight at a moment’s notice.

The story is analogous to our own human struggles. We also neglect truth and end up in exile. We are also taken captive by life and dragged off to work the thankless systems of this world. Yet when God redeems, He gives us the vital authority to rebuild our lives.

That rebuilding process will have its gainsayers. You will face detractors, often for no other reason than that your own progress highlights their crises. That is why you get tall poppy syndromes in various cultures – people are generally happier when you remain as dispossessed as they are, but they resent it when anyone rises above the average and starts to reclaim their lives, their dignity or their life purpose.

They say that there is only one thing worse than being spoken of, and that is not being spoken of – for indeed whenever we advance to recovery we will be spoken of, we will face our opposition. Satan works through others to keep us down and will put up a fight when we don’t comply.

So our strategy is not to start building outwards, until we have built upwards. We have to build the walls first. That implies a need to assert our divine position: a vital appropriation of your authority expressed through daily confessions of our rights of way and the favor of God over our lives.

As you resist the Devil, your walls will rise, your defenses will become sure and you will move to a state of relative rest - not behind insular walls, but walls of purpose and dignity. You will never be fully at rest, but the idea of being able to post a reasonable guard at the gates of your life, your home and your family, so you can redirect your resources into tilling the earth and building a future – is very desirable.

So, if you have faced crisis but feel you are headed towards recovery, stand your ground and see it through until your walls provide enough refuge for you to extend your life into other avenues of expression.

(c) Peter Eleazar @ http://www.4u2live.net/
Image courtesy of: http://thechurchofjesuschrist.us/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/ba5.jpg

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