Stand up for
Righteousness!
The
book of Nehemiah was the history of the time the Jews were coming out of the
Babylonian captivity. Jerusalem and the temple were being
re-built. Nehemiah was put in charge over the construction of the
walls. So after the wall was built and rather quickly with all the
excitement and labor from the people, Nehemiah left and after coming back years
later he finds the people had fallen into lawlessness. The walls were strong
and kept the enemies out, but the people within the walls were weak and an
enemy unto themselves and Yahweh by their worldliness & iniquity. (James
4:4)
Yahweh
needed a strong hand at that time and Nehemiah, who was more than willing to be
the hand of Yahweh, was used to not only restore the walls, but to restore the
ways of Yah. Something that is very much also needed in our day. The scriptures
show us that Nehemiah posted guards at the gates to keep merchants from
bringing in their merchandise to buy and sell on the Sabbath. This
writer feels strongly that what Nehemiah did went farther than just barring the
gates on the Sabbath. It was as though he was drawing a line in the
sand. He was keeping the charge of Yahweh just as Abraham did. (Gen.
26:5) [Strong’s #4931 Charge: watch, that is, the act (custody) or
(concretely) the sentry, the post; objectively preservation, or (concretely)
safe; figuratively observance, that is, (abstractly) duty, or (objectively) a
usage or party: - charge, keep, to be kept, office, ordinance, safeguard, ward,
watch.]
In
that day the temple was the representation of the habitation of Yahweh with
which now He inhabits this temple (This is where you should pound on your
chest! You are to be His temple now. 1st Corinthians 3:16) Just before
Passover, Messiah purged the temple in His day (symbolic of purging the
leavening, sin, worldliness and hypocrisy from our temples in our day) The scriptures show that He was hot mad over the goings
on in the temple. He called the temple a den of thieves. (Matthew
21:12,13) We should desire that the set
apart Spirit, just like Nehemiah should build a wall or a hedge of protection
around our minds from outside evil influence as well as keep our minds focused
on serving Yahweh and gaining entrance into the coming Kingdom.
Just
like in olden times, the people thought that because they had the temple of
Yahweh, that they were the chosen people and no matter what they did, they were
still special and could get away with a lifestyle of sin. No
different today, many are calling this house, their temple the habitation of
Yahweh’s Ruach and yet say we are delivered to do abomination (free from His Torah
law). Just like Yahshua said, many have made His house,
His habitation, a den of thieves, so does Jeremiah under the power of the spirit
call it a den of robbers. (Jeremiah 7:4-12) Same thing!
The
spirit warned through Jeremiah that they should go look at the example of what
He did at Shiloh if they would not amend their ways. (Psalms 78:56-64) If
anyone of us were to go back to a lifestyle of practicing sin after coming into
the knowledge of the Truth, the protective walls would come down and our temple
would go to ruins and the presence of Yahweh would leave. (Isaiah 5:1-9)
In
Nehemiah’s day the people were coming out of physical slavery and captivity and
then going right back into spiritual slavery and captivity (bondage to sin)
that would lead them again back into physical captivity. They hadn’t
learned their lesson. Looks to me that Nehemiah was standing for the
ways of Yahweh, keeping the charge and was standing for righteousness no matter
what they thought of him back then or what we may think of his harsh actions
today. We should desire that the spirit of Yahweh would guard
the gates of our minds to protect our thoughts from worldliness and
lawlessness.
This
is one of the problems in our day. We don’t seem to have the guts to
truly keep the charge and suffer persecution. Do you suffer
persecution? If not, you had better look at your life. (2nd
Timothy 3:12)
Who
will stand up for righteousness no matter what the outcome or what others may
say? Let that be us brethren. Be you harmless as doves and yet wise
as serpents, (Matthew 10:16) armed not with the swords and weaponry of men,
(Matthew 26:52; Revelation 13:10) but only with the sword of the Spirit, the
Word of Yahweh. (Hebrews 4:12) Our armor (Ephesians 6:10-18) should
already be upon us, for the battle is now.
The Old Paths Restoration Ministry
PO Box 247
Marengo, IN 47140