Homeland Security

Now when the wall was rebuilt and I had set up the doors, and the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed, then I put Hanani my brother, and Hananiah the commander of the fortress, in charge of Jerusalem, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many. (Nehemiah 7:1-2)

Nehemiah is setting in order an orderly settlement. First order of business is security against their enemies. They do not assume that with the wall rebuilt that they are safe. He is ever mindful of the threat the outside forces pose. We do well to heed this lesson. We are always in danger of attack. We need to take our security seriously. The Enemy of our souls is constantly looking for open places in our walls and gates to send in his soldiers. Nehemiah entrusts this security task to God fearing men. So should we. The assignment of security for each homeowner is significant. They have a vested interest in protecting their property. It pays to have good neighbors. Nehemiah is restoring the dignity to the people of the land. So their ancestry is legitimized. Some might be willing to relax the priestly standards but Nehemiah and his people are not. The temptation to take whoever we can get to commit to service is a temptation that our churches deal with annually. Who is qualified to teach or to lead? Often it is the one that is willing and available. But being willing and available does not always mean able. In Nehemiah's day the people were facing hardships that comes out of restoring order from chaos.  Even so, the people still gave. So often we hold back on our monetary giving in the church because of trouble. We are afraid to waste our money.  The truth is that our money or our plan never really belongs to us. We are obligated to give back to God what is belonging to God. We are obligated to follow His plan. What we really fear is the loss of our security. Here is a step of faith practiced in Jerusalem. Some of the rich people may have wanted their name memorialized on some rock in front of their house. Or they may have wanted it known that they gave a special item of worship utensil. But here we see no evidence of such activity. They gave money, basins, and clothing for the worship experience to take place. Even the governor. No separation of church and state in God’s kingdom. It is truly a theocracy. This Sovereign God really does rule. He has a plan for us to be safe at home and we can trust Him to provide for our social security.  The security of God's people is a priority with the Lord.  Sometimes our subtle rebellion will keep us blind to that fact.  To fear God is to trust Him with your life.  Faithful people fear God.