God has provided the arms and the armor we need for the battle and will give us the victory if we will trust in Him.
Our salvation and eternity is not based on cunningly told myths and fables. Rather, it is founded on the incorruptible book of God, blood of Christ, and bounty of the believer.
Certainly, the Lord enabled Nehemiah and the Jews to complete the walls of Jerusalem. However, the leadership of Nehemiah was critical from the human viewpoint. The enemies of the wall threw everything imaginable at him, but he would not turn from the cause at hand. How much we should learn from Nehemiah’s example!
The Levitical sacrificial system had five separate and distinct offerings that could be made to the Lord.
The Jews have left the only stability they have known and have made the long and hard trip to Israel. But their work has only begun. Now they must rebuild. They begin in the right place restoring the ancient altar and begin work on the foundation of the temple. But opposition comes quickly. First, in the form of compromisers who want to join them for the purpose of defeating their purpose and zeal. Second, in the form of hired counselors who work to “frustrate their purpose.” For now, the adversaries win and the Jews cease work on the temple. The opposition has been too much for them. The temple lies abandoned.
