Walls and Gates of Safety

<p>WALLS AND GATES OF SAFETY</p> <p>The story continues of God’s people returning from the seventy years captivity in Babylon and the rebuilding the temple and now, the walls and the city gates of Jerusalem. This entire story is like a second Exodus of Israel coming out of captivity and entering into the Land, with this re-entering taking many long years like the first Exodus. This re-entry spanned the reigns of three kings in Babylon and Persia, with many delays and disruptions because of the enemies in the region. Zerubbabel led the first wave of returning exiles out of Babylon and some years later there came the arrival of Ezra for the rebuilding of God’s Word into the peoples’ hearts. The Temple had now been built, the sacrifices were now being offered, the Word of God had now been restored, but there were still no walls and gates of safety and security for God’s people and they were still open to enemy attack.  So now God sends Nehemiah to return from Babylon to oversee the rebuilding the walls and gates of the city. This was the final work needed for the reset and rebuilding of God’s people as his witness to the nations. So we see again in this continuing story the parallels of Israel experiencing a reset after their world had come to a standstill and the Church today preparing to experience a reset just as our world has also come to a standstill in this global crisis we are living in today.</p> <p>Just as God moved the hearts of world rulers and intervened sovereignly in history for his people under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Ezra, God now moves history for Nehemiah through the Persian King Artaxerxes to finish the rebuilding of the temple and the walls of Jerusalem. He uses these unlikely allies to fulfil His promises of restoration for His people. </p> <p>It was the task of Nehemiah to see both the restoration of the walls and the rebuilding of the gates of those walls.  Nehemiah 1:3 "Those who are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is still brok