“Send Me to Judah!” – Fifth Commandment

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“Send Me to Judah!”

Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16

“Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you.”

Nehemiah 2:5

“If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ graves, that I may rebuild it.”

Yes, You!

Nehemiah was a cupbearer to the king, a small-time servant, easily replaced (in case the king’s wine was poisoned) if need be. But he had a deep burden for the ruin that had settled on his native city, and he was willing to do whatever needed to be done in order to restore the Lord’s blessing to Jerusalem and Judah. We can always find things to complain about in our nation, our community. Conveniently, those things are always someone else’s fault, so we don’t need to bear any of the blame. But we do not honor our civil magistrates when we only complain and condemn. God may be calling some of us to step up and be willing to serve in order to restore order and goodness to broken systems. There are plenty of opportunities to do so: in neighborhood associations, on local school boards, as members of city and county councils, in the halls of state and national government, and always, by being an informed voter. Our responsibility for honoring government goes beyond individuals and administrations. We must work hard and be available however the Lord leads us to ensure that the very institutions of government that serve our nation are strong and settled in the goodness and truth of God. And in some cases, that may require our actually being present, at least, being more involved than just from a distance. You may think you are nothing more than a cupbearer – a small-time player. Don’t doubt, however, what the Lord might do through you.

Have you ever thought about public service? What local opportunities are available for you to become more involved in shaping the way of things?

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“In the Gates” is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001,2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Editor’s note: The use of a translation other than the Authorised Version in an article does not constitute an endorsement in whole or in part by The Christian Observer.