I am hearing many people saying that our nation of democracy is being torn apart and in danger of being destroyed by divisive partisan and racist behaviors. And many of them are asking “Where is God? Why doesn’t he intervene and do something to elevate truth above the lies and right the wrongs that are being said and done?”
These are questions that should cause us to search the scriptures and be reminded that God is the sovereign ruler of the world, and that he is at work in every place that individuals commit themselves to doing God’s work of reconciliation and peace between persons, races, creed, and nations. This is God’s work and our purpose in the world. But it can only be accomplished as we individually open ourselves to his Spirit enabling us to do the work.
In Nehemiah 3 we hear Nehemiah making it clear that rebuilding the wall in Jerusalem was God’s work. It was God who stirred up Nehemiah in chapter 1 and enabled him to be sent to Jerusalem in chapter 2.
Nehemiah yielded to the Spirit of God and was enabled to accomplish the legal necessities, gather the needed building materials, effectively motivate the people, and organize all the people in rebuilding the city wall.
It may seem boring, but there are good insights embedded in the listing of builders and their assignments. The list is very inclusive. The builders came from diverse regions of Judah, and from diverse professions “goldsmith, perfume makers, and merchants.”
Both sexes worked on the wall “Shallum and his daughters,” (v.12). Even the leaders from Judah got their hands dirty, including “the high priest and his fellow priests” (v.1), “the Levites”(v.17), and many district leaders and rulers.
In fact, “The Dung Gate was repaired by Malkijah, the ruler of the district of Beth-Hakkerem.” (v.14) This certainly was not prime territory to work in, being downwind from the city dump. But someone of authority, who might have used his influence to gain a better assignment, was willing to complete this necessary but undesirable and stinky task.
When the wall was completed, Nehemiah recorded that “When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God” (6:16).
This story and many other biblical stories, as well as non-biblical stories in human history, clearly illustrate that God does accomplish his greater work of establishing peace and goodwill in the world, among every tribe, race, and nation through us, his Spirit-led and Spirit-enabled followers.
You may be agreeing with what I just said, but remain confused about what specifically is God’s business? Amid such social conflict and upheaval, what is God’s work and our assignment?
To answer that question, I turn to Luke 4:18-19 where we read that Jesus, the hometown boy, went to the synagogue on the Sabbath. With family and friends, he stood and read from Isaiah regarding the credentials and mission of the coming Messiah, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
He then sat down and with everyone eyes intently fixed on him, he claimed this mission as his own, saying “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (v.21).
These were the same credentials he gave to the disciples of John the Baptist when they asked, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” And I believe these same credentials continue to be the authentic identification of God’s people.
Most significantly, these credentials are about issues of social need and concern. God wants us to understand that our attitudes and behaviors toward others is his business and our priority work in the world.
The Scriptures clearly indicate that God’s Spirit is at work when and where social concerns are demonstrated in response to the need of others. To be God’s people means we must be always caring about the physical, social, and temporal needs of our neighbors in our community, nation, and world.
In our contemporary environment it is so easy for us to become focused on the wrong kinds of priorities. There is certainly nothing wrong with interest and concern for the cultivation of mind, body, and soul through biblical study, meditation, and praise. But if that becomes our primary end goal, there is something very wrong about our understanding of doing God’s business in the world.
God’s business is about loving and caring for the world through us. God’s business is about bringing peace to our churches, our town, our nation, and all the world through us, his people who live “to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8).
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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – October 21, 2020
Ray M. Geigley
Healing Rays of Righteousness 
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