At the sound of the trumpet, will you come?

In the 2nd and 3rd centuries in the Roman Empire, two periods of plagues occurred. In The Triumph of Christianity, sociologist Rodney Stark observed how the plagues terrified the people of the time and the Christians' response in the face of such horror.

“... the typical response was to avoid any contact with the afflicted … victims often were thrown into the streets, where the dead and dying lay in piles.”

“Christians met the obligation to care for the sick rather than desert them, and thereby saved enormous numbers of lives.”

How does this story relate to the passage today? As the early believers stood with the sick during the plagues, Nehemiah and the Jews also had to stand alongside one another as they faced fierce opposition to rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah turned to the Lord and urged his discouraged brethren to do likewise, recognizing that God is with them. He then implemented practical steps to face their challenges head-on.

The early church’s response to the plagues, and Nehemiah’s actions, are fitting calls for us today. As we face problems that weaken our resolve to build our lives of faith, we can take heart that we are not alone. God is with us in our struggles.

In our struggles, God’s presence also comes from our fellow believers. Just as Nehemiah called for solidarity in the people, so too do we stand alongside one another in our faith battles. Nehemiah exhorted every scattered family repairing the perimeter of the wall to be on alert to the trumpet sound. At its call, the families would gather as one to support and strengthen one another. In the same way, at the sound of the trumpet, our spiritual family today must stand ready for one another.

In our pandemic living, many believers have become more scattered than before. If we are careless, what goes on in our fellow life group member’s life could easily escape us. In such times, the need for a symbolic trumpet call emerges - it rallies us to stand together as one. Will we be ready at the sound of the trumpet – when a life group member calls? Let us see ourselves as one people of God, ready to support and build up one another, especially in times of need.

Pray Together

Is there anyone, in the community that God has placed you in, who is discouraged and in need of support and encouragement? Pray for this brother or sister and ask the Lord for insight on how you can better support or help him/her.