QT 13/01/2025 Mon. Nehemiah 11. Relocation for God's Purpose. 为神的目标的搬迁。

QT 13/01/2025 Mon. Nehemiah 11. Relocation for God's Purpose.
READ http://www.esvbible.org/neh11

Before COVID-19 struck, we decided in 2019 to go for BTO at Tengah in the hope of a better living environment. Others relocate perhaps to move closer to their child's future school, work place proximity or nearer to family, or just be independent (a.k.a. escape from the clutch of a guardian).

The contemporaries of Nehemiah realised that the Jerusalem city was underpopulated even though the wall was rebuilt. The people, without prodding by the leaders but by their own initiative, contributed a tenth of their own community to relocate to Jerusalem to live there.

The Temple and Jerusalem required people with various skills, not only leaders or experts, so that God's vision of the "holy city" could be implemented. They used lots so that the decision was left to God rather than the subjective wishes of influential people.

The holy city required skilled military people to protect the city, Levites to minister in the worship and sacrifices, gatekeepers to manage flow. More than that, the holy city required people to be harmonious in the relocation and move on with life with good morale, regardless of whether they are living in the city or in the surrounding towns.

Nehemiah 11 reminds us of a few lessons:

(1) God can work in mighty and miraculous ways, but frequently through the lives of ordinary individuals who contribute in mundane ordinary but equally important ways. The accumulation of ordinary, faithful and courageous contributions by ordinary members frequently result in extra-ordinary outcomes in God's sight.

(2) Nehemiah's contemporaries were still ruled by the Persian Empire via the satraps appointed throughout the empire. While Nehemiah could return to Jerusalem from Persia to reconstruct the city and resettle the people, they still do not have full control over the land. God's people can do so much for now, but need to anticipate the full extent of God's kingdom by trusting God now for that future outcome.

REFLECTION: Whenever we "relocate", are we moving closer to the ideal "holy city" that God hoped for in the community that God have put you in to belong to?

QT 13/01/2025 星期一. 尼希米 11. 为神的目标而搬迁。
http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/neh/11

在 COVID-19 袭击之前，我们在 2019 年决定申请 Tengah BTO，希望能有一个更好的生活环境。其他人搬迁或许是为了孩子未来的学校、工作地点更近，或更靠近家人，或只是为了独立（也就是摆脱监护人的束缚）。

与尼希米同时代的人意识到，即使重建了城墙，耶路撒冷城的人口仍然不足。人们没有在领袖的催促下，而是自发地推选自己群体里的十分之一人口搬迁到耶路撒冷居住。

圣殿和耶路撒冷需要具备各种技能的人，而不仅仅是领袖或专家，这样才能实现上帝关于 “圣城 ”的愿景。圣城需要有技能的军事人员来保护，利未人负责敬拜和献祭，守门人负责管理人流。不仅如此，圣城还要求人们在搬迁时保持和谐，以良好的士气继续生活，无论他们是住在城里还是周围的城镇。

《尼希米记》第 11 章提醒我们几个教训：

(1) 上帝可以以大能和奇迹的方式行事，但经常是通过普通人的生活，他们以平凡普通但同样重要的方式做出贡献。普通人的平凡、忠实和勇敢的贡献累积起来，往往会在神的眼中产生非凡的结果。

(2) 尼希米同时代的人仍受波斯帝国的统治，波斯帝国在全国各地都任命了宰相。虽然尼希米可以从波斯回到耶路撒冷重建城市，重新安置百姓，但他们仍然不能完全控制这片土地。神的子民现在可以做很多事情，但需要通过现在对神未来结果的信靠来预见神国度的全部风范。

反思：每当我们 “搬迁 ”的时候，我们是否在靠近神所希望的理想中的 “圣城 ”？