Speaking The Language

SPEAKING THE LANGUAGE

Our ladies’ Bible study group finished our study on the book of Nehemiah last Tuesday.  The book ends, much as it began, with Nehemiah leading a reformation among God’s people, who have become distracted by disobedience.  Nehemiah had helped the people rebuild their dilapidated city walls, restore the Temple and repopulate the city with people.  Then, Nehemiah had to return to Babylon on state business.  When he returned, the Jews were already drifting into disobedience, breaking the Sabbath and intermarrying with idol worshipers surrounding Jerusalem.  When Nehemiah encountered this “wandering eye” among the men of his people, he acted quickly and firmly.  He shut down all merchants who were coming into the city on the Sabbath and threatened to arrest them if they hung around the city walls on the Sabbath. Then he addressed the problem of intermarriage with idol worshipers. “half their children spoke the language of Ashdod or some other people and could not speak the language of Judah at all.” Nehemiah 13: 24

Author Kelly Minter explains why this was so scandalous: “Though totally foreign to our current way of life, we have to remember that, for the children of Nehemiah’s day, Hebrew was essential to understand God and His ways.  The language of Judah was the language the priest and leaders—the parents—spoke to their children about the God of their forefathers. To lose this language was in essence to lose God’s Word, ultimately losing God Himself.” (Nehemiah: A Heart That Can Break  by Kelly Minter, Lifeway Press, Nashville, TN, 2012)

Nehemiah insisted on immediate change. The results were rather “hair raising”, read it for yourself in Nehemiah 13:25.

What would the modern-day equivalent of such a scandal look like? Children who grow up in the church but know little to nothing of God’s Word because their minds are filled with the idols the world worships: money, popularity, fun,  physical strength…. All these things are worshiped and celebrated in popular culture. But they run counter to the teachings of a loving God who provides perfectly for each one of His children, no matter how popular or athletic or smart or rich they are!

Reading this story made me thankful for our strong childrens’ ministry in Uptown here at College Church of Christ.  Loving men and women volunteer weekly to teach our children Bible stories, songs, memory verses and to spend time praying with and for them and loving them! Our children are learning the language of God, the language of love in Uptown. We can be very thankful for this!

--Posted by Mama O.