The scripture for today, November 6, is Nehemiah 11:6 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:
“The descendants of Perez who lived in Jerusalem totaled 468 able men.”
Just who was Perez, and why was this even mentioned in the Bible? Perez was a descendant of Judah, and an ancestor of Jesus (Matthew 1:3).
Why was living in Jerusalem a big deal at that time? Because Jerusalem had been attacked and destroyed. Other Jews had returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the temple. Now it was time to rebuild the walls.
These 468 brave people had to agree to move into a burned-out city and rebuild on the ashes of previous homes. In the process of moving building stones out of the way to reuse in the city wall, they surely found skeletons of those who had been slaughtered in the attack.
At first, the Jews had blamed the Babylonians for destroying their city and temple. But eventually they began re-reading what the prophets had warned them about their own sins. Finally they turned inward and placed the blame where it really belonged: Themselves. Their own pride had destroyed their temple and their city.
Following repentance, they acted. Was it easy rebuilding a broken city? Not any easier than rebuilding a broken home, a broken congregation, or a broken life. We look at our own part in our own destruction and begin building anew.
A descendant of Perez ~ Jesus ~ had the same grit. What is yours like? Have you rebuilt anything important lately?