The people commended all who volunteered to live in Jerusalem. – Nehemiah 11:2

Today’s Scripture Reading (September 1, 2017): Nehemiah 11

In George R. R. Martin’s “A Song of Fire and Ice,” the story on which the T.V. show “Game of Thrones” is based, a wall defends the kingdoms of men from the horror’s that exist in the North. The wall is long, almost 350 miles or just over 550 kilometers, in length. And it is up to the Sworn Brothers of the Night Watch to defend the wall against anything that might want to breach it and threaten the Kingdoms south of the wall. But by the time that the Epic story begins, the Northern Wall of the Night Watch has fallen into disrepair, and the once honored Sworn Brothers are finding it difficult to find enough people willing to be numbered among those who guard the north to make a defense of the wall possible. Of course, the reason for this lack is two-fold. It is likely that the potential dangers of the North had receded in the mind of the people and given way to the present reality of the danger that already existed inside of the realms of men. But, maybe the more important factor was that becoming a Sworn Brother meant a permanent sacrifice of the pleasures of life, and of doing the things that could make a person wealthy. The comfortable life was out of reach of those who volunteered for the Night Watch. All that existed for the Sworn Brothers was the reality of danger from the north; a life spent guarding a wall in the cold, the brotherhood of those who had embraced this kind of life, and the honor of the people of the realms. Now, the honor was dwindling. Maybe, in days past, when these men on the wall were honored, the sacrifice was worth it. But now, it was simply easier to do something else.

The walls around Jerusalem were not as long as the wall for which fictional Sworn Brothers were responsible, but the four miles of wall around Jerusalem would still need to be guarded. The problem was that life was going to be easier outside of Jerusalem’s walls. There, crops could be grown for food and houses could be built to care for the family. As well, the focal point of the enemies of Judah had been focused on Jerusalem and its walls. If there were an attack coming, it would not be focused on the small farms and villages that had grown up throughout Judea. The attack would focus on Jerusalem.

So, at this point, outside the walls of Jerusalem was the place that the people wanted to live. But inside the walls was where at least some people needed to live. Here, the sacrifice would be made to keep the city and the temple, as well as what had once been the heart of the nation and would hopefully become the heart once again, safe and secure. Safety and comfort existed outside the walls. The rule of Persia maintained peace throughout the empire. But inside the walls lived the hope for the future.

And just as was once true for the fictional Night Watch in George R. R. Martin’s tale, the people honored those who volunteered to leave comfort and keep the heart of the nation safe. These were the honored guards of the wall – and the emissaries that would usher in a new future for the nation and would keep the country safe for all those who lived outside of the walls.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Nehemiah 12