Although many of the Historical books of the Bible would be discounted as archaic for the modern Church, we should look instead to them as being rather timely. We may wonder why the need to re-read what once was – considering the fact that we don’t necessarily follow those customs and manners today. So why read?
Throughout history, from the Garden of God to the 21st Century Church, when God’s witness fails in his people, they’ll enter a state of spiritual captivity and find themselves spiritually or positionally outside (or away from) the designated location (or even ground) – from where God’s testimony belongs.
Out from the Eternal counsels, the overarching purpose is that God would have a Man on the Throne. A cosmic battle that would not be easy. Adam being created in the image and after the likeness, did not become that man, but God ever prevails, and therefore remains in pursuit.
Historical books outline the persistent purpose and spiritual warfare required for the Church to be involved to reclaim that testimony. From the studies of scripture, we should know, lands (specifically Chaldea and Babylon) carry a weight of significance when talking about the captivity of God’s people. Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther in particular, would become main books signifying the manner of recovery in what was lost.
When what becomes lost needs to be found, it involves a process of redemption; expresses itself in the bringing back to the place where God can do what He found it impossible to do with the first Adam, to the place where He can give eternal life.
Gathered up in those 4 books are examples of how each played their individual parts of the re-securing or redeeming what mattered to the Heart of God (prayer, the wall, the altar, the house, and the scepter). But if you’ll notice in Ezra, from their place of captivity, none of the Levites returned to help re-establish Jerusalem. (Rom. 9:4,5) Why so?
Levites were to have a bunch of duties, more than your average follower of God. They were elected to be bearers of the Ark (and articles), Priests, ministers, etc., and their inheritance was not in the land, but in God. They were also to be examples of those who would persevere for the prize of the upward calling.
Even in captivity, God takes care of His own. All along these Levites are being provided for. Why ruin a good thing to go back to a scorched land to re-establish and rebuild? Especially since they’ve no inheritance in the actual land itself. I mean, to take up sword and tool when they get no benefit? Why? They can still get heaven, effort or not because they’re called of God, right?
Could the same true of you and I? I mean our calling and election are sure.(2 Pet.1:10) We’re saved and assured (John 5:24) as well as our being justified by faith, we have peace (Rom 5:1). We’re kind of cozy in our setting as well. Why enter the battles if others are better prepared and/ or equipped?
In relation to her (Church) function in the ages to come, belongs the election; but to allow election to set aside perseverance (Phil. 3:12-15, etc.) is to make nonsense of all the teaching and admonition that’s represented by such words as: “Give… diligence to make your calling and election sure”, or “Walk worthily of the calling wherewith you were called” (2 Pet. 1:10, Eph. 4:1).
The word of God has the possibility to become obsolete in our lives. Should we at any point allow the Person of Christ to not have the rightful place in our lives, much like the loss of the glory of the Temple, there’s the potential to ultimately lose the inner Authority. When that happens, we may find ourselves bound over, in a similar type of Babylon – a place of “capture”; a world system that now becomes authority from where we must get our directions to do life.
