Of Border Walls & The Bible - Nehemiah 1:3

And they said to me, “The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.” - Nehemiah 1:3

    There has been much debate about whether or not “Jesus would build a wall” to keep illegal immigrants out of the United States. Clearly, Christ would not, based on His words regarding His kingdom. “Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.’” - John 18:36. And listening to many Christian pastors, there is scant reference in Sunday sermons to our current political issues. Most avoid discussion of a border wall like the plague. But it need not be that way. There is plenty of Biblical support for the building of a border wall designed to protect the US from those who would violate our sovereign borders.
    Aghast, you cry out for the sojourner and the stranger! Does not our Holy Bible tell us to treat them as we treat ourselves? Indeed it does. Right down to the consequences of breaking the law! “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same.” - Romans 13:1-3. The teaching of the Bible clearly refutes those who would lie and say that as a nation we must accept any breach of our borders for the sake of those who would do so. If it is not done legally then it is done “illegally!”
    And of the wall. What should we do? “And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. So they said, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they set their hands to this good work.” - Nehemiah 2:18. And just as our President has his critics and obstructionists, Nehemiah had his. “But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed at us and despised us, and said, ‘What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?’ So I answered them, and said to them, ‘The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem.’” - Nehemiah 2:19-20.
    Even with the blessing of God, Nehemiah and the Israelites were to face opposition, even danger, so they took all reasonable precaution when building the wall. “Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry, and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion. Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.” - Nehemiah 4:7-9.
    Nehemiah knew how important it was to restore the walls of Jerusalem. It was so important that his enemies would do anything to prevent him from completing his task. So Nehemiah took the necessary precautions to complete the wall. “Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings; and I set the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”- Nehemiah 4:13-14.
    Nehemiah reminded the people that securing a wall for national protection wasn’t only necessary for the protection of their national security but it was ordained by God as well! What was the reaction of those who opposed the wall upon its completion? “And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was done by our God.” - Nehemiah 6:16.
    Let us protect our sovereign borders as God has commanded us to. The words of God are never ambiguous or confused. We have a duty to protect our own whether it be our front door or our nation’s border. “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” - 1 Timothy 5:8.