First Kings 21 chronicles one of the one of the more heinous acts of Jezebel and Ahab. Naboth the Jezreelite owned a vineyard which Ahab coveted greatly. When Naboth refused to sell it to Ahab, Jezebel arranged his murder. This crime did not go unnoticed. First Kings 21:17 records,
“Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel…”
Ahab and Jezebel’s actions throughout their reign posed a great challenge to God’s people. On the occasion of Naboth’s murder, God did not instruct Elijah to wait for Ahab to come to him. Rather, Elijah was instructed to “Arise” and go to Ahab. Like Elijah, the church is challenged by the wicked forces of the day and we must not sit idle and wait for them to come to us. We must arise and meet the challenges before us.
Our culture grows more and more secular by the day and consequently more opposed to the principles of New Testament Christianity than ever before. The church in America has enjoyed decades of relative ease in regard to persecution, but those days seem to be coming to an end. Satan is working hard to silence the voice of truth, steal the minds of our children, and win the day particularly in regard to sexuality and gender.
Whatever the challenge may be, Christians must not sit and wait. We must be proactive. Like Nehemiah, we should assess the problem, prepare a plan, and get to work (Neh. 1-7). Are we teaching and preaching God’s design for human sexuality? Are we utilizing the technological advancements God has blessed us with to spread the gospel? Are we working to make sure that the next generation understands how God’s Word applies to the problems of their day? Let us arise and meet the challenges of the day!