Think About it -- You. Stay With Me.

Think About It Think About it -- You. Stay With Me.
Share
Share

Carl Chinn

Mar 8, 2025

After Nehemiah prayed and posted guards; after he positioned people at exposed places of the wall with swords and spears; after he commanded workers to carry materials in one hand and weapons in the other, he made one final appointment.

“But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.”[i]

Nehemiah’s story occurred around 500 BC. As I understand, the trumpets of Nehemiah’s time were probably long and straight, made of silver, and called a chatsotserah.

The only unique notes possible through a chatsotserah were performed by human functions at the mouthpiece, since there were no valves. But it was loud. The sound of the alarm carried over long distances and rose above the sounds of battle. It was a sure way of informing everyone. Specific messages were understood by the length and sequences of the trumpet blast.

King Artaxerxes sent army officers and a calvary with Nehemiah. Perhaps it was one from that taskforce with a good chatsotserah that stayed with Nehemiah when the rest of the soldiers returned to Persia.

Nehemiah was a man of God; a man called to a noble mission. Like spiritual leaders then and now, he was determined and capable to assemble resources needed to accomplish that which God had called him to do.

He understood, as did all leaders then and now, how critical it was to have a system of alarm communication. Battles were won or lost; missions accomplished or lost; entire civilizations saved or doomed, by the effectiveness of the alarm.

Sounding (and heeding) the alarm is serious business.

Think About it

How special to have been selected by Nehemiah as the one told to stay by his side, ready to sound the trumpet.

The security leader’s effectiveness comes down to how in tune they are with the ministry leader and what’s happening around that ministry. They must be the one to sound the trumpet at the right time. The trust put into that position is significant.

What an honor and responsibility to have the one called by God, look at you and say, “You. Stay with me.”

“… if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin…” [ii]

[i] Nehemiah 4:18-20 (NIV)

[ii] Ezekial 33:6 (NIV)

Comments

To view comments or leave a comment, login or sign up.

Related Content

Think About it -- Remembering Ron Allen

Death never comes at a good time. This last week, FBSN board member Ron Allen (Troy, Michigan) finished his race and went home. Ron was one of the best men I’ve ever known. I was reminded of something Ron wrote to our Board in 2023. It follows, as written by him. GOD'S CALL TO LEADERS. Morning Prayer Notes 8.24.2023. Ron Allen God will never call us to a work that we can fulfill in our own strength. It will always be bigger than we are. That forces us to rely on Him. When God puts people around us to help fulfill the vision that He has given, if we use them, God gets glory. If we don't use them, that means we don't trust God to fulfill His vision. (ownership of the vision then transfers to us and I don’t want to own God vision). Remember, Its God's vision, not ours. He may have given it to us to carry, shepherd and lead, but it's His vision. God will send resources / people to fulfill His vision. If we are uncomfortable using the resources He has sent, (“no, let me do that”) we limit what God can do with His own work. Our job as leaders, as people who are called by God to lead; Pray that God sends laborers and let them labor when they arrive. Love them and lead them in a godly manner. Teach them what God has taught you. Show them the vision so they can run with the portion God has given them. Trust that God will speak to them and give vision for their area of the work. Give them the latitude to hear from God and go with God, (while we are watching to encourage and correct) Discern when the enemy sends wolves to disrupt the work that God has called us to do. Clear out the wolves and get back to doing the work God has called us to do. If the wolves have inflicted wounds, believe God to heal the wounds and move on. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire without the smell of smoke (don’t let wounds linger) Think About it We are called into a work that none of us can complete or even perform well on our own. Ron Allen provided the guide for handling that work.

Lessons From the Farm (No. 1)

Having moved back to farm country (from where I continue to manage the Faith Based Security Network), there is also the reality of needed work to be done on the farm. Fortunately, there is not (yet) any cropland; the daily duties are centered around making sure the small cow herd is healthy and accounted for. It is rare that I can’t think of the applicability of some farm action to the realm of effective security operations. Such was the case this week when a neighbor called to see if I could help him out. Helping is just part of common rural hospitality. It’s called “neighboring.” When someone’s ox is in the ditch, you go help them. He owns no oxen, but he did have a few hundred acres of corn to get harvested in a narrow window of time. He needed to keep 3 semis continuously filled as drivers ran the harvested corn to the granaries. He had a 12-row combine working nonstop cutting the corn. The missing link was a man on a tractor to catch the freshly harvested corn out of the combine into a 750 bushel mobile grain cart, then transport that corn to the waiting semis. The inset picture shows the operation and equipment well. He set aside an hour to have one of his workers train me on the tractor and the mobile grain cart. After that I was all alone in a John Deere 8400, 4-wheel drive row-crop tractor. This wasn’t like driving Dad’s old 2-cylinder John Deeres 50 years ago. This $300,000 monster had a computerized cab more like a cockpit. At 30,000 pounds and 225 horsepower, it was bigger, more powerful and more expensive than any machine I’d ever operated. One hour of training. Think About it The great late Jeff Cooper said, “Owning a handgun doesn't make you armed any more than owning a guitar makes you a musician” (another version quoted him as, “Owning a pistol doesn't make you a pistoleer any more than owning a piano makes you a pianist”). A few hours operating powerful machinery doesn’t make one a farmer either. Is your training commensurate with the tools and the needed actions? How much is a life worth? If you think an hour might be a little light for training on a monster tractor, how much is too light for your tools of protecting life?