Trumpet

            Nehemiah 4:19 – “Then I (Nehemiah) said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people: “The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. Whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!”

            The use of trumpets in the ancient world was varied. Here is this passage, the trumpet sound was a summons to battle. Numbers 10:9 and Judges 3:27 are other references to this. Priests sounded trumpets at the time of the fall of Jericho. (Joshua 6:16) Trumpets announced God’s appearances (Exodus 19:16), they signaled the beginning of special feasts days (Numbers 29:1-6) and they were used in theatrical performances, coronations and worship services.

            The people of Israel were always listening for the “sound of the trumpet”. We, as believers should be listening for that, too. (I Corinthians 15:52 and I Thessalonians 4:16 )  Like Nehemiah and the people working on the wall, let us keep our hands busy doing the Lord’s work and our ears ever ready to hear the sound of the trumpet, not to go to battle, but to go Home!

 Contributed by Lucy Kolean