Both History and the Bible Teach Conspiracy

from a sermon/talk at my church 2020-06-07

Kids talk, reading, dull historical details and links to items mentioned...

Qualifications

    I'm not a West-basher as in the SJW/Leftist modern approach. The influence of Christianity built the West (even atheists agree). Influence by Christians is distinct from the Empire's pragmatic governance, which is influenced more by the love of money/wheels of commerce, loading it with all kinds of evil – like every Empire that preceded it. Christianity is like a good virus that inhabits zombie-like carnal Empires, and somehow brings about life amongst all the tragically 'standard' human darkness. All would agree our Empire has less Christian influence now than it did in the 18th and 19th centuries, following the influence of Wesley, Whitefield, Edwards et al in the West's Great Awakening. Thus we can reasonably infer that the West's likely trajectory of activity is more horrific than even in that era. I'm interested in the West, because it is where I am called to live for Jesus. "Judge yourself lest you be judged."

Kids Talk

    This looked at lesser known (to kids) aspects of David's life:

    1. how he deceived Achish re: raids on the Negev/Judah, which were actually raids on other peoples, whom he wiped out completely, so no one would live to tell Achish otherwise.
    2. the precise planning of Uriah's death: how did Uriah die? Did David kill him, or did was he killed by an enemy arrow, losing his life in a tragically mistaken strategic action?
    3. his death bed orders to assassinate X, Y & Z. And that's what happened.

    If the best believing King orders deaths and engages in deadly mass deception with collateral damage, what about the average? What about the non-believing Kings? What about pagan Kings?

Reading From Nehemiah 6

    For our reading we turned to Nehemiah, noting how in chapter 2 a human conspiracy against Nehemiah's work had begun, starting with mockery and straw man approaches. This continued in chapter 4 but developing into great anger, a plan to attack and kill to stop the work – the fear they were generating meaning even theoretically onside-Jews who dwelt near them acted as repeaters for his fear-inducing stuff 10x (in modern times this would be viewed as a successful PsyOp). This in turn led to Nehemiah's counter-conspiracy: first setting a 24hr watch, organising resistance to any attack etc.

    We then read Nehemiah 6, noting Tobiah, Sanballat and company now switched tactics: the stick had failed, try the carrot... "You're in danger, let's meet" 5x directly, but they planned to kill him – with lies to frame him as a rebel etc (same tactic as per 2). Next attempts came via infiltration agents in the Church (sorry, OT body of believers). The first paid agent he encountered gave a prophecy "to save N's life", but really to force moral compromise for intended smear/blackmail, and destruction of work that way. Numerous other prophets are implicated (6:14), so this was a multi-facetted substantial sabotage of an entire religious institution (no doubt there were still some good prophets).

    6:17-19 unveils that the nobles (who unsurprisingly wouldn't put their backs to the work) were deeply entrenched with Tobiah by marriage at multiple levels: notably an entire clan (Arah, cf 7:10), and an outstanding individual (3:4 & 30 Meshullam made repairs to two sections of wall). This is high level strategic "honey pot"/family path to compromise and influence/control. Not content at these attempts to influence which were "many", Tobiah also sent letters to frighten, while his supporters in ranks proclaimed his virtues.

    Thus in chapter 6 alone there 10 recorded attempts to deceive and manipulate. Though Nehemiah resists and spends total of 12 years in Jerusalem he returns to find: Tobiah has compromised the high priest (first listed man to repair the wall and hang gate) and obtained a room in the courts of the house of God, where even Nehemiah would not hide. It's possible that the means of his corruption was again honey-pot/family path, as his son had married Sanballat's daughter (13:28). And perhaps the steady infiltration campaign amongst the nobles had made that all possible, maybe he'd been targetted – was it just love? Or did Sanballat say to his daughter, "Target the most influential possible: if we have the high priest we've got it all..."?

    We read 2 Thess 2:1-12 to note NT continuity with deception ideas.

Links for items mentioned



Footnotes