Don’t settle in the plains – Lowly places
Don’t settle in the plains – Lowly places: The cities of the plain (also called cities of the valley) are the five cities—Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Zoar.
A valley denotes low things –Jesus came to redeem us from the lowly places/valleys of despair, rejection, valley of the shadow of death, dry bones and sin. (Isaiah. 40:3, 4) says – every valley shall be exalted; this only happens when we make a way for the Lord in our hearts.
A valley also denotes external things in worship, which are also the lowest, (Jeremiah 49:4).
After Abraham parted ways with his nephew Lot, the Bible says in Genesis 13:12 – Lot lived among the cities of the plain/valley and pitched his tents near Sodom – wicked cities that were sinning greatly against the Lord.
The enemy wants us to go to the plains/valley with him so that he can harm us:
The enemies of Nehemiah (Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and others) said to him – “Come, let us meet together among the villages in the plain of Ono.” But they thought to do me harm. So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down”. Nehemiah 6:1-6
These people had greatly opposed him in Nehemiah Chapter 4, and this was their final ‘concealed’ attack just before he completed rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. It was a ‘Now or Never’ final attack.
The enemies outwardly appeared friendly, but Nehemiah discerned their hidden scheme (backdoor attack). His response was – “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down”.
Thought: Why should we go down to the plains and perish there? Settling or living in the ‘plain/valley’ (outside the presence of God) ends in misery.
Lot left Sodom empty handed; lost all his investments, sons-in-law and his wife turned into a pillar of salt.
Like Nehemiah we can say to the enemy through discernment – We are too busy to come down to the plain/valley/lowly paces outside the presence of God. We have nothing to discuss with him.
John 10:10 – The thief (our enemy who disguises as an angel of light) comes only to steal and kill and destroy. Jesus came that we may have life and have it to the full.
Ch. Stephen
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