I drove him from me … Thus I cleansed them of everything pagan” (13:28–30). Nehemiah is not unique in redemptive history. The people of God in every era are called upon to relate to pagans around them. As the New Testament commands, Nehemiah honored the king and prayed for him. He was diligent to give civil obedience where possible without compromising the commands of God. He sought, as the Apostle Paul did, to live at peace with all men. But neither Nehemiah nor Paul was able to live at peace with
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