This is modern Shiloh with ancient Shiloh in the foreground. In Scripture, Shiloh was the place where the Tabernacle, God’s dwelling, rested after the Israelites entered the land under Joshua.
It was to here that God commanded every Jewish male to come three times a year: Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles. Each visit, including traveling both ways, could take up to a month depending on where one lived. Thus, three months out of the year, every Jewish male was to be away from their homes and businesses.
Who protected them while they were gone? As they exercised their faith in God by choosing to be here with Him, He would protect the homes and businesses. Every time they came, they showed how much they loved their God and wanted to be in His presence,
Fast forward to today. When the Jewish people were kicked out of Israel by the Romans (who changed it’s name to Palestine) in 135 AD and started returning home in the late 1800’s, would they exercise their faith in God’s word and resettle Shiloh?
This piece of real estate is found in Samaria or what the world calls the West Bank. This city (on the hill to the left and the foreground) is located next to an Arab city (in the background to the right). It’s not a safe and secure place to raise a family and have a business. Yet, would they exercise their faith in the Word of God, which incurs risks, and return to Shiloh?
Remember, the ruins prove this land belonged to Israel. This is an indisputable fact. Yet, there were risks of world opinion against them. There was the hatred of those living next door who’d rather see them dead than living on land they want for their state. These Jewish men and women took the risk and returned to Shiloh.
Believers, we live in enemy territory where we all have strongholds in our lives put there by our enemy, our sin nature and our environment (2 Cor. 10:3-5). The world run by the evil one wants us to leave them alone. Our neighbors would love for us not to change, as it gives them a reason to stay the same.
The question for us then is, “How far will we go to be in God’s presence, where peace, joy, security and love reign?” God says He loves to reward faith, but faith is not faith unless it’s put into action. We say we love Jesus. If so, we will exercise the truths He gives us. Know this, others will not like it. So how bad do you want to experience the life Jesus came to give you?