The burial site, 20 square mile compound with around 8000 terra cotta foot soldiers with an additional 6000 on horseback and in chariots, of China’s Qin Shi Huang (ruled 221 – 210 BC, as first ruler of the Qin Dynasty) is the largest ever built in the world. The terracotta soldiers were constructed most likely by slave labor to protect the emperor in the afterlife. Most of the 700,000 laborers who worked on the project for three decades were killed and buried alive inside the compound to keep the project secret as it was until it was discovered by farmers digging a well in 1974 in. 5 Things You May Not Know About The Terra Cotta Army

Years ago I went on a field trip with our home school group to see this traveling exhibit. The one thing that I remember most was that this emperor buried his workers alive. Qin was a cruel and powerful emperor who believed himself to be god like with all others subservient to him. Their lives were unimportant and this was true for even his most loyal staff. He used people for his own purposes and then threw them away when he was through with them. Even after all his elaborate efforts to secure his afterlife, Qin himself was used and destroyed in the end.

This is how Satan operates. The “good” part of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is a lure of promises served up on the platter of eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die (1 Corinthians 15:32-33, Ecclesiastes 2:17-26). It is all of our earthly desires with no consequences, yet the consequences are very real. All the while we make our own way managing to survive and enjoy the little that we can, we are being used to build and promote Satan’s kingdom (with and/or without our knowledge of it) as he delights in prolonging our misery and suffering only to be thrown away and destroyed with nothing to show for our efforts. It is overall a losing game. I know some young women in jail who can testify to this.

But all are valuable in God’s kingdom whether they know it or not. There is armor and protection in the shelter of the Most High. Our love and service to Him is what defeats the kingdom of darkness, personally as well as corporately.

In our lives, good friends and acquaintances will come and go. Good times will come and go. Troubles will come and go (John 16:32). But the Shalom (Philippians 4:7) in the love and promises of God remain steadfast and true. He will never lead you astray and He will never discard you as a leftover. You are much more valuable than the birds of the air (Matthew 6:26). He never calls us to follow other humans for even the best can lead others astray, but He calls us to follow Him and to lead others to the same refreshing living water which will flow through our very souls.

In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were made through Him, and apart from Him nothing was made that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overpowered it. ~John 1:1-4