Ezra 6:18-22: Marvels – Part I, A Reprise
Thursday, November 16, 2023
A Favorite from October 27, 2009.
It must have seemed unreal to the Israelites – after praying for years – to not only return to Jerusalem but also to receive safe passage and assistance from the dynasty which had first overtaken them and then carried them into exile. The people who had been in darkness were finally seeing a light; the tears they had sown in mourning were about to be harvested in joy. The dream expressed in Psalm 126 – the response in today’s liturgy – was finally arriving in full force: The Lord has done marvels for us . . . Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like the torrents in the southern desert. Those that sow in tears shall reap rejoicing . . . The Lord has done marvels for us . . . Although they go forth weeping, carrying the seed to be sown, they shall come back rejoicing, carrying their sheaves . . . The Lord has done marvels for us.
In these days when our national and international environment tells us a variety of stories of men who con society, who offer bold-faced lies in an effort to cover their devious tracks, or who commit crimes in the open when expressing innocence, we might connect with Ezra’s words. He reports that the Emperor Darius searched records looking for the promise made earlier that Jerusalem will be rebuilt and celebrated. Knowing that all that is precious that can be discovered and revived, we will easily proclaim: The Lord has done marvels for us.
In an era when the innocent cry 0ut to be heard, the marginalized ask for a seat at the table, and those who suffer at the hands of autocrats struggle to breath freely, we might take Ezra’s prophecy to heart. Returning from exile, they uncovered old haunts along familiar streets and byways. Admitting their culpability and celebrating their survival , the survivors of Jerusalem’s devastation can announce: The Lord has done marvels for us.
Where do we see ourselves in this story? How do we respond to this truth? When do we come forward to likewise declare: The Lord has done marvels for us.
Tomorrow, the crowd rejoices.
For more about Ezra and the second Temple, click on the image above or visit: http://www.foundationsforfreedom.net/References/OT/Historical/Ezra/Ezra00Intro.html
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