Thoughts for the Day

End of the Babylonian Captivity

In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, in order that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of King Cyrus of Persia so that he sent a herald throughout all his kingdom, and also in a written edict declared:

‘Thus says King Cyrus of Persia: The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of those among you who are of his people—may their God be with them!—are now permitted to go up to Jerusalem in Judah, and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem; and let all survivors, in whatever place they reside, be assisted by the people of their place with silver and gold, with goods and with animals, besides freewill-offerings for the house of God in Jerusalem.’

The heads of the families of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites—everyone whose spirit God had stirred—got ready to go up and rebuild the house of the LORD in Jerusalem. All their neighbours aided them with silver vessels, with gold, with goods, with animals, and with valuable gifts, besides all that was freely offered.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

I haven't looked at the Book of Ezra in the Hebrew scriptures (Old Testament) for a few years, but it appears for three days now in the Lectionary. Bearing in mind the current situation in the Middle East it might be helpful to look at it, and to pray for the countries involved, and to see what lessons we can learn for ourselves.

A millennium before the Book of Ezra was written we read in Genesis of the small family of Jacob who was transplanted to Egypt when his son Joseph was raised from slavery to a position of great honour (Genesis 41.37-45). However, within a generation with a new Pharoah the people had become slaves and were forced to flee to the desert under the guidance of God and their leader Moses, to emerge after forty years not as a tribal family but as a tribal nation. They subsequently defeat the residents of God’s ‘promised land’, and in time establish a kingdom. But in 587 BCE the people have strayed from God and the Babylonians destroy the city of Jerusalem, taking most of the people to Babylon. The book of Ezra starts fifty years later from 538 BCE when the Persian Emperor Cyrus sends a remnant of the exiles home to rebuild the Temple. Together with the Book of Nehemiah, this covers a period of about one hundred years.

So let us look at the emerging themes: we see phrases like "The hand of our God" or the "The word of our Lord" occur. This is no 'god' with a small ‘g’! Yahweh is acclaimed as the creator of the heavens, the earth and all its creatures. It is He who plans the events that will happen and who stirs up kings like Cyrus to action. There is a strong emphasis on the binding covenant that God has made with His people, and on the need for spiritual revival. Lastly, the word "remnant" often occurs - it is only a remnant that will return home, and as Isaiah later is to say, only a remnant will return to God.

The question for us, is are we the faithful remnant?

Prayers from the Iona Community

God of mercy,
we lay before you the hearts, minds and bodies
of all those suffering from violence
in the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel.
Shower upon all the people of this holy land
the spirit of justice and reconciliation.
And so we pray: Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.

In you, Lord, all life is connected
and all the Earth and its land are to be cherished, not controlled.
Your gifts are for all.
Yet as we see the violence and hatred in the land called Holy,
and see the signs of climate breakdown,
help us all to work to live in communion.
And so we pray: Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.

As people of many religions remind us:
All humanity is connected, no one is really free until all are free.
Help us to pray for all in Israel and all in the Palestinian territories.
We pray for those who live in fear of the other;
For all who consider violence to be the way forward.
We pray for all who by acting in hate dehumanise themselves.
And so we pray: Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.

Amen.