Speak Lord: restore us too

All the heads of the priesthood, and the people too, added infidelity to infidelity, copying all the shameful practices of the nations and defiling the Temple that the Lord had consecrated for himself in Jerusalem. The Lord, the God of their ancestors, tirelessly sent them messenger after messenger, since he wished to spare his people and his house. But they ridiculed the messengers of God, they despised his words, they laughed at his prophets, until at last the wrath of the Lord rose so high against his people that there was no further remedy.

They burned down the Temple of God, demolished the walls of Jerusalem, set fire to all its palaces, and destroyed everything of value in it. The survivors were deported by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon; they were to serve him and his sons until the kingdom of Persia came to power. This is how the word of the Lord was fulfilled that he spoke through Jeremiah, ‘Until this land has enjoyed its sabbath rest, until seventy years have gone by, it will keep sabbath throughout the days of its desolation.’

And in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfil the word of the Lord that was spoken through Jeremiah, the Lord roused the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to issue a proclamation and to have it publicly displayed throughout his kingdom: ‘Thus speaks Cyrus king of Persia, “the Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth; he has ordered me to build him a Temple in Jerusalem, in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all his people, may his God be with him! Let him go up.”’

First reading for the 4th Sunday of Lent
2 Chronicles 36:14-16,19-23

Israel’s unfaithfulness and corruption preface the experience of Exile. The experience of the Exile and shame for her past fuel Israel’s return to the Land and her determination to live faithfully.

The Land too has had to be purified so as to become again fit for purpose…

Our Lenten disciplines impose a certain sabbath quality on our living, helping us to know our unfaithfulness and corruption and long for health. They help break old habits and give an opportunity to begin to learn to live better, for the glory of God and for our sakes.

Carving from Babylon. Pergamon Museum, Berlin. (c) 2004, Allen Morris