Who remains among you who saw this House in its former glory? So how do you see it now? Does it not seem as nothing in comparison in your eyes? …The treasures of all the nations will come, and I will fill this House with glory, says Adonai-Tzva'ot…The glory of this latter House will be greater than the former," says Adonai-Tzva'ot." 

—Haggai 2:3, 7,9

Life in Jerusalem was being rebuilt after disaster. Expectations were high. In short order, the altar was built and sacrifices began. It was a time of rejoicing as Sukkot was celebrated! Surely, the Jewish hope had not been cut off! Then, after a time, the Foundation of the Temple was laid.  The time for fulfillment of God's promises to Israel had finally come!

But then something strange happened. "But many…who had seen the former House, wept loudly at the sight of the foundation of this House…" (Ezra 3: 12). The Lord knew their disappointment and spoke through Haggai, "Who remains among you who saw this House in its former glory? So how do you see it now? Does it not seem as nothing in comparison in your eyes?" (Haggai 2:3).  Yet the Lord assured them, "…I will fill this House with my glory…says Adonai-Tzva'ot…The glory of this latter House will be greater than the former," says Adonai-Tzva'ot" (Haggai 2:7, 9).

How could this be? This temple did not at all reflect the beauty and glory of the first Temple of Solomon. But listen for the harmony line of the prophet Haggai in this part of the story. What the people could not see then was the fullness of this promise. Ezra-Nehemiah was not the end of the prophetic story for the Jewish people, but it was one step closer. For one day in the future, wouldn't One walk through the Temple courts who is the glory of His people Israel (see Luke 2:32)?

And yet of a time in the future when…"I saw no temple in her, for its Temple is Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot and the Lamb. And the city has no need for the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God lights it up, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations shall walk by its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory into it. Its gates shall never be shut by day, for there shall be no night there! And they shall bring into it the glory and honor of the nations" (Revelation 21:22-26).

Zechariah told the people in Ezra-Nehemiah's day too: “Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot, ‘In those days it will come to pass that ten men from every language of the nations will grasp the corner of the garment of a Jew saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you”’”  (Zechariah 8:23). And again, in Zechariah 14:16: “Then all the survivors from all the nations that attacked Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, Adonai-Tzva’ot, and to celebrate Sukkot.”

Did this happen during Ezra and Nehemiah's lifetime? Not quite. No one but the exiles at that time had access to the Temple or to God's presence. Who celebrated Sukkot during the time of Ezra-Nehemiah? Only the returnees, the Jewish people (Ezra 3:1-4; Nehemiah 6:72b-8:18).

But is that the fulness of what God promised through His prophets or is there another line in the song that makes up the whole? Yeshua, taking from Isaiah's prophecy (Isaiah 56:6–8 – read this one!), says in Mark 11:17, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be a house of prayer for all the nations'?"  Even then, was this expectation met while Yeshua walked the earth? No, but will He bring His words to pass? You better believe it. It will happen when we all join in the song of Moses and of the Lamb:

Great and wonderful are Your deeds,

    Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot!

Just and true are Your ways,

    O King of the nations!

Who shall not fear and glorify Your name, O Lord?

    For You alone are Holy.

All the nations shall come and worship before You,

    for Your righteous acts have been revealed!

—Revelation 15:3-4

One day, the song God has been composing through the ages will be sung. All the nations will join with the Jewish people to worship the only Most Holy, for His righteous ways will finally be revealed, known and understood. Hallelujah!!!

Could it be this year? Our hope must be set on the One who made the promises. Though we may not see their fulfillment today, we have hope that the One who promised is faithful and He will bring His Word to pass. May we wait with expectant hearts for the promise of our Father.

Oh Lord haste the day when the faith shall be sight

The clouds be rolled back as a scroll

The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend

Even so it is well with my soul!

Reflection:

1. Lord, prepare me for your return! Fill me with expectancy and hope! You said, "But understand this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you don’t expect” (Luke 12:39-40).  I don't know where we are in your story exactly, but I want to be discerning of the signs of the times. May I set my heart on You and Your Kingdom so that I can join in Your forever song!
2. What do we do when what we hoped for in the way we expected it doesn’t happen? Did God's promises to us fail? Does the crush of unmet expectations and snuffed out hope mean that God cannot be trusted or that His promises are no longer true? It can be hard to see through the pain of today the hope of the future. It is difficult to imagine something better in the face of a less than hopeful reality. Still, we have the hope of the Scriptures, the promises of the One who never fails. Choose to trust Him today and look for the day when your faith will be sight!

"For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Torah of Adonai (the Law of the Lord) and to do it, and to teach its statutes and ordinances in Israel" (Ezra 7:10).

Ezra prepared His heart to seek God's Word, to do it and to teach it. Notice what this Scripture doesn't say. It doesn't say: "Ezra prepared his heart to be the leader of a great revival." Or, "Ezra prepared his heart to be well-known and respected enough for kings and people in places of authority to know and call on him for great and noble tasks."

Nope. Only, "Ezra prepared his heart to seek God's Word, to do it and to teach it."

Observe what else it doesn't say:

• Ezra prepared his heart to seek God's gifts or treasures on earth
• Ezra prepared his heart to seek God's blessings
• Ezra prepared his heart to seek God's favor

Nope. Again, "Ezra prepared his heart to seek God's Word, to do it and to teach it."

The amazing thing about it is that Ezra did in fact lead a great revival (see Nehemiah 8-10) and he was called on by a king to take up a great and noble task (Ezra 7:11-28). He was also entrusted with the treasures of God's Temple and received favor and blessing (Ezra 7), but it wasn't because he was seeking any of these things.

As I read this Scripture, I am reminded of Yeshua's words "…seek His kingdom, and these things shall be added to you" (Luke 12:31).

Ezra, as a member of the kohanim (priests) was not even seeking to be established as a priest in Israel. Remember, at this time there was no Temple. He didn't set his heart on the future of what he could become, he simply did in the present what he knew to do. He sought first God's kingdom and all these things were added to him.

Why is it important for us to seek to learn God's Word and to do and teach it? It's important because:

• When we seek His Word, we are seeking Him (John 1:1)
• His Word is exalted even above His name (Psalm 138:2)
• There is great reward in keeping His Word (Psalm 19:10-12)
• It is truth (John 17:17)
• His Word is our comfort in affliction and keeps us alive (Psalm 119:50)
• It keeps our way pure (Psalm 119:9)
• When we seek Him and His Kingdom, everything else we need will be added to us (Luke 12:31)
• Those who do His Word are blessed (Psalm 1:1-3; Luke 11:28)
• Those who do His Word are like those who build their house upon the Rock and they will not be shaken (Luke 6:46-48)

Once we learn His Word, He'll empower us to do His Word. Once we do His Word, we'll be able to teach it, and by the very act of teaching His Word we'll learn more about His Word and how to do it. This is a cycle worth repeating!

I must ask myself then, what things am I seeking? Am I seeking to be known or approved by others? Am I seeking to do something great for God or to have an abundance of gifts, blessing and favor? Am I seeking earthly treasures instead of heavenly ones? If I answer honestly, the answer is often yes. But it doesn't have to be. In this season more than ever, in order to have a sure hope, we must seek His Word. In it is life and all that we need.

Lord, I want to prepare my heart to seek your Word. You said, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Luke 12:34).  Please help me, by Your Spirit, to clear out of the way anything that is taking first place in my life and heart above Your Word. Make learning and doing your Word my highest goal so that I may be truly blessed and be able to teach others about You.

Reflection:

Take inventory of your heart today and ask God for a heart to seek Him and His Word, to do it and to teach it. You will be blessed and be a blessing.

“Therefore tell them, thus says Adonai-Tzva'ot, 'Return to Me' – it is a declaration of Adonai-Tzva'ot – 'and I will return to you,' says Adonai-Tzva'ot.”

—Zechariah 1:3

The prophets had spoken to the Jewish people of Judah and now as exiles in Babylon:

• Return to Jerusalem! Check 
• Rebuild the Temple! Check
• Return to the Lord! Check

Things are looking good for the Jewish people of the 5th and 6th centuries. Better than they've looked in a long time.

Yet by the time we reach the end of Ezra-Nehemiah, things start to tank. The exiles have returned to Jerusalem, yes, but because of their behavior Nehemiah fears the will be kicked out once again (Nehemiah 13:18). Though they renewed the covenant to return to the Lord and keep His commandments, observe the Shabbat, not intermarry with those who served other gods and not to neglect the Temple, all of their promises come up empty and are broken once again.

Now that's disappointing. This is the place on the page when our hope starts to dwindle. What does this mean regarding the promises of God? Are the words of the prophets powerless? Were they even true? Before we go down that road, remember that the words God gave to His prophets often told about events in the current time, near future and a time even further in the future. They are always pointing us forward, but what were they pointing us forward to?

Jeremiah 31: 30-33 gives us a glimpse:

“Behold, days are coming”

—it is a declaration of Adonai—

“when I will make a new covenant

with the house of Israel

and with the house of Judah—

not like the covenant

I made with their fathers

in the day I took them by the hand

to bring them out of the land of Egypt.

For they broke My covenant,

though I was a husband to them.”

it is a declaration of Adonai.

“But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days”

—it is a declaration of Adonai—

“I will put My Torah within them.

Yes, I will write it on their heart.

I will be their God

and they will be My people.

No longer will each teach his neighbor

or each his brother, saying: ‘Know Adonai,’

for they will all know Me,

from the least of them to the greatest.”

it is a declaration of Adonai.

“For I will forgive their iniquity,

their sin I will remember no more.”

A new covenant. Great! They just entered into a new covenant in Nehemiah 10. Yes, well basically they committed again to keeping the covenant God gave them through Moses, which they never had great success at keeping. And let's be honest here, neither have we.

So, what is Jeremiah talking about, “a renewed covenant?” No, He says, a NEW covenant, not like Moses' covenant. A covenant, the terms of which are that I will take their sins and remember them no more and I will write my Law on their hearts. Not one where I throw out the Law but now I engrave it on their hearts by my Spirit and empower them to do it. But there is one thing more they need, a NEW HEART.

We know that Jeremiah was speaking of the work of Yeshua here, right? He was the Messiah, the deliverer who would come and accomplish for His people what they couldn't accomplish for themselves. He would take their hearts of stone and give them a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). Good, so this is the end of the story, right?

Oh, and one more thing, "No longer will each teach his neighbor or each his brother, saying, ‘Know Adonai, for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest’" (Jeremiah 31:33). Hmmm…that doesn't sound like the way things are now, does it? We still have teachers and are still learning from them about who God is, aren't we? Yeshua said, "The Holy Spirit will teach you everything and remind you of everything that I said to you" (John 14:26).  Still, Paul reminds us that we only know in part (1 Corinthians 13:9). Now you may ask, are you sure Jeremiah 31 wasn't completely fulfilled when Yeshua came? My friends, don't forget that the story doesn't end with Yeshua's first coming. He is returning to establish His forever Kingdom. In Revelation 21:3, John points us to a future time when God is with us as our light. We definitely won't need anyone to teach us then, will we? We will all know Him for He will be in our midst!

Let's look again. After Yeshua ascended to Heaven (Acts 1:9), what events followed that He predicted (Luke 21:24)? Fast-forward to 70 A.D. The Temple was destroyed, and the Jewish people were once again exiled, only this time we called it "dispersed."  Then what began to happen in the 20th century? Jewish people began to return to the Land promised to Abraham after one of the greatest atrocities in human history, the Holocaust. The State of Israel is reborn in 1948 and Jerusalem becomes the fledgling nation’s capital in 1967 (Isaiah 66:8, Ezekiel 37:1-14). But I thought the words of these prophets were foretelling the return of Jewish exiles from Babylon. Yes. Were they also speaking of a future exile and return? Yes. Remember 3-part harmony from Day 1 of this devotional series? God's plan is always layers deep, a beautiful tapestry of sound, so much deeper than we're discussing even now.

Here is the 3-part harmony we're hearing in this section of the Ezra-Nehemiah story:

• Return to the Land
• Return to Me
• I'll return to you

Return to Me and I'll return to You. The Lord was speaking this to the Jews coming out of exile. He was saying it in 1948. He is still speaking this to Jewish people today. When will Yeshua return and fill Jerusalem with His glory? In essence, He says, I will return to Jerusalem, when Israel returns to Me and says, "Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord" (Matthew 23:39).

Reflection:

1. Have you ever thought about Jesus returning to the earth when the Jewish people return to Him? What does that stir up in you?
2. Ask the Lord to reveal His heart to you for His people to return to Him.

Hope implies an expectation of something good. When you and I hope for something, we have at least a slight expectation that it will happen. When it comes to our faith, hope is the confident expectation that what God has promised will come to pass, and the strength of our hope rests in His faithfulness alone.

There have always been seasons of hope and expectation in the history of Israel, and they have often been sandwiched in the midst of troublesome times. We've seen this in the story of Ezra-Nehemiah and we see it now.

We have been in a season of expectation, not only in 2020, but right now on the biblical calendar. This is a time referred to as the counting of the Omer. It is the span of days between Passover and Pentecost (Hebrew = Shavuot) when God reminds His people to count 49 days until the day of the wheat harvest, which would occur on the 50th day. On that day, the Jewish people were then to bring an offering to the Lord of the first fruits from their harvest (Leviticus 23:15-22).  It was a time of waiting and expectation for the harvest yet to come. Tonight, at sunset begins that appointed time on God's calendar, and this should fill our hearts with hope and expectation!

But why?  As Believers in Jesus in the 21st century, how can counting up toward a wheat harvest festival hold any significance for us?

Traditionally, Shavuot commemorates the day God gave His teaching, instruction and commandments (The Torah) through Moses to His people Israel (Exodus 19-Leviticus). In unity, the people were gathered together at the base of the mountain when the awesome presence of the Lord descended on Mount Sinai in fire, and the people were covered in a blanket of smoke as His presence ascended like the smoke of a furnace. The mountain shook as God drew Moses to climb it in order to cut a covenant with His people, setting them apart for Himself as He is set apart, and then Moses came down to speak God's words to His people. The people waited for Moses to come down from the mountain with God's words for them.

We also remember Shavuot as the day of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and power upon the disciples (Acts 2). That too was an awesome day. After waiting and counting the Omer, on day 50, the sound of a mighty rushing wind filled the place where they were waiting with expectation for the "promise of the Father," though they didn't know exactly what to expect. Tongues like fire rested on the heads of those who were gathered in unity, and then, suddenly, new, unlearned languages poured forth from their lips, as they declared the praises of Adonai to the Jews from many surrounding nations who were gathered in Jerusalem for the pilgrimage Feast of Shavuot! A great harvest followed, though this time, not of wheat, but of people, just as Yeshua, Jesus, had promised!

Those are two examples of significant events that occurred on Shavuot. Perhaps we've just uncovered another melody and harmony line in God's prophetic song. But what about the 3rd voice? Where is the string of notes that rounds out this piece and brings it to its peak, its fulness, a beautiful conclusion?

We are living in unprecedented times, and none of us knows what tomorrow holds. I can hardly keep straight if I'm supposed to stay inside except to go outside and if I go outside, should I wear a mask and gloves? Yes, a mask, but that will only protect others if I'm sick and gloves yes, but if I touch something that has COVID on it and then touch something else that someone else eventually touches and then gets sick, will my efforts have been in vain? Such a balagan! (Hebrew for chaos or a state of extreme confusion or disorder)

And so, how in the world with all this craziness, how are we to be thinking about what God might do on Shavuot this year? Well, it just might be worth our while since we're in a holding pattern of waiting. And, after all, we are called to lay aside the distractions of this world and set our minds on things above where we are truly seated with Him in heavenly places (Luke 8:14; Colossians 3:2-4).

Let's review what we know about significant events in the history of our faith that have occurred on appointed days on God's calendar. The death of Jesus happened on Passover. His resurrection? On first fruits. His ascension? During the Counting of the Omer. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit? Shavuot. Doesn't it make you curious about what might be in the mind of our awesome God during this season, and in particular, as we approach this Shavuot 2020?  Could we be entering the future time spoken of by Paul in Romans 11 when all Israel shall be saved, the times of the Gentiles is fulfilled and the return of Yeshua nearer than when we first believed? Yikes - that's a lot to ponder! Still, the Jewish people at the base of Mount Sinai couldn't possibly have pictured what God would do for them on a certain Shavuot in the future either, I'd venture (Acts 2). So, is it any wonder why we would have a hard time seeing it now?

As we return to God's story of hope and expectation found in Ezra-Nehemiah, let us listen ever so intently and so that we might zoom out from the small brush strokes our Creator has used since the beginning of time to view the broader picture of His story, the full measure of His song. May we glimpse the unbridled object of His affection and the great lengths to which He will go to recapture the love and obedience of the human heart. Who knows, we just might find another reason to have high expectations in this season.

Prayer: Abba, today, please plant in me an expectation for what You plan to do in this season. Please prepare my heart and ready my spirit for this season’s harvest and for Your return, revealing to me the role you have for me to play in it.

Reflection

1. Has your heart become discouraged and your spirit dull as you've waited for the promise of your Father? Ask the Lord to come heal those places of your heart today and give you eyes to see what He sees, the overarching plan of how He is causing all things to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Write down for the record how He encourages you to raise your expectations and set your eyes on Him.
2. How can you reach out to someone today – a neighbor, stranger, friend or family member – and encourage them to put their trust in the Hope of the Scriptures and the Author of their pages? There is no promise God has given to His people Israel and to the Nations that has not or will not come to pass. This is good news and can give others a sure expectation of the future when they put their trust in Him!

Click to learn more about what the significance of Shavuot/Pentecost and why it's important for Believers in Jesus in the 21st century: https://www.jewishvoice.org/read/blog/between-passover-and-pentecost-waiting-expectation-w-pastor-mike-rabbi-joshua

“Now in the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, in order to accomplish the word of Adonai from the mouth of Jeremiah, Adonai stirred up the spirit of King Cyrus of Persia…” (Ezra 1:1).

Ancient Israel had a hope: to return to the Land God had promised to give her. Yet, she had been in exile in Babylon for so long that I’m sure the hope of many began to wane, if not completely disappear. Those who were old enough to have witnessed it told the story to their children and grandchildren. Family members and friends died in the siege, homes were taken, all of our livelihood was destroyed, we were led away in shame and humiliation, a defeated people, into the land of our captors, and our beloved city Jerusalem still lies in ruins. Yet, here they were – in Babylon. They could not just get up and leave. They were being held captive by a force more powerful than they. Even so, by seeking the peace of Babylon as instructed (Jeremiah 29:7), many had grown accustomed to the new lives they now lived and had forgotten “home.”

Many, but not all. An exiled Jewish man in Babylon searches the books of the controversial prophet Jeremiah and uncovers a prediction: “the number of the years for the fulfilling of the desolation of Jerusalem would be 70 years” (Jeremiah 25:11-14; 29:10,11).

After a few quick mental calculations, realizing that the time is near, he drops to his knees and begins to cry out to the God of his fathers, fasting and sitting in sackcloth and ashes, asking forgiveness for him and his people who have rebelled and turned away from the Fountain of Living Waters. He acknowledges God's justice and that their punishment is deserved. After confessing Israel's sins and unfaithfulness to the Lord, he then begins to proclaim God's faithfulness despite them, and asks God to hear, forgive, listen and act for His own sake, because of His great compassions and for His city and His own people who are called by His name. He's interrupted mid-sentence as a presence enters His room. A messenger of God, Gabriel, announces that since the moment he began to pray, his prayer was heard (See Daniel 9:1-23).

What follows this prayer? Let's go back to Ezra-Nehemiah where the fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy begins to unfold. God’s Spirit stirs the hearts of pagan kings to send His people back to Jerusalem with blessing and abundance (Ezra 1:1). Temple treasures are restored, and men are selected to lead the exiles who desire to go home. Enter Sheshbazzar, Zerubabbel and Jeshua, then Ezra, and later Nehemiah. At the precise time the Lord placed on His calendar, the exiles return in three stages, and three milestones occur: the second Temple is built and dedicated, the people recommit to following the Torah and enter into a covenant with the Lord, and Jerusalem’s city walls are repaired.

Can you imagine the initial scene? What would it be like to receive word from your country’s highest ruler: I’ve just heard from the God of Israel and I want you to return to your homeland and worship freely. Here’s money to do that. Oh and here’s the plane tickets. What else do you need? It’s yours. Go in peace. Your God is the One true God.  Talk about hope fulfilled! No more sheltering in place! Take the journey, cross the borders and enter freely without fear.

Israel’s hope was finally being fulfilled and becoming reality! "The Return" had finally begun.

But what were the exiles returning to? Could they see beyond the tremendous work that lay before them to the hope of better things than they had in Babylon?

After all, life in Babylon had become the new normal. After 50+ years, the 2nd and 3rd generation of Jews born in Babylon could not even imagine what times were like before this. They couldn't relate to the full pain of the exile and captivity as their grandparents and great grandparents could. Jerusalem was not a distant memory for them; it was simply a memory that didn't exist. They had never been "home," nor did they necessarily long for it.

But for many of the aged and elderly who waited for the promises of God through His prophets to be fulfilled, the announcement of "the Return" to Jerusalem ignited their hopeful hearts while likely causing concern about how the tired tents of their physical bodies could accomplish such a task. Yet perhaps… just maybe… God would stir the hearts of the younger generation of Babylonian Jews to return home just as He stirred the heart of the pagan King Cyrus to send them home. Thankfully, the Lord God did just that. "…everyone whose spirit God had stirred up – arose to go up to build the House of Adonai in Jerusalem" (Ezra 1:5).

As Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and then Daniel all foretold, even after a time of hopelessness and seeming abandonment into the hands of their enemies, the God of their fathers would not abandon the Jewish people, but would make good on His promises.  He would restore them to the Land according to His promise to Abraham (Genesis 17:8, 21:12; Jeremiah 29:10,11)!  God's Presence would fill a new Temple! (Ezekiel 40-48)  God's Kingdom would rule over all the Nations (Isaiah 2; Zech 8)!  And as if that wasn't enough (dayenu!), He would send His Messiah, even giving them clues as to Who He would be, the exact timing of His coming and His Return! (Isaiah 11 and 53; Daniel 9:23-27)

This was a season of expectation, and hopes were high! There had to be a stirring up of these words in their hearts. Perhaps this is the time! Or was this simply one line in the song God that was singing over His people? Were the prophets speaking of another time as well, of a new Jerusalem, when our Messiah returns and establishes His Kingdom over all the nations of the earth?

Let's return with them to find out…

Reflection:

1. God alone has the power to stir the hearts of kings and those in authority, and prayer has the power to reveal God’s plan to us so that we can partner with Him (See Daniel 9:23 and Psalm 25:14). Do you believe God can stir up the spirit of the leader of your nation to accomplish His word?  Why or why not?  Today, let’s ask the Lord to stir up our faith in the place of prayer, both for our leaders and for our own expectation that His plans will be accomplished in our world.
2. Jerusalem, not Babylon, has always been the promised home of the Jewish people, and for all those who trust in Yeshua, both Jew and Gentile, we know that one day He will return to make Jerusalem new and establish His forever Kingdom.  Ask yourself: How might I be caught up in the "new normal" of this world and thus distracted from the hope of my true home, just like ancient Israel was from theirs?
3. Many Jews in Babylon may have feared to leave their comfortable lifestyles to go to a broken down city and sanctuary and take up the daunting task of rebuilding.  Ask the Lord to reveal any fear in your heart about leaving this earth and its treasures behind for the world to come and the most Treasured One.  Ask Him to fill you with hope, joy and peace as you build your life upon the Rock that is unshakeable and eternal.

For thus says Adonai: “After 70 years for Babylon are complete, I will visit you, and fulfill My good word toward you – to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans that I have in mind for you,” declares Adonai, “plans for shalom and not calamity – to give you a future and a hope.

—Jeremiah 29:10-11

God's plans for His people are often deeper than we know or can figure out, but they are not a mystery to Him. He knows them, and He knows them well.

Speaking to those who would go into exile, God gave Jeremiah prophetic words of hope to sustain them.  …"I will visit you, and fulfill my good word toward you – to bring you back to this place" (Jeremiah 29?10).  I am sure these words seemed like a slap in the face at the time. After all, they were in the midst of a war they wouldn't win and were about to be killed or carried off as slaves to a foreign land. Yet, here was God, giving them a hope to hold onto if they would only believe Him.  The problem was, the plans He had in mind for them weren't clear to them and didn't make sense in their minds. To them, it was a cacophony of words, jumbled notes, an indistinct melody.

I love to sing. But do you know what I love more than that? To sing in a choir! The layering of voice parts blends together to make such a full and beautiful sound that any music lover would be lifted up onto their toes in delight! So rich, full, complete!

Let's take a choir's many parts and break it down into 3-part harmony for a minute. For the sake of our exercise, let's use the voice parts of 1st Soprano, 2nd Soprano and Alto. A typical melody line for each of these voice parts looks a little different. Usually the highest voice (1st Soprano) carries the melody. Theirs is the part of the song that comes out the strongest and most clearly. It's usually the one that captures our attention first and is the one we most often try to sing along with. That is because their melody line is memorable.

The second voice part (2nd Soprano) carries a harmony line that is not too far below the 1st soprano's melody, and it adds another layer and depth to it. This line can be harder to pick out in a song, but it often has just as much melodic movement in it as the top voice part and complements it beautifully.

Then, there's the Alto, the third voice part in our example. Uniquely, the alto's melody line typically doesn't have much movement at all. Most altos go through an entire song sounding out the same notes below the beautiful and flourishing melody line up above, in order to offer a foundation for the song so the other parts can shine. The alto line is not as distinguishable, but like the 2nd Soprano, it provides a harmony line that complements the melody, adding yet another layer.

Each part is unique. One part doesn't usually know the other's part, they simply know and sing their own. But when each sings its line and it combines with the others, what a glorious, sweet sound they make!

When it comes to the story line of the Bible, we will hear melodies and harmonies while the voices of the prophets contribute their lines to the song of the ages.

Our God is the Master Composer. The intricacies He has purposefully arranged on His grand scale of time are often indistinguishable to the human ear, unless we strain to hear.

As we journey through the story of Ezra-Nehemiah in the days ahead, listen in for a pattern, a 3-part harmony, as God composes another movement in His song through the mouths of His prophets. See if you can make out the sounds of:

1. A melody line which gives a clear sound of the present and near future
2. A harmony line that rings out future events
3. And yet another harmony line speaking of a future era when time as we know it will be no more, but we enter the space of eternity

It is in the blend of these voice parts that the sound becomes deeper and more richly layered, having the ability to lift our spirits to glorious heights.

The book of Ezra-Nehemiah (two books in our English Bible/one book in the Hebrew Bible) tells the story of the Jewish people coming out of exile, returning to Jerusalem and rebuilding the Temple and the city's walls. These events were prophesied by Jeremiah and others. This is our melody line. The harmonies underneath it, through the words of the prophets, point us to yet "another day of hope."

For I know the plans that I have in mind for you,” declares Adonai, “plans for shalom and not calamity – to give you a future and a hope" (Jeremiah 29:11). What is the future hope spoken by the prophets?

May we keep our ears attuned to the 3-part harmony of heaven, arranged by our Master Composer in the story of Ezra-Nehemiah.

"He who has ears to hear, let him hear" (Matthew 11:15).

Reflection:

Ask the Lord to tune your ears to hear His words and the song of Heaven today, tuning out any distractions that keep you from believing His words about a future and a hope.