Week of Prayer, Day 2: God of History
— Meditation —
Carefully read Ezra 3v10-13 (below). This passage captures a pivotal moment in Israel’s history. After years in Babylonian exile, the people have finally returned home. Under the leadership of Zerubbabel, the priests and builders have just completed laying the foundation of the Second Temple. It’s a time of both rejoicing and renewed hope.
And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of Yahweh, the priests in their vestments came forward with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise Yahweh, according to the directions of David king of Israel. And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to Yahweh,
“For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel.”
And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised Yahweh, because the foundation of the house of Yahweh was laid.
But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ houses, old men who had seen the first house, wept with a loud voice when they saw the foundation of this house being laid, though many shouted aloud for joy, so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shout from the sound of the people’s weeping, for the people shouted with a great shout, and the sound was heard far away.
Ezra 3v10-13 (ESV)
— Devotional —
Perhaps you can relate to this scenario. A young child discovers a new passion—painting, softball, or playing a musical instrument. Excited, she asks her parents to help her learn. They sign her up for lessons. She joins a team or a band. As she improves, she invests in better equipment and develops her own style. Soon, she’s skilled enough to have opinions about her favorite painters, musicians, or athletes.
One day, she eagerly shares her thoughts with an adult who shares her interest. He listens as she talks about her dream of becoming “the best” and proudly shows him something she’s accomplished—a song she’s learned, a painting she’s finished, or a video of her hitting a double in her last game.
Then, with a wistful sigh, the man offers his own opinion. “Music isn’t what it used to be,” he says, nostalgia thick in his voice. Today’s music, he laments, is just noise—beeps and boops made by amateurs in their bedrooms, uploaded to Spotify, and somehow racking up millions of plays. Not like the ‘70s and ‘80s, when real musicians played real shows for real fans. His views on softball are similar (“I remember when we had real baseball players!”), as are his thoughts on painting (“I remember when we had real artists, not this modern-art slop!”). He finishes with a well-worn phrase: “Those were the good ol’ days.”
Meanwhile, the young girl listens in silence, counting the seconds until she can escape and get back to what she loves. When she finally walks away, a heaviness lingers. Why is she so excited about her future when this seemingly wise and knowledgeable adult is more excited about the past?
In Ezra’s day, God was moving in a powerful way. He stirred the heart of King Cyrus (Ez. 1:1) and called the people of Israel to return home and rebuild their nation, which had been devastated by the Babylonians (Ez. 1:5). Leaders like Ezra, Zerubbabel, and later Nehemiah played key roles in restoring the nation and rekindling the people’s passion for Yahweh. It was nothing short of revival and an epic fulfillment of Jeremiah’s homecoming prophecy (Jer. 25:12). By chapter 3, the new foundation of the Temple had been laid—an incredible milestone they marked with worship and celebration (v11).
But not everyone was impressed. Some of the older generation were old enough to remember Solomon’s Temple—the First Temple—and couldn’t help but compare. When they realized this new foundation was far less grand, they made their opinion known. Ezra records they “wept with a loud voice” (v12). Perhaps this included, “Temples nowadays aren’t what they used to be. I remember when we had real temples…”
We can only imagine how discouraging this was for the younger generation. They were thrilled to be literally fulfilling prophecy, eager to witness God’s Spirit moving in their nation, and gathered in joyful worship and dedication—only to have the older generation dampen their excitement. Few things stifle faith like nostalgia for the good ol’ days. Thankfully, a rising chorus of rejoicing became a defense against doubt, and in the end, hope won the day (v13).
A few years later, the prophet Haggai made a stunning claim about the coming glory of this newly constructed temple:
“And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house [i.e. the Second Temple] with glory, says Yahweh of hosts…
The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says Yahweh of hosts.”
— Haggai 2v7-9
Five centuries after Ezra, on this very foundation, a boy named Jesus of Nazareth walked, worshiped, and learned (Lk. 2:46). It was within sight of this very structure that Jesus was crucified (Heb. 13:12). Ezra’s older generation turned out to be dead wrong. Haggai’s vision—“The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former”—was fulfilled—in Christ.
Every generation must experience its own renewed stirring of God’s Spirit, and history is replete with evidence that God’s Spirit works in generation after generation. But often, we are more excited about the past than the future. We long for the “good ol’ days” rather than looking ahead with faith. The result is widespread discouragement, especially among young people who long to experience God for themselves.
Today’s prayer is about cultivating trust in the God of history. When we look back, we should be amazed at what God did in the past. And from that vantage point, we should cultivate not nostalgia but a hope-filled faith, trusting that the same God will continue his powerful work in the future.
— Prayer —
Use this guide as a prompt for a personal time of prayer with God. Take your time—don’t rush through it. Go point by point, allowing space for your own thoughts and words to flow as you pray.
[Pray out loud] God, you are the author of history.
I’ve seen it in my own life, I’ve seen it around me, and I’ve read about it in Scripture. Today, help me trust that as you worked in my past, so you will continue to work in my future.
1. Think about your own personal story. Recall some of the ways that God spoke to you, revealed his will to you, or answered a prayer. Inspired by Psalm 9v1, “remember” and “recount” these things. It would help to write them down, if you have time. Then spend a minute giving thanks for how God worked in your past.
2. Think about the people who have shaped your belief in God. Maybe it was a parent or a friend who led you to Christ. What is their history? How did they come to know God? Furthermore, reflect on other friends, a pastor, or your Community leader. How did God work in their lives in order to make them his vessels to impact you? As you reflect, you may feel a deep sense of amazement and wonder; allow those feelings to stir in your heart. Then spend a moment in quiet worship, praising the God who orchestrated all of history so that you could know him today.
3. Turn these reflections on the past into a prayerful expression of trust. Be specific with the situations you are entrusting to God. Know that God tends to work in patterns; that is, he operates today in the same ways he did in the time of Ezra and Jesus (see Heb. 13:7-8; 1 Cor. 10:6). We can count on it.
[Pray out loud] God, I’m excited about the future, because you will be there with me. You are the God of my own personal history, who worked in such a way that I could believe and walk with you. Today I put my trust in you, as I will tomorrow, the next day, and the next.
Amen.
