What were they to do?
Prophets from God told them to wait patiently, for one day their kingdom would be restored, and one day that kingdom would gain the king that would make it an unending kingdom which cannot be defeated.
The people of God were told of a valley of bones which were resurrected. They were told to wait patiently for the action of God which would bring them redemption. They were told of a future king. They were spoken to by God.
For the people of Israel had been exiled from their home. They had no kingdom, no land, no territory, no power, no home. They had no place to go to for rest, for worship, for safety. They were exiles living in the lands around them or living in a place they used to call home but was now overrun with the banners of a new kingdom. But they still had God and the promise of a future King.
Their kingdom was to come, their Lord's will was to be done.
In their exile, a new king took over the exiled people of Israel. Cyrus was his name, and he issued a decree, at the beckoning of God, to send the exiles back home to renew their temple and worship their God. He had set them free by defeating King Nebuchadnezzar, the captor of Israel.
Cyrus was to Israel as Jesus is to the world. He saved them, redeemed them, gave them freedom to worship in their home. The new life he offered is only a small picture, though, of the redeemed kingdom life that Jesus has won for us. Our King Jesus, who has defeated death by his resurrection, gives us a life that is resurrected from the former life lived by the people of God. We live as we are in his Kingdom, which is indeed where we are.
Our King is Jesus, and he urges us to live with him, in his home, now. He urges us to bring the reality of his kingdom to all. By baptism, by discipleship, by faith. Jesus, our resurrected King, saves us from the exile of sin, sorrow, torment, and hopelessness. Our new life is life, for it is focused on the second-by-second glory of our God.
The people of Israel were allowed to return home from their exile. We, the people of God whom he has saved from our exile from his presence, brings us into his presence. That is where we are every moment. Our King is resurrected, present, and mighty. May his name and his joys be ever present on our hearts, minds, souls, and by our strength to carry forth his name.
We are home. We are with our King.
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