Episode 54 – Restoration and Recovery Part 1

Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The goal of Anchored by Truth is to encourage everyone to grow in the Christian faith by anchoring themselves to the secure truth found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God.

Script: (Bible quotes from the New American Standard Bible)

Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; Save me and I will be saved, For You are my praise. 

Jeremiah, Chapter 17, verse 14, New American Standard Bible

You who have shown me many troubles and distresses will revive me again, and will bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

Psalm 71, verse 20, New American Standard Bible

For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law. Then he said to them, “Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

Nehemiah, Chapter 8, verses 9 and 10, New American Standard Bible

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VK: Hello. I’m Victoria K. Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. I’m here today with RD Fierro, author and founder of Crystal Sea Books. Several episodes ago we began a series we called Victory over the Virus to help people understand how the Bible can help them overcome the trials and tribulations that accompany life in our fallen creation. Last week we had thought we would conclude that series and begin a series that we’ve been wanting to get to: a discussion of fulfilled prophecy. Well, just to prove that we’re not prophets, this week we realized that there was another topic that deserves attention as we begin to look past the initial effects of the virus on our nation and communities. So, while we had thought we might begin our discussion of prophecy this week, interestingly enough, we’re going to begin discussion of another topic so important today. RD, would you like to give us a brief preview?

RD: I’d love to. During our discussions this week we realized that, as people all around the nation and the world start to look past the immediate crisis, the next phase that we’re all going to confront is what we’re calling restoration and recovery. And unsurprisingly, that’s a subject that the Bible addresses frequently. I say, unsurprisingly, because naturally an omniscient God is going to know that there are going to be hard times in the lives of his people and that as important as it is to shepherd His people through those times, it’s going to be equally important to help them find recovery and restoration as they start to emerge from the deepest part of the valley. And fortunately for us, the Bible gives us a number of examples of times when the Lord guided His people through recovery from events that are at least as traumatic as the ones we’ve just experienced.

VK: Right. And you’ve said that today, as an illustration, as of one of those times of recovery you want to take a look. the post-exilic period in ancient Israel’s history. To briefly set the stage, this is the period in Israel’s history that occurred after the nation of Judah had endured 70 of years of exile primarily under Babylonian control. And, just a quick note about prophecy, the length and place of the exile had been prophesied by the prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah, chapter 29 verse 10. “For thus says the LORD, ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place.’ ” And a different prophet, Isaiah, prophesied about how the Jews deliverance from exile would be accomplished: by the decree of a king named Cyrus.

RD: Yes. And history records that that’s exactly what happened. The Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar conquered the nation of Judah around 605 B.C. and then in 539 B.C. the Persian king, Cyrus, conquered Babylon. Cyrus was a very capable ruler and he wanted his empire to be peaceful and prosperous. So, as part of his plan to consolidate his control over areas he conquered Cyrus allowed people who had been deported from their homeland to return to them. He was probably motivated, at least in part, by a belief that was widespread in those days that every land and nation had their own god and that those gods were happiest when they were being properly worshipped. So, it’s likely that Cyrus thought that by allowing the Jews to return to their homeland that would help pacify the Jews’ god and, in turn, make that god more favorable to him, Cyrus. So, even though it’s likely that Cyrus wasn’t really a believer in the one true God, that doesn’t mean God couldn’t use Him as a part of bringing His plans to fruition.

VK: Well, God, the real God, can and does use a lot of different means to accomplish His purposes. So, He could easily use even an erroneous belief system to still achieve His goals – in this case the restoration of the Israelites to their homeland according to the time frame He had established. Well, before we go too much farther down this path, as a part of all of us wanting to help accomplish the Lord’s goals for our day and time let’s listen to a brief message of encouragement that RD has recorded for the church. This is a message about what the church can do today to demonstrate the hope that Christ gives to a hurting world.

----- ENCOURAGEMENT TO THE CHURCH DURING THE COVID-19 PLAGUE ----

VK: I like that message because it is a good reminder that even during the midst of terrible times God wants His people to be part of extending His love to every tribe, tongue, and nation. God can use anybody for His glory, including pagan emperors, but most often He chooses to work through His people. And that’s a huge blessing to His people. It’s such a remarkable thought that the almighty, everlasting God has role for each of us to play in His plan.

RD: Amen. And this sort of brief side visit about an instance of God’s sovereignty and prophetic fulfillment helps us get back to our main subject of how God works in the lives of His people to bring about recovery and restoration as He did in post-exilic Israel. The third scripture that we heard today from the book of Nehemiah was written during the period when some of the Jews had left the place they had been living during the exile and returned to Palestine. Much of the early rebuilding work has been completed including the restoration of the wall around Jerusalem. So, Nehemiah, who was the appointed Governor at the time has all the people gather in a large open area within the walls and for several hours the people listen to their scriptures being read to them. This is obviously during a time before printing presses or other forms of mass copying so, unlike today, very few people would have their own copy of the scripture.

VK: And obviously, when we talk about their scriptures we’re only talking about what today would be a portion of what we call the Old Testament. This event is taking place hundreds of years before Jesus was born and not even all the books of the Old Testament had been completed.

RD: Excellent point. Anyway, the people have been listening to their scriptures being read and as they listen they realize how far their predecessors had departed from the Lord’s commandments. So, as so often happens when they realize the extent of their parents and grandparents sin they begin to be sad and weep. What happens next is what I find so fascinating and what I think provides several important lessons for us today.

VK: And that is...

RD: Well, contrary to how many people today think about God and the church, Nehemiah and Ezra, who was a priest, didn’t say to the people, “you should be sad and ashamed of yourselves and your ancestors.” They didn’t say that at all. Instead, they proclaimed that it was time for a feast.

VK: That is a little surprising. Today, Christians and especially Christian ministers are often caricatured in many circles as only being interested in making people feel guilty and depressed. But Nehemiah and Ezra told the people to stop weeping. In fact, they wanted the people to begin enjoying the goodness of God by enjoying good food and sweet drinks - though not what we think of sweet drinks – more like really good grape juice. So, what do we learn from that?

RD: I think we learn a number of things that have really significant implications for us as we begin our own recovery and restoration from the effects of the virus. Let’s start with the fact that Godly restoration and recovery start with, unsurprisingly, a focus on the word of God – for us that’s the Bible.

VK: Unsurprisingly? Is that your word for the day?

RD: Well, would it be a surprise if I told you yes...

VK: No. So, I agree with you that it should never be a surprise to God’s children that anything that’s good and positive starts with a focus on the word of God. So, what do you think we should learn specifically from this?

RD: Well, I think it’s noteworthy that Nehemiah and Ezra gathered the people together to have them listen to the scriptures. That’s not a bad idea for us today – for us to gather around a time of Bible reading. For a lot of people it may be that the only time there is a time of congregate scripture reading is when they go to church. But it’s probably not a bad idea to figure out how we can do more of that, either in Bible studies when we can all get back together, or even in our families until then.

VK: That makes sense. Recovery and restoration are gifts from God so if we want to experience His blessing it makes sense that we should start out by seeking His mind and heart. And the Bible, which is the very word of God, is the only place we can go to know that. So, what’s next?

RD: I think it’s important to note the people’s reaction to hearing the word. Hearing the word affected them so much they started crying. To me, that’s an indication of active listening. The people didn’t just listen. They absorbed the lessons from what they were hearing enough to know that there were some things about their lives that probably needed change. Hebrews 4:12 says that the word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword and is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of our hearts. So, it’s important to not just read or listen to the Bible. We need to let it speak to our hearts and point out areas that we need to change.

VK: Yes. It’s been said that the Bible is the only book in the world that judges man rather than being judged by man. So, your point is that if we want to begin a genuine recovery and restoration for ourselves, our communities, and our nation it has to start with going to God and hearing from Him. And the only way to do that is a renewed focus on the Bible.

RD: Exactly. And then let’s see where this example from Nehemiah leads to next. The people knew that some things needed to change but Nehemiah and Ezra didn’t allow them to dwell on past failings. They reminded the people that it was time to recognize God’s holiness, starting with celebrating God’s goodness with good food and drink. This harkens back to Ecclesiastes 3:4 where the Preacher (many believe it was Solomon) says that there is a season for everything, specifically “A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance.” Nehemiah and Ezra were telling the people that it was time to move on. Now, obviously, in our present situation we need to be intelligent about how we move on, but the basic point is sound. We can’t pursue restoration and recovery if we only focus on the past, no matter how recent. We can learn and apply lessons, but just as there was a time to “tear apart” there is also a time to “sew together.” Ecclesiastes 3:7.

VK: And that seems like an imminently practical approach to our current situation. We were in the valley and we’ve walked through it. Now, it’s time to start climbing out.

RD: I like that way of putting it. All of us have been walking through one kind of valley or another. Some deeper than others. But we can’t stay in the valley forever. In Psalm 23 David said the Lord was with him as he walked through the valley. He didn’t camp there.

VK: Exactly. Now, we recognize that not everybody has extra money right now. But it seems like one of things that those who have been blessed financially right now is to patronize local restaurants that have been so heavily impacted. In fact, it might be a good idea to bring Christmas – at least part of it – forward this year. So, if you have some extra money this would be a good time to buy some gift certificates or cards from restaurants that you can give away or even save to give later in the year. The restaurants, even those that are surviving, will appreciate having some extra cash flow right now because it not only helps them with immediate needs but also prepare for a resumption of normal operations.

RD: Yes. And note that the verses from Nehemiah tell the people to take some food and drink to those who have nothing prepared. This is actually a way of saying that those who have extra should share the good things they have with the less fortunate or poor.

VK: Right. And I think that’s a critical thought. We’re not going to experience a meaningful recovery unless it’s a widespread recovery. Even if things get better for us individually, the effect will be almost meaningless if our friends, neighbors, and communities don’t also recover. So again, where possible, we should make sure that we’re watching for ways to actively share our blessings. In some cases this may mean taking food or supplies to those who can’t go get them, or maybe buying a little extra – not hoarding – and sharing it with those who are still struggling. And even if someone isn’t currently in a financial position to do anything, they can reach out and share encouragement, especially to people in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. For people who live in institutions they’ve been cut off or weeks now from their friends and support structures. Of course, for the elderly who are tech savvy enough to use a cell phone calling them is great. But a lot of the elderly may not have a cell phone, but you can still send them cards or notes. Sometimes, just knowing that others are thinking of you can be the best form of encouragement. So, we should examine how we are connecting with the Bible…

RD: And how we are letting the Bible connect with us…

VK: And how we let the Bible connect with us. We should take a fresh look at the Bible and recommit ourselves to not only personal Bible study but including how we use the Bible in group settings. We should also take some time to celebrate the Lord’s goodness to us in some kind of tangible way. It may be by enjoying a favorite food or dessert, but it doesn’t have to be with food. But we should make an effort to create a tangible way of telling us and our friends that it’s time to begin thinking and moving forward. But we must not forget that not everyone will enjoy all the blessings that we may have so we should be quick to share our physical blessings and provide abundant encouragement where it is needed.

RD: Exactly. And as we start to move forward we should remember Nehemiah’s observation that the “joy of the Lord is our strength.” We’re going to need the Lord’s wisdom and strength daily, even minute by minute, for our recovery to continue and our restoration to be complete. And we must never forget that this virus has created permanent loss for some of our friends and neighbors, so they may need more time to either grieve or find a way to cope. The Bible reminds us to weep with those who weep, so all about us there will be various forms of need. Some need to complete their weeping but others need the encouragement not to continue to dwell on the past. The Lord will give us wisdom to know which is which if we’re sincere about seeking His leading.

VK: All that seems very sensible. We should, as always, try to meet people at their point of need while we remind them – and ourselves – that recovery and restoration physically is far less likely than if we don