Ornament: A stone wall
After the Israelites returned to their home land, the prophet Nehemiah was allowed also to return to the people of Judah in the city of Jerusalem, and allowed to rebuild the walls which protected the city. He also helped the Israelites remember their promises to the Lord.
Nehemiah is allowed to return to Jerusalem - needing special permission from the King because he is a prophet. The Babylonians had destroyed the city and tore down the walls that had served as protection for the people living inside them. Nehemiah was a very influential leader, and was able to gather together enough people to rebuild the walls around the entire city. The walls needed to be high and thick, and were made out of heavy stone that needed to be gathered and sorted, but Nehemiah had them finish the walls within 52 days!
While they were rebuilding the walls Nehemiah got to know the Israelites and realized how still far away from the Lord they were. So after the city's stone walls were finished, the prophet began to work on restoring the people of Israel to the ways of the Lord.
He did this by reading to them from the stories about the Lord, (much like what we have read this Advent) to remind them of their history and all that God the Father had done for them. He had them stand when he read from the books, and then they would sit and listen to him explain what the readings were about. The people would say "Amen" after the readings, and then bow and kneel in prayer.
As Nehemiah explained these readings, the people would begin to cry - they realized how they had rejected the Lord and his covenant, and how they had rejected the love that the Father had for them. But Nehemiah told them not to cry, but to make the day holy and a celebration instead. He called for them to make a feast of delicious food and sweet drinks and to rejoice in the Lord's love.
Connection & Reflection: The stone wall of Jerusalem was in need of repair, but it shows us also how the people of Israel needed repair as well. Their protection had been in the Lord and following his commandments which had given them strength and happiness, but they had forgotten that and so their protection, like the wall, had fallen away. Nehemiah helps them with baby steps to think about God's love for them and how his commandments could help them in their lives. Do you see a similarity between what Nehemiah did with reading scripture and feasting that we also do today?
Prayer: Father we know that you are made us each specially and that your commandments help us to be the best version of ourselves, but also to be close to you and to love you. Thank you for creating us in a time when we can look back on all that you have done for us to remember how much you love us. Help us to remember also how much we as individuals are loved, so that we can learn to love you better in return.
Conclude with your favorite family prayer, or an Our Father, Hail Mary & Glory Be.
No comments:
Post a Comment