The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel. – Psalm 147:2

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 11, 2013): Psalm 147

The floods in Southern Alberta in late June 2013 caused more damage than any storm in the recent memory of the area. Usually a dry and arid place, the unusually heavy rains swelled the rivers and the normally dry land had no idea of what to do with the water. Some of the towns were almost wiped off of the map. And the damage to the City of Calgary was extensive. Some events that had been planned at the Saddledome – the major arena in the city and the home of the Calgary Flames Hockey Club which was filled with water to the eighth row of the bowl seating – had to be moved to different venues. And right now the hope is that the arena can be rebuilt before the start of the National Hockey League Season - which Is less than two months away. But while the Saddledome upgrades are hoped to be on the fast track – much of the rest of the flood damaged area is on a much longer schedule. The reality is that the rebuilding process seldom goes as quickly as we might like – and usually comes with many hidden problems.

 

After the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 B.C.E. Jerusalem laid empty for almost fifty years. Then the exiles slowly started to return to the city. The first group of exiles returned to Jerusalem in 538 B.C.E. under the leadership of Zerubbabel, the reigning prince of the Davidic line who would serve as the Babylonian Governor of the now Province of Judah. It would be under his leadership that the rebuilding process would begin – starting with the temple. The next group of exiles would not arrive until 457 B.C.E. with Ezra and then again in 445 and 434 B.C.E during the time of Nehemiah. The process of rebuilding that started with the temple, continued with the city and then the walls and the gates. Rebuilding from the destruction was not immediate – it took time to return Jerusalem even to a shadow of the city that it had once been.

 

For the returning exiles, the process probably seemed like the process was taking too long. In their minds they could not imagine how it could ever be complete. But the psalmist reminded the returning exiles that the rebuilding was never in their hands in the first place. It was God that was in charge of the rebuild – and all that they needed to be was obedient to the God that they served.

 

Disasters of all kinds are an ever present reality in life. Some of them might be minor problems, and others might be major catastrophes – but either way God needs to be part of the rebuild. Rebuilding takes time, and the process has challenges that we are never expecting. But God knows every part of the journey that we need to take. And he can be a big part of the rebuilding process. 

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 148