THE ROYAL LAW OF RESTORATION

“When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion,

We were like those who dream.

Then our mouth was filled with laughter,

And our tongue with singing

Then they said among the nations,

“The Lord has done great things for them.”

The Lord has done great things for us,

And we are glad” (Ps 126)

This Psalm describes the joy of the exiles coming back home. Historically, this is what happened. King Belshazzar of Babylon provoked God when he used the holy vessels that his father carried from the Temple of Jerusalem for selfish purposes. He was killed that night and the Persians took over Babylon. Later, the great king Cyrus of Persia changes his mind and decides to give freedom to all the prisoners of war in former Babylon. In particular, he shows great favor to the Jews, helping them to go back to Israel and to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. He contributes money and resources for this mighty work to be accomplished. Three main groups of Jews leave Babylon (now Persia). The first group was led by Zerubbabel. He was sent to rebuild the Temple of God in Jerusalem. The second group was led by Ezra, whose duty was to go back and restore the Word of God so that the people become strong again.  The third group was led by Nehemiah whose work was to rebuild the city of Jerusalem.

*This is a great spiritual lesson: For a backslider, the first thing to do (is not to deal with his sins, for they are too many anyway…) is to invite back the presence of God the Holy Spirit. He needs to be filled with the Holy Spirit. That is like building the temple for God. All things are not as important as “hosting and settling” God back into your spirit. The second thing is to start feeding of the Word of God. This has to be a daily clear sacrificial labor of love. Lastly, you need to prepare the visible structures: looking for a good living church, making friends with true believers and all. This is the holy royal road of spiritual maturity: The Spirit—the Word—the Church. I assure you that it has been proven to be true by many pilgrims who have walked the road of faith to heaven!

This law applies not only to the backslider but to all things that need restoration: your quiet time with God, your marriage or your relationships.

Prodigals, come Home! Your Father is waiting for you!