Dem Come Back House

One big crowd dey stand among di ruins of Jerusalem. Trumpets dey blow. Cymbals dey clash. Young people dey shout for joy. Old people dey cry loud. And di noise big reach say nobody fit know which one be which.

Many years before, di armies of Babylon don destroy Jerusalem. Dem burn di temple wey Solomon build, carry im gold and silver go, and march di people of Judah go exile. For Babylon, one whole generation grow up far from house. But di prophet Jeremiah don make one promise from God. After seventy years, God go bring im people back. Now Babylon imself don fall. One new king dey rule di world. Im name na Cyrus of Persia.

For di first year of im reign, di book of Ezra talk, Di Lord stir di spirit of Cyrus. So Cyrus send out one announcement, for writing, for im whole kingdom. Di Lord, di God of heaven, don give me all di kingdoms of di earth, and e don tell me make I build am house for Jerusalem. Anybody among una wey be im people fit go up and build am. And everybody else, help dem with silver and gold, goods and animals, and gifts for di house of God. Imagine to hear dat announcement for market. After all dose years. You fit go back house.

No be everybody go. Some don build dem life for Babylon. But plenty go, everybody wey God stir dem spirit. Dem neighbours load dem with gifts. And then something wonderful happen. Cyrus bring out di treasures wey Nebuchadnezzar carry from di temple long time ago. Gold dishes, silver bowls, knives, basins. One treasurer count dem give Sheshbazzar, di leader of Judah. Five thousand four hundred pieces altogether. Ezra list di families wey make di long journey, more than forty-two thousand people, with dem servants and singers, dem horses, mules, camels and donkeys. Na one whole nation dey road dey go house.

Dem settle for dem towns. Then, for di seventh month, di people gather for Jerusalem as one. Temple never dey, na only rubble. But di priest Jeshua and di leader Zerubbabel no wait. Dem build di altar of God on top im old foundation. Dem dey fear di peoples wey dey live around dem, di Bible talk, but dem still build am. And morning and evening, di smoke of offerings rise again for Jerusalem. Dem keep di Feast of Tabernacles, just as di law of Moses talk. Dem hire stonemasons and carpenters, and dem order cedar wood from Lebanon, wey dem float for sea along di coast reach Joppa, just as e be for Solomon temple.

For di second year, di work start. When di builders lay di foundation of di temple, di priests stand for dem robes with trumpets. Di Levites stand with cymbals. And dem sing, one side dey answer di other. E good. Im love dey last forever. Di whole crowd shout one big shout. But some of di old priests and leaders don see di first temple with dem own eyes, before e burn. As dem dey look dis new foundation, dem cry loud. Joy and sorrow, side by side. Di sound reach far far.

For eighteen seventy-nine, dem dig one clay cylinder from di ruins of Babylon, wey cuneiform writing cover. E dey di British Museum now, and dem dey call am di Cyrus Cylinder. Inside am, Cyrus describe how e capture Babylon, and e talk say e return gods and peoples to dem homeland and e repair dem holy places. E no ever mention di Jews. But historians talk say e show di same kind policy wey di book of Ezra describe.

Dem Come Back House. You go find am for di book of Ezra, chapter one reach three. God don promise im people say dem go return, and di most powerful king for di world become part of how God keep dat promise. Di new beginning small, and some people cry for wetin dem don lose. But dem still start. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Which small new beginning you fit thank God for dis week?