Old Testament | Ezekiel 39:21-29 (with Nick Locke)

Opening Song:
Restore Us Again by Paul Zach, featuring Liz Vice

Lyrics:
We longed for Egypt in the wilderness
A kingdom made of dust
Built an idol out of happiness
A paradise of rust

We lost all the meaning
Drowned out the feeling
Our hearts barely beating

Restore us again God of our salvation
Revive us again in Your unfailing love
Restore us again God of our salvation
Revive us again in Your unfailing love

We have trusted in the meaningless
And chased a life of ease
Now we wander in the shadow lands
Where comfort is our king

Holy Spirit bring us life once again
Holy Spirit lead our hearts back to You
Holy Spirit bring us life once again
Holy Spirit lead our hearts back to You

Passage:
“And I will set my glory among the nations, and all the nations shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid on them. 22 The house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God, from that day forward. 23 And the nations shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity, because they dealt so treacherously with me that I hid my face from them and gave them into the hand of their adversaries, and they all fell by the sword. 24 I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their transgressions, and hid my face from them.

The Lord Will Restore Israel
25 “Therefore thus says the Lord God: Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on the whole house of Israel, and I will be jealous for my holy name. 26 They shall forget their shame and all the treachery they have practiced against me, when they dwell securely in their land with none to make them afraid, 27 when I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them from their enemies' lands, and through them have vindicated my holiness in the sight of many nations. 28 Then they shall know that I am the Lord their God, because I sent them into exile among the nations and then assembled them into their own land. I will leave none of them remaining among the nations anymore. 29 And I will not hide my face anymore from them, when I pour out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, declares the Lord God.”

Musical Reflection:
O Lord, Hear My Prayer by Jacques Berthier

Reflection Notes:
This song from the Taizé community contains a series of pleas: “O Lord, hear my prayer, O Lord, hear my prayer; when I call, answer me.” The repeated notes emphasize the insistence of the sung prayer, while the descending lines indicate a deep, almost despairing desire to connect.

Prayer:
I pray, O God, pour out upon me your Holy Spirit—the Spirit of prayer—that I may ever love and desire to pray; being daily free to approach you, with all confidence in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ; to bow before you in every time of need, as a child well beloved, O most beloved Father, you who are really a Father unto all your children in heaven and on earth. Grant that I may always lift up unto you holy hands, without fear or doubt, and in full assurance that all my prayers and sighs which come from the heart, are truly heard. Grant also that when my help delays I shall be patient, not dictating to you either time or measure, but to wait and abide your own good time; for you have pleasure in them that fear and put their trust in your mercy. Finally, O God, rule and remind me by your Holy Spirit that I may daily and frequently meditate upon the hour of my death and be momentarily prepared, while I pray sincerely for a blessed departure hence. Amen.
-William Loehe