RETURN FROM EXILE

Return from Exile!

Hey Everyone! So excited to see you all today, let’s pray and get right into the message.

Dear, Jesus I thank you for all that you have given us. I pray that even as we talk about the Israelites, we may find application in our own lives. That we can see the connections between the Old and New Testaments. There are many moments in our lives when we feel exiled, and other times when we return from exile. Jesus, thank you for your grace, and may it continue to work in our lives and shape us into who we are intended to be. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Bible Verse- ““Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem. And let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.”” (Ezra 1:2–4)

Story- There is something about being home. If you have had a hard day, you’re scared, or upset. It’s most likely that the only place you want to be is home. Your home provides a sort of safety and comfort. At least, that is what a home should be like.

Others might even be forced to leave their homes and go live in a foreign land. We call this “Going into exile.”

Last week we talked about how Israel went into exile after 400 years of them disobeying and breaking their promises with God. Everything is scary and unknown.

In the story of the Bible, this is where the ancient Israelites found themselves. Conquered by Babylon, living in exile from their homeland.

They had to ask themselves “How did we end up here?”

The whole story of the Bible is designed to address that very question. The whole story.

Let’s go back to the first pages of the Bible, WHERE DOES HUMANITY LIVE?

They live in this really sweet garden, their home. And they are there on one condition-

“That they trust and follow God’s command.” and they don’t. Their punishment is they are sent out of the garden. They were exiled.

We see the same pattern repeated with the Israelites. God brought them out of Egypt (where they were slaves) and brought them into the promised land. And they were also allowed to stay there under one condition. That they are faithful to the terms of their covenant relationship with God. AAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNND They didn’t….. And were sent into exile

If you don’t see the parallel between Adam and Eve getting kicked out of the garden, and the Israelites getting kicked out of the promised land. Think about this-

In Genesis, humanity’s exile led up to the story about the building of what city?

Babylon- THE SAME PLACE THE ISRAELITES WERE SENT!

First Babylon, God called Abraham to leave and travel to the promised land. That story was designed to give hope to the Israelites currently living in later Babylon. And that’s where we are left off.

The Israelites were allowed to go back to their home, returning from exile. But when they got back, it wasn’t “Home Sweet, Home.”

Their cities were destroyed and there were still oppressive nations towering over them. And the people kept acting in their same self-indulgent ways. The same ways that corrupted their ancestors. And because of this disobedience, the Biblical Prophets said that this exile wasn’t actually over.

HOW COULD THEY THINK THEY WERE STILL IN EXILE WHEN THEY WERE AT HOME?

This is really important- In Hebrew Scriptures, Israel’s Babylonian exile became an image of something more universal.

It’s that feeling of alienation and longing for something more, no matter where you live. I believe we can all relate to this-

For instance, I have a great home, but it’s placed in a world scarred with pain and suffering, broken relationships, death, tragedy done by others but also by me.

EXILE IS THE HUMAN CONDITION- We all keep repeating this pattern of human corruption leading into our own Babylon that we can’t escape. It doesn’t matter where you live, we are all longing for a better home.

The Bible held out hope, that there that God would one day send a king that would rescue the world from all the Babylon that we have created. After many generations after the return from exile, we meet this Israelite named Jesus of Nazareth.

He wandered about with no home, announcing the great restoration, that reality of home that Israel and all humanity were looking for.

Jesus really cared about people who didn’t have homes. He welcomed in the stranger. He said that God’s love is shown when you invite in the outcast and throw parties for people who don’t have a place to belong.

Jesus had said that Israel and all humanity had lost their way, that our self-centeredness drives us to create false homes based on position and power. These homes exclude others, and make people feel unwelcome. WE LIVE IN AN EXILE OF OUR OWN MAKING.

How then do we make it home? How do we find that place where we truly belong?

Jesus said that the way home is one through weakness, service, and forgiveness. All ways which Jesus used to save us.

THIS IS WHY- Jesus was born into our world. Jesus went into exile with us to show us the true way home.

Jesus said that HE is the way!

His life and self-giving love proved more powerful than humanity’s failure. Jesus opened the pathway to our real home! As Jesus’ followers committed themselves to Him, they discover this new way of being human.

They believed the REAL RETURN FROM EXILE HAD BEGUN. IT WAS THROUGH JESUS THAT WE FIND OUT WAY BACK HOME.

So they would call themselves sojourners or wanderers. They would say things like “This world isn’t our home.” “For i am not of this world”

“I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.” (John 17:14, ESV)

The world isn’t our home, “we are citizens of heaven.”

Jesus coming to earth and dying for our sins didn’t return us from exile. We still live in an imperfect world, and we are hated for what we believe.

So, Jesus’ followers remain exiles as they wait for that day when Jesus returns.

To Transform this world into our true home.

Exile is not the end of the story. God has created a plan from the beginning of time to bring us back home, where we belong.

Application- What are we called to do while we are in Exile?

Who knows the story of Daniel

The Bible says to love and honor all people. To respect the authorities of whatever place you live. We are reminded that this isn’t our true home, they are still living in Babylon!

Remember how I said that Babylon had become a symbol or an image.

Babylon has become an image of any human institution that demands allegiance to its idolatrous redefinition of good and evil.

We all work and live in Babylon. We right now are living in Babylon.

How do we seek the well-being of Babylon while our allegiance is to something greater?

This is the tension that Christians have to live between. Jesus’ followers are called to live between loyalty and subversion. We are called to love those in the world, but not the world itself. We are called to live in this world, but not make it our home.