Bittersweet victories. This chapter can stand alone as a short story. It’s super. Just look at all it offers: it starts in autumn, and moves into spring, and the whole movement is beautiful. Everything and everyone are working in unison, and people are afraid (v. 3) yet happy, and we as readers are celebrating with them. They’re doing it! They’re reestablishing Jerusalem and resurrecting God’s home in the best of ways. They are following tradition. They are making sacrifices both physically and financially. They are working their rear-ends off to get ‘er done, and as they’ve established the foundation for the very structure they were released from slavery to build, their own people look at all of it and say, … “It’s not good enough. It’s not like it was before.”
Wham-o! That hurt. But there is SO much to read into it, and that’s just what I want you to do today.
Writing prompt: imagine
Pretend that this is the only chapter you’ve ever read from the Bible. Now write your thoughts about the younger generation’s actions and the older generation’s reactions. Heart-searching hint: draw some parallels with how you view the actions of other generations today.
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