“But now for a brief moment, favour has been shown by the Lord our God, who has left us a remnant, and given us a stake in his holy place, in order that he may brighten our eyes and grant us a little sustenance in our slavery.
For we are slaves; yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to give us new life to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judea and Jerusalem.”
Daniel Gwynn (America, b. 1970), Coming Home, during wrongful incarceration on death row 1994-2024, acrylic on canvas.
Click this link to watch an interview with the artist and hear more of his story.
Bible Passage: Ezra 1 - 10, Nehemiah 1 - 13
My Big Story Bible: Pages 122-124
This article from the Bible Project explains why this return from exile is not the end of the story. The Israelites returned to Jerusalem are still slaves, paying taxes back to the King of Persia and the prophecies in Daniel tell of 490 more years of rule by a foreign power.