“So there was great joy in Jerusalem: for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there was not the like in Jerusalem.” (2 Chronicles 30:26)

There are moments in Scripture where heaven seems to lean close—moments when the joy of God’s people rises so fully, so freely, so unanimously, that it becomes a kind of echo of eternity. This is one of those moments. The joy in Jerusalem was not ordinary. It was not routine. It was not the predictable gladness of a festival. Scripture says it was a joy unmatched “since the time of Solomon.” Nearly three centuries of silence break open in a single moment of revival. What sin had stolen, God restored. What neglect had buried, God resurrected. What generations had lost, God returned in a single feast.

This joy was not shallow. It was the joy of a people cleansed, healed, pardoned, restored, and united. It was the joy of worship renewed, of hearts awakened, of families reconciled, of tribes reunited. It was the joy of God drawing near. David knew this joy when he said, “In Thy presence is fulness of joy” (Psalm 16:11). Jesus promised this joy when He said, “Your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you” (John 16:22). This is the joy of redemption—the joy that rises when God Himself is near.

And this moment reveals something profound about the nature of spiritual joy: it is rooted in God’s work, not human effort. The people did not manufacture this gladness. They did not stir it up emotionally. They did not create it through music or ceremony. This joy erupted because God had moved. God had pardoned. God had healed. God had united. God had revived. True joy is always the fruit of God’s hand. It is the joy Isaiah foresaw when he wrote, “With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3). It is the joy Peter described as “joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8).

And here the passage gently lifts the eyes toward Christ, the One in whom all joy finds its source and its fullness. For He is the Shepherd who restores the soul, the Bridegroom who rejoices over His people, the Savior who brings “good tidings of great joy” (Luke 2:10). He is the One who endured the cross “for the joy that was set before Him” (Hebrews 12:2), that His people might share in the joy of His victory. The joy in Jerusalem was great—but the joy in Christ is greater still, for it flows from a finished redemption and an unchanging love.

This moment also teaches us something about the scale of God’s restoration. He does not merely repair; He renews. He does not merely restore what was lost; He restores beyond what was lost. He does not merely return His people to where they were; He lifts them higher. This is why Paul can say, “Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20). God’s restoration always exceeds expectation.

And yet, this verse presses a gentle question upon my own heart: Do I believe God can restore joy to places where joy has long been absent? Do I believe He can revive what has grown cold? Do I believe He can bring gladness to places marked by sorrow, neglect, or spiritual drought? The people of Judah had not seen joy like this for centuries—yet God brought it in a moment. He is able to do the same in the quiet places of my life.

And so I sit before Him, asking for the joy that comes from His presence—the joy that rises from cleansing, healing, and restoration; the joy that cannot be manufactured but only received; the joy that heaven recognizes and earth cannot contain.

And then there was Silence.

For families: A matching children’s devotional is available. [View children’s devotional →]https://andthentherewassilence.net/?p=545