Is 2020 a Lost Year?

Believe it or not, 2020 is not the weirdest year in history. Here are a few examples of weird, some might even say bad, years in the Bible:

Noah and his family were in the ark for an entire year (364-377 days depending on the calculations). Imagine surviving the destruction of the rest of mankind, not seeing dry land for that long, and living in a floating zoo with two of every animal in existence!

Esther and many other beautiful young Persian virgins spent a whole year undergoing beauty treatments, “six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics” (Esther 2:12). Sounds great, right - twelve months of nothing but luxurious spa days! However, at the end of that year of treatments, all of those women were assaulted and then forced into the king’s harem, with the exception of the one chosen to become his new wife. It was not a voluntary program. They were basically kidnapped and held captive for the rest of their lives. 

Job lost his children (7 sons and 3 daughters), his thousands of heads of cattle, his servants, and his health all in one year. 

King Nebuchadnezzar once had a terrifying dream that he would become like a wild animal, eating grass like an ox. God, through Daniel, verified that the dream would indeed become a reality, and King Nebuchadnezzar had to endure a year wondering when if and when it would happen… until it did (Daniel 4:28-33). 

A young girl named Mary, only about 13 or 14 years old, spent the majority of a year pregnant with a baby she definitely did not expect or plan for, and then gave birth to him in a barn reserved for animals. 

All of these people suffered a year of tremendous shock and loss and ended up experiencing God and His salvation in a way they never had before! Read the end of each of their stories and you decide, was it worth it?

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“Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: ‘I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.’”

“And God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth’” (Genesis 9:8-16).

Esther

“King Xerxes replied to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, ‘Because Haman attacked the Jews, I have given his estate to Esther, and they have impaled him on the pole he set up. Now write another decree in the king’s name in behalf of the Jews as seems best to you, and seal it with the king’s signet ring—for no document written in the king’s name and sealed with his ring can be revoked.’ . . . . When Mordecai left the king’s presence, he was wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa held a joyous celebration. For the Jews it was a time of happiness and joy, gladness and honor. In every province and in every city to which the edict of the king came, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating" (Esther 8:7-8, 15-17a).

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“After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before. All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had brought on him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring. The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. And he also had seven sons and three daughters. The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers. After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. And so Job died, an old man and full of years” (Job 42:10-17).

King Nebuchadnezzar

“At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever.

His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation.

All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing.

He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth.

No one can hold back; his hand or say to him: ‘What have you done?’

At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble."

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“While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.’

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told” (Luke 2:6-20).

So, yeah, maybe it’s a been a hard year so far. Maybe it’s even been devastating, but the story isn’t over. 2020 is not a lost year. Wait and see what beauty God will bring from the ashes.

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