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| Source Scripture Doodle |
Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart God had moved—prepared to go up and build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. All their neighbours assisted them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with valuable gifts, in addition to all the freewill offerings. Moreover, King Cyrus brought out the articles belonging to the temple of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his god. Cyrus king of Persia had them brought by Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah. This was the inventory: gold dishes 30 silver dishes 1000 silver pans 2910 gold bowls 30 matching silver bowls 410 other articles 1,000. In all, there were 5,400 articles of gold and of silver. Sheshbazzar brought all these along with the exiles when they came up from Babylon to Jerusalem.
Last time, in God is in Control, we looked at how Cyrus, king of Persia announced an edict to set the people of Israel free from their 70-year exile. We saw how God is always in control and how the whole situation of the Israelite second exile reflects our current lives. Now, we see the next step in this process, the introduction and re-in statement of the rightful prince of Judah, Sheshbazzar.
Once more, we are reminded of who is in control of the whole situation: whose heart God had moved. 150 years before, God had spoken through the prophet, Jeremiah telling the people of Judah they will enter into exile under the rule of Babylon. Following their 70-year exile, God once again shows his chosen people who really is in control by working through the king of Persia, Cyrus to bring about their return to the land God had promised them, Canaan.
As we read today, only the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites – everyone whose heart God had moved were stirred by God to answer the call from Cyrus.
This doesn’t tell us how many people went up to Jerusalem from the original tribes of the Southern Kingdom.
What it does tell us is that a representative from each tribe who were originally exiled to Babylon from the Southern Kingdom went to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple of God. There was a group from every exiled tribe moved by God (see how God is in control here?).
It also tells us that some people chose to stay behind in the comfortable lives they had become accustomed to in the foreign land. God knew this and so only moved a fragment of his people to re-enter the promised land.
We also see God’s hand in the natives of Babylon and all their neighbours, as they assisted those who returned with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with valuable gifts, in addition to all the freewill offerings. This, as we saw last time was a way that God provided for his people, those he chose to return to the promised land. God stirred the natives to provide specific artefacts that serve to raise the status of the Israelites as a nation. Not only that, he moved them to give them freewill offerings, gifts of choice.
To show he was 100% behind this, Cyrus goes one step further. God stirs him to give the Israelites back all the artefacts that Nebuchadnezzar had stolen when he originally conquered them. Not only does this act undo all that Nebuchadnezzar did 70 years before, but categorically places Jerusalem (the city where the new house of the Lord was to be built) as the city of Yahweh.
And if that was not enough…Cyrus, in turn reinstates the true, rightful heir to the Southern Kingdom, Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah. God was making a clear statement to the world that he was in complete control.
We, as Christians should draw immense strength and encouragement from these few verses then. Not only are we assured that God is in control, but God, through a king will bring about our homecoming just as he did with the Israelites through a king.
There are no promises of a peaceful, easy-going life during our exile, it may very well be difficult. Some of us will chose to stay here because we are drawn to the pleasures and comforts of this world. However, when the time is right (his time!), God will move those who love him and who are faithful.
Christ Jesus, the King of kings will return to bring us home to the promised land. Although there will be no need to build the house of the Lord because Christ has already prepared our place (John 14:2-3 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am), we will be with God in the land he has promised us (Revelations 21:1 a new heaven and a new earth).
What more do we need? God has proven that he is faithful, ultimately protecting the people he dearly loves by leading them home. Isn’t it only right that we remain faithful to him?
