We have been studying the opening chapter of Ezra in recent visits and discovered this impact thought: God fulfills His promises on time and uses anyone or anything to do His bidding.
Isaiah predicted that King Cyrus of Persia would free the Babylonian exiles to go back to Jerusalem and rebuilt the temple before Persia was even a kingdom. Now, about 150 years later Cyrus made provisions for them, including the return of all the precious metal articles Nebuchadnezzar had carried away. God moved his heart to do this at the exact time Jeremiah had predicted this would happen. Amazing!
When you read on in chapter two you have a listing of every one of the exiles who responded to God’s moving in their hearts to return to Jerusalem. The total number was “42,360, besides their 7,337 menservants and maidservants; and they also had 200 men and women singers. They had 736 horses, 245 mules, 435 camels and 6,720 donkeys.”
Most of the people returning were able to identify themselves by showing family records. Some couldn’t do this for some reason. Some of those couldn’t serve as priests because they were considered unclean because of the uncertainty of their genealogy. But they were able to return and be a part of the rebuilding team.
When they arrived in Jerusalem some of the heads of families gave a freewill offering toward the building project, “According to their ability they gave to the treasury” (vs. 68-69). Then they settled in their respective communities in and around Jerusalem. Once settled they were ready to tackle the building project for God’s glory.
