This chapter contains a ledger of the Judeans/Israelites who returned to Judah and begin rebuilding the temple.
“Now these were the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of those exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried captive to Babylonia. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town. They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah… The whole assembly together was 42,360, besides their male and female servants, of whom there were 7,337…” (v1-2, 64-65 abr)
Nearly 50,000 people returned to Judah – that seems like a lot to rebuild a temple, but keep in mind they’re also rebuilding their cities and economy after utter devastation. Though Nehemiah is mentioned here, I don’t believe this is the same Nehemiah who later rebuilds Jerusalem’s wall (because he receives news about it, has not seemingly seen its condition first-hand).
The name that most interests me in this chapter is Zerubbabel. We later find out (in the books of Zech. and Hag.) that he is a descendant of the Davidic royal family, and he is also in the lineage of Jesus (Mt 1:12-13). He is appointed governor by the Persians to oversee the rebuilding effort. He will not be crowned king, however – this is in fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophesy that no further descendants of this family would sit on Judah’s throne (see Jer 22:24-30).
To add a little more clarity on the obedience/disobedience we talked about yesterday, I want to highlight this: consequences and blessings can last far longer than our own individual lifespan. Zerubbabel was not allowed to be king because his grandfather sinned against God. Yet, Judah was allowed to return to their promised land because of Abraham’s obedience many generations earlier.
I encourage us to remain as obedient to God as possible, because we never know how far-reaching God’s blessings will be. We may be part of a chain reaction that saves many souls, or perhaps just one. Either way, there are eternal rewards at stake, so let’s do our part to honor and glorify God, inviting His blessing upon those who come after us.
Father God, our Glorious and Magnificent Lord, You bless us far greater than we could ever earn or deserve, for all we deserve is death. Yet, You generously bless us, even when we don’t obey you flawlessly. Please guide us to obey You as closely and as often as possible. Please transform our hearts so we desire Your will over our own, and Your eternal kingdom over this temporary world. Please help us to glorify You in all of our thoughts, words and deeds, forever and ever, amen.
~ Conqueror in Training