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Hello, my ‘Walking with Jesus’ friends,
Are you a runner or jogger or hiker or just a walker? If so, what types of distances are normal for your running or walking? I have a friend who has run over 100 marathons! The thought of that overwhelms me! Can you imagine what it would be like to be part of a group of about 50,000 people, walking about 750 miles together, hauling all of their belongings?
That’s what happened in 538bc as Jewish captives in Babylon were given freedom from captivity by King Cyrus. Cyrus had furthermore urged these freed exiles to return and rebuild their hometown Jerusalem, and especially the Temple of God, which had been destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar in 586bc. We find the record of this in Ezra 1.
Today, let’s rejoin this amazing caravan leaving captivity in Babylon. We presume they followed the well-traveled trade route northwest from Babylon, along the Euphrates River to Aleppo, a journey of about 500 miles. Then they would have turned south passing Damascus and finally arriving at the ruins of Jerusalem about another 250 miles.
We’ve known that ancient Jews kept meticulous family ancestral records and Ezra 2 gives us a long listing of the families who made this journey. Ezra 2:64 records: “The whole company numbered 42,360, besides their 7,337 male and female slaves; and they also had 200 male and female singers. They had 736 horses, 245 mules, 435 camels and 6720 donkeys.” (Ezra 2:64-67) Now why would God want us to know such detail? Does it really matter?
Everything matters in God’s story my friends. More than 7000 slaves tell us that while these Jews were captives, they were not destitute! Many of them had become fairly wealthy while in Babylon and they brought their servants with them. Rebuilding Jerusalem would be no small task. None of them would arrive at Jerusalem and move right back into their homes. Their homes were demolished. This ‘restoration of Jerusalem’ project before them would be a massive undertaking! And of course, hauling all of their personal belongings plus all the resources King Cyrus sent with them, required carts and wagons and lots of animals.
Can you even imagine what this caravan looked, sounded and smelled like as they slowly walked along? Remember, they could only go as fast as the slowest people and animals traveling with them! Is it safe to assume this trip took at least three months and maybe more? We should assume they would have rested and NOT traveled on their Sabbath day each week.
As they came over the hills surrounding Jerusalem, their emotions must have been both great joy, to once again see the familiar Kidron and Ben Hinnom valleys and Mount Moriah in between, but also very great sadness to see nothing but rubble in all directions, especially on the Temple mount area. Ezra records: “When they arrived at the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, some of the heads of the families gave freewill offerings toward the rebuilding of the house of God on its site…” (Ezra 2:68,69)
Identifying the distinctive rubble of the Temple on the Temple mount as distinguished from all the normal city rubble of houses and city walls, must not have been difficult. Likely the emotional upswell which rose up among this huge throng must have been heard miles in all directions. Ezra reports that the horrible sight of the demolished rubble stirred their hearts and a great financial outpouring resulted.
While these exiles had not yet rebuilt their homes or started their businesses, they at least wanted to start a stockpile of resources to clean up and construction could begin soon on the Temple, for the Temple was their priority. Why? Because it was their identity as a people of God! The Temple drew them together in their primary purpose for existence… to be a people of God among whom God Himself would reside. God has promised King Solomon: “My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. I have chosen and consecrated this Temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and My heart will always be there.” (2 Chronicles 7:15,16)
If you’ve ever moved from one place to another you remember, I’m sure, the huge project of setting up your home in a new place. Cleaning and repairing and making changes to your new house, all before you can finally settle in. How long did it take you the last time you did that? For my wife and me this last move was 3 months before the house was settled!
Ezra tells us “The priests, the Levites, the musicians, the gatekeepers and the temple servants settled in their own towns, along with some of the other people, and the rest of the Israelites settled in their towns.” (Ezra 2:70) I assume these ‘other towns’ included places like Nob just to the east. Do you remember that little town where David reclaimed the huge sword of the giant Goliath he had killed? (1 Samuel 21:8,9) Some Bible scholars believe the Tabernacle may have been there at Nob for a while, after the destruction of Shiloh, because the priests there spoke of the “Bread of the Presence” being there when David requested food. (1 Samuel 21:6)
I presume these returned exiles also settled in Gibeah, the hometown of Saul, Israel’s first king, which was a few miles to the north of the Jerusalem rubble. (1 Samuel 10:26) And of course Gibeon a few miles further north, which was the place where King Solomon went to meet with God as he assumed the kingship from his father, King David. (1 Chronicles 1:3) To the south of the Jerusalem rubble, I presume some of these returned exiles settled in and rebuilt Bethlehem, the hometown of King David, (1 Samuel 16:1) and of course the birthplace of Jesus 535 years later. (Luke 2:4-12) And finally, maybe some of these exiles settled east of the Mount of Olives and began the little towns of Bethany and Bethphage. Do you remember them? Mary, Martha and Lazarus lived in Bethany, and it was Bethphage where the disciples retrieved the donkey that Palm Sunday morning for Jesus’ famous ride to Jerusalem. (Luke 19:28-38)
I think let’s pause right here friends and watch these people in their hard work of clearing the rubble and beginning to rebuild their homes. You know the emotions and hard work involved. As tiring as this hard work was, I wonder if they often sang praises to God as they worked. Years before, when they had been hauled off as slaves from this place, watching it burn, none of them would have ever imagined they or their children would have the great privilege of rebuilding this historic, glorious city, Jerusalem. Let’s sing along with them as they work. Jehovah, the LORD Almighty is here!
Today’s Scripture: Ezra 2:64-70.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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