Today I read Ezra 1 & 2, where king Cyrus of Persia proclaimed God wanted Cyrus to build a house in Jerusalem for God and he had Israelites return to Jerusalem. Today I considered that sometimes God takes from a people but later gives it back to them after their punishment is over.
God Has Israelites Return
God influenced king Cyrus to return Israelites and treasures taken from Jerusalem to Babylon (Ezra 1:1-2:70). God put it in king Cyrus’ mind to build God a house in Jerusalem and have God’s people go to Jerusalem to build the house. God chose the tribes of Judah and Benjamin along with priest and Levites to build the Lord’s house, and the lists of people returning are described. People donated silver and gold, and king Cyrus gave back the vessels of the house of the Lord that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Jerusalem. There were 42,360 Israelites that returned to Jerusalem and this number does not include the servants and maids. Among the people included singers, porters, and Nethinims. The people also brought horses, camels, cattle, and treasures.
Questions and Thoughts for Today
God is a father to his children and punishes his children. Sometimes God takes from his children because of their disobedience and rebellion, but that does not mean they never get it back. The Israelites lost their land and were in captivity over 40 years before they returned to Jerusalem. God can take from us also because of our behavior but may allow that same or a future generation to receive everything again.
Have you seen an example of God restoring to a generation what was taken from a prior generation?