Day 165 · Part 10: The Return
Going Home
In the Story
In context
In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, about 538 BC, “that Yahweh’s word by Jeremiah’s mouth might be accomplished,” Cyrus proclaims that the Lord “has commanded me to build him a house in Jerusalem,” and lets the Lord’s people go up (Ezra 1:1–3; Jeremiah 29:10). Isaiah had named Cyrus, and had the Lord say of Jerusalem, “She will be built” (Isaiah 44:28). Cyrus gives back the 5,400 vessels of gold and silver Nebuchadnezzar had taken (Ezra 1:7–11).
Ezra 2 lists, family by family and town by town, those who came home with Zerubbabel and Jeshua: “The whole assembly together was forty-two thousand three hundred sixty,” besides their servants and two hundred singers (2:1–2, 64–65). Some priests could not find their names in the family records and were kept from serving as priests (2:61–62).
Psalm 126, one of the Songs of Ascents (Psalms 120–134), remembers a homecoming: “we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter,” and “Those who sow in tears will reap in joy” (Psalm 126:1–2, 5).
Yahweh says: “Refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears, for your work will be rewarded,” says Yahweh. “They will come again from the land of the enemy. There is hope for your latter end,” says Yahweh. “Your children will come again to their own territory.
Jeremiah 31:16–17 · The captives came home family by family; through Jeremiah the Lord had said, “There is hope for your latter end… Your children will come again to their own territory.”
For families
Ezra 2 lists those who came home from Babylon, “everyone to his city,” family by family, by their fathers’ names and their towns; some could not find their families in the records (Ezra 2:1–70).
Ezra 2 lists the families that came home. What do you know about where your family came from?
In the Bible
World English Bible, as published by eBible.org (public domain).
Ezra 1
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Ezra 2
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Psalms 126
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A hymn for today
To God Be the Glory · words by Fanny J. Crosby
- To God be the glory, great things He hath done;So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,And opened the life-gate that all may go in.RefrainPraise the Lord, praise the Lord,Let the earth hear His voice!Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,Let the people rejoice!O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,And give Him the glory, great things He hath done.
- O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,To every believer the promise of God;The vilest offender who truly believes,That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.RefrainPraise the Lord, praise the Lord,Let the earth hear His voice!Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,Let the people rejoice!O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,And give Him the glory, great things He hath done.
- Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done,And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;But purer, and higher, and greater will beOur wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.RefrainPraise the Lord, praise the Lord,Let the earth hear His voice!Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,Let the people rejoice!O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,And give Him the glory, great things He hath done.