Day 230 – Zerubbabel

• Your eyes might have raised slightly as you first looked at Ezra 2! It has lots of names, numbers and lists in it, doesn’t it? As I’m sure you noted, these were lists of people retuning from exile to Israel. They were returning to rebuild the city, the temple and the country (which was quite a job!).
• Don’t worry about the specifics as you read Ezra 2. Have a moment to think about what we can learn about God, and Israel’s history, from the fact that this detailed set of lists exists in the bible. Why have we read it, do you think?
• Most of the names in the list are unknown. Two worth mentioning are Zerubbabel, who was the main leader figure, and Jeshua, an important priest. We’ll read more about both of them tomorrow.
• Just to clear things up a little, the Nehemiah in verse 2 isn’t the one who later builds the walls (if you happen to know about that story), nor is the Moerdecai mentioned in the same verse the one we read about in Esther.
• The lists give high priority to the priests and Levites who came back. Why do you think this was important? Remember what job the Levites had!
• Ezra 2:59-63 show a number of people who were not (at least to start with) allowed to be priests. What was the reason? Does this show that the people in charge of rebuilding the nation of Israel took their job seriously?
• Roughly how many people returned in this first set of people returning back to Jerusalem? Is it less than you might have expected?
• Psalm 126 might not have been specifically written about this event, but it is pretty perfect for today’s reading. It does talk of restoration and a fixing of something that was once separated, and of God’s forgiveness. What emotions can you find in this psalm?
• If you knew of a fellow Christian who was going through some hard circumstances, how could you use this psalm, and the words in Jeremiah 29, to encourage or comfort them?

We read a bit of Jeremiah 29 on Day 224, if you remember. It’s was a letter written by Jeremiah to the exiles prophesying their return to Jerusalem. It’s also a great reminder that God always keeps His promises. The words hold meaning for us today, because one day God will come to bring us to the true Promised Land too, just as he returned the Israelites back home to Jerusalem. I hope that brings joy to your heart.