Page 746 - The MacArthur Daily Bible

TN_07_MacArthur_Bible_July.qxd 8/8/03 16:07 Page 727

JULY 20
go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah,
and build the house of the LORD God
of Israel (He is God), which is in
Jerusalem. And whoever is left in any 2:2 Zerubbabel. This man was the rightful
4
place where he dwells, let the men of leader of Judah in that he was of the lineage of
his place help him with silver and gold, David through Jehoiachin (1 Chr. 3:17). He did
with goods and livestock, besides the not serve as king (the curse on Jehoiachin’s
freewill offerings for the house of God line,Jer.22:24–30),but was still in the messian-
which is in Jerusalem. ic line because the curse was bypassed (Matt.
1:12;Luke 3:27).The curse of the messianic line
5 Then the heads of the fathers’ houses of Judah
and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, for Christ was bypassed in Luke’s genealogy
by tracing the lineage through David’s son
with all whose spirits God had moved, arose to Nathan. His name means “offspring of
go up and build the house of the LORD which is Babylon,” indicating his place of birth. He,
in Jerusalem. And all those who were around rather than Cyrus’s political appointee
6
them encouraged them with articles of silver Sheshbazzar (1:11), led Judah according to
and gold, with goods and livestock, and with God’s will. Jeshua. The high priest of the first
precious things, besides all that was willingly return whose name means “Yahweh saves.”He
offered. is called Joshua in Haggai 1:1 and Zechariah
3:1. His father Jozadak (Ezra 3:2) had been
exiled (1 Chr. 6:15). He came from the lineage
of Levi, Aaron, Eleazar, and Phinehas; thus he
was legitimately in the line of the high priest
1:5 whose spirits God had moved.The primary
underlying message of Ezra and Nehemiah is (Num. 25:10–13).
that the sovereign hand of God is at work in
perfect keeping with His plan at His appointed
4
times.The 70 years of captivity were complete, seventy-two; the people of Shephatiah, three
5
so God stirred up not only the spirit of Cyrus to hundred and seventy-two; the people of Arah,
6
make the decree, but His own people to go seven hundred and seventy-five; the people of
and build up Jerusalem and the temple (1:1). Pahath-Moab, of the people of Jeshua and
Joab, two thousand eight hundred and twelve;
the people of Elam, one thousand two hun-
7
King Cyrus also brought out the articles of dred and fifty-four; the people of Zattu, nine
7
8
the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar hundred and forty-five; the people of Zaccai,
9
had taken from Jerusalem and put in the tem- seven hundred and sixty; the people of Bani,
10
8
ple of his gods; and Cyrus king of Persia six hundred and forty-two; the people of
11
brought them out by the hand of Mithredath Bebai, six hundred and twenty-three; the peo-
12
the treasurer, and counted them out to ple of Azgad, one thousand two hundred and
9
Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah. This is the twenty-two; the people of Adonikam, six hun-
13
number of them: thirty gold platters, one thou- dred and sixty-six; the people of Bigvai, two
14
sand silver platters, twenty-nine knives, thirty thousand and fifty-six; the people of Adin,
10
15
gold basins, four hundred and ten silver basins four hundred and fifty-four; the people of
16
of a similar kind, and one thousand other arti- Ater of Hezekiah, ninety-eight; the people of
17
11
cles. All the articles of gold and silver were five Bezai, three hundred and twenty-three; the
18
thousand four hundred. All these Sheshbazzar people of Jorah, one hundred and twelve; the
19
took with the captives who were brought from people of Hashum, two hundred and twenty-
Babylon to Jerusalem. three; the people of Gibbar, ninety-five; the
20
21
Now these are the people of the province people of Bethlehem, one hundred and twenty-
2 who came back from the captivity, of those three; the men of Netophah, fifty-six; the
22
23
who had been carried away, whom Nebuchad- men of Anathoth, one hundred and twenty-
nezzar the king of Babylon had carried away eight; the people of Azmaveth, forty-two;
24
to Babylon, and who returned to Jerusalem 25 the people of Kirjath Arim, Chephirah, and
and Judah, everyone to his own city. Beeroth, seven hundred and forty-three; the
26
Those who came with Zerubbabel were Jeshua, people of Ramah and Geba, six hundred and
2
27
Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, twenty-one; the men of Michmas, one hun-
Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah. The num- dred and twenty-two; the men of Bethel and
28
ber of the men of the people of Israel: the peo- Ai, two hundred and twenty-three; the people
29
3
ple of Parosh, two thousand one hundred and of Nebo, fifty-two; the people of Magbish, one
30
727