No. 8 in Returning Home
A sister once commented that all the people she worked with were members of the Lord’s Church except one. She laughingly added that she and her co-workers would tell the non-member, “You’ll come over to our side at some point!” This is obviously not what Paul was conveying when he stated, “Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus” (Colossians 1:28NKJV). Had the tables been turned – and she the only member of the Lord’s Church – would her faith have capitulated under the weight of the majority? It is encouraging to stand with many, but faith that finds its strength in numbers is not a mature faith.
The whole assembly together was 42,360, besides their male and female servants, of whom there were 7,337, and they had 200 male and female singers. Their horses were 736, their mules were 245, their camels were 435, and their donkeys were 6,720. – Ezra 2:64-67
Like a receipt exchanged between Cyrus and the Israelites, Ezra the historian documents the headcount of all who arrived in Jerusalem in the first expedition. It must have encouraged them to be part of this congregation of people for the purpose of rebuilding their home, but it must have been daunting, as well. Those who remembered the splendor of Jerusalem would have known the number of people arriving did not rival the number of those who had been taken away as captives, but they had faith.
Some of the heads of families, when they came to the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem, made freewill offerings for the house of God, to erect it on its site. According to their ability they gave to the treasury of the work 61,000 darics of gold, 5,000 minas of silver, and 100 priests’ garments. – Ezra 2:68-69
That faith produced not only a group of just under fifty thousand people come to reestablish the temple of the Most High God, it also moved the family heads to give freely of their means to help rebuild. One mina of silver equaled approximately five years of a man’s wages, so great treasure was given.
Now the priests, the Levites, some of the people, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants lived in their towns, and all the rest of Israel in their towns. When the seventh month came, and the children of Israel were in the towns, the people gathered as one man to Jerusalem. – Ezra 2:70-3:1
Ezra notes that this group of people “gathered as one man.” How powerful and uplifting that feeling of unity must have been as they assembled in Jerusalem! They had made the journey and returned, and now they approached God as His people, ready to serve. There were troubles ahead for these people of God. They would falter. Yet, here, they are strong and solidly united in their purpose toward Jehovah God.
God knew their hearts. He knew their willingness to serve Him. Through Ezra, we are blessed by this picture of unity. God provides this moment, along with the later moments when they will doubt and become discouraged. And, finally, they will triumph over their enemies and complete the temple. We are blessed to see every stage. The journey of returning home did not end when they arrived in Jerusalem. They were only beginning their journey of faith in God. Faith is not an immediate strength. Faith must be exercised by being tried. God’s people needed to learn that their strength did not lie in their unified purpose or their numbers. They gathered to serve their Creator, and He welcomed them to draw closer to Him in faith.