The Jewish exiles returned to Jerusalem in 3 major waves over the span of about 100 years. Ezra 2 details the leaders and families who came in the first wave under Zerubbabel’s leadership, probably in the spring of 537 BC. The second wave returned roughly 80 years later under the leadership of Ezra. Chapter 7 of Ezra tells us they took the same route as Zerubbabel’s group and it took them 4 months to make the journey. Assuming they went by caravan, they would have traveled a main trade route along the Euphrates River until they reached the Orontes Valley of Syria. Then they would have gone down it to the capital, Damascus, and over basically the same road Saul of Tarsus would travel 6 centuries later.<\/p>\n
Less that 43,000 Jews came back to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel, leaving many times that still in Babylon. They were a small remnant compared to what just the city of Jerusalem, once estimated to be half a million strong, had been. It seems most chose to remain in Babylon. By the time of the Book of Esther (50 to 60 years later), there were still enough Jews left in Babylon to destroy 75,000 of their enemies in only 2 days of fighting. The fact that so many remained is truly strange in light of the kind of opportunity given them.<\/p>\n
They were not unlike many people in captivity to sin today. They decided to remain because they were very comfortable there, too deeply involved in Babylonian life to break away, to afraid of failure. What can we learn from this account in Ezra? We often want to stay in Babylon too, where it’s comfortable, where we know what to expect, and where our friends are living. But the reality is that God has so much more for us.<\/p>\n
“LORD, give us the courage to step out for You today into new areas where we might be challenged to grow.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n =============================================================<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ezra 2 KJV<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1<\/sup>\u00a0Now these\u00a0are\u00a0<\/em>the children of the province that went up out of the captivity, of those which had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away unto Babylon, and came again unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city;\u00a02<\/sup>\u00a0Which came with Zerubbabel: Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a03<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Parosh, two thousand an hundred seventy and two.\u00a04<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy and two.\u00a05<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Arah, seven hundred seventy and five.\u00a06<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Pahath-moab, of the children of Jeshua\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em>Joab, two thousand eight hundred and twelve.\u00a07<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.\u00a08<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Zattu, nine hundred forty and five.\u00a09<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Zaccai, seven hundred and threescore.\u00a010<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Bani, six hundred forty and two.\u00a0\u00a011<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Bebai, six hundred twenty and three.\u00a012<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Azgad, a thousand two hundred twenty and two.\u00a013<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Adonikam, six hundred sixty and six.\u00a014<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Bigvai, two thousand fifty and six.\u00a015<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Adin, four hundred fifty and four.\u00a016<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Ater of Hezekiah, ninety and eight.\u00a017<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and three.\u00a018<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Jorah, an hundred and twelve.\u00a019<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Hashum, two hundred twenty and three.\u00a020<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Gibbar, ninety and five.\u00a0\u00a021<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Beth-lehem, an hundred twenty and three.\u00a022<\/sup>The men of Netophah, fifty and six.\u00a023<\/sup>\u00a0The men of Anathoth, an hundred twenty and eight.\u00a024<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Azmaveth, forty and two.\u00a0\u00a025<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Kirjath-arim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty and three.\u00a026<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Ramah and Gaba, six hundred twenty and one.\u00a027<\/sup>\u00a0The men of Michmas, an hundred twenty and two.\u00a028<\/sup>\u00a0The men of Beth-el and Ai, two hundred twenty and three.\u00a029<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Nebo, fifty and two.\u00a030<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Magbish, an hundred fifty and six.\u00a031<\/sup>\u00a0The children of the other Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.\u00a032<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Harim, three hundred and twenty.\u00a033<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty and five.\u00a0\u00a034<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Jericho, three hundred forty and five.\u00a035<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Senaah, three thousand and six hundred and thirty. 36<\/sup> The priests: the children of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred seventy and three.\u00a037<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Immer, a thousand fifty and two.\u00a038<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Pashur, a thousand two hundred forty and seven.\u00a039<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Harim, a thousand and seventeen. 40<\/sup>\u00a0The Levites: the children of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the children of Hodaviah, seventy and four.\u00a041<\/sup> The singers: the children of Asaph, an hundred twenty and eight. 42<\/sup> The children of the porters: the children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai,\u00a0in\u00a0<\/em>all an hundred thirty and nine. 43<\/sup> The Nethinims: the children of Ziha, the children of Hasupha, the children of Tabbaoth,\u00a044<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Keros, the children of Siaha, the children of Padon,\u00a0\u00a045<\/sup>The children of Lebanah, the children of Hagabah, the children of Akkub,\u00a046<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Hagab, the children of Shalmai, the children of Hanan,\u00a0\u00a047<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Giddel, the children of Gahar, the children of Reaiah,\u00a048<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda, the children of Gazzam,\u00a049<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Uzza, the children of Paseah, the children of Besai,\u00a050<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Asnah, the children of Mehunim, the children of Nephusim,\u00a0\u00a051<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur,\u00a052<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Bazluth, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha,\u00a0\u00a053<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of Thamah,\u00a054<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha. 55<\/sup>\u00a0 The children of Solomon\u2019s servants: the children of Sotai, the children of Sophereth, the children of Peruda,\u00a0\u00a056<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Jaalah, the children of Darkon, the children of Giddel,\u00a057<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth of Zebaim, the children of Ami.\u00a0\u00a058<\/sup>\u00a0All the Nethinims, and the children of Solomon\u2019s servants,\u00a0were\u00a0<\/em>three hundred ninety and two.\u00a059<\/sup>\u00a0And these\u00a0were\u00a0<\/em>they which went up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsa, Cherub, Addan,\u00a0and<\/em>Immer: but they could not shew their father\u2019s house, and their seed, whether they\u00a0were\u00a0<\/em>of Israel:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a060<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred fifty and two. 61<\/sup> And of the children of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai; which took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called after their name:\u00a062<\/sup>\u00a0These sought their register\u00a0among<\/em>those that were reckoned by genealogy, but they were not found: therefore were they, as polluted, put from the priesthood.\u00a0\u00a063<\/sup>\u00a0And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim.\u00a0 64<\/sup>\u00a0The whole congregation together\u00a0was\u00a0<\/em>forty and two thousand three hundred\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em>threescore,\u00a065<\/sup>\u00a0Beside their servants and their maids, of whom\u00a0there were\u00a0<\/em>seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and\u00a0there were\u00a0<\/em>among them two hundred singing men and singing women.\u00a066<\/sup>\u00a0Their horses\u00a0were\u00a0<\/em>seven hundred thirty and six; their mules, two hundred forty and five;\u00a067<\/sup>\u00a0Their camels, four hundred thirty and five;\u00a0their\u00a0<\/em>asses, six thousand seven hundred and twenty. 68<\/sup>\u00a0And\u00a0some\u00a0<\/em>of the chief of the fathers, when they came to the house of the\u00a0LORDwhich\u00a0is\u00a0<\/em>at Jerusalem, offered freely for the house of God to set it up in his place:\u00a069<\/sup>They gave after their ability unto the treasure of the work threescore and one thousand drams of gold, and five thousand pound of silver, and one hundred priests\u2019 garments.\u00a070<\/sup>\u00a0So the priests, and the Levites, and\u00a0some\u00a0<\/em>of the people, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, dwelt in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Jewish exiles returned to Jerusalem in 3 major waves over the span of about 100 years. Ezra 2 details the leaders and families who came in the first wave under Zerubbabel’s leadership, probably in the spring of 537 BC. The second wave returned roughly 80 years later under the leadership of Ezra. Chapter 7 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7327"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7327"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7327\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16393,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7327\/revisions\/16393"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7327"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7327"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7327"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}