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THE KING’S BUSINESS
theories: so it is necessary to ignore the facts in the case in order to save a purely a priori theory, and this is called “the scientific study of the Bible”, but it violates every principle of modern inductive science. These very wise men of today would have us believe, that they have found out what was hidden from all the.good and great and wise and Godly for these many, many years: but I am from Missouri and you must show me. Fortunately many of these wise men, who a few years ago were so sure that these predictions were not made by Isaiah at the date supposed for so many centuries, have done some deeper and more thorough studying, and have come to the conclusion that they were wrong, and have been men enough to come out and admit that their supposed advanced scholarship was in real ity ignorance and error, and others of them have come to the same conclusion, but they have riot been men enough to come out and admit it as publicly as they published their errors. All of this illustrates the truth, that “it is better not to know so many things than to know so many things that are not so”. vs. 3,4. “Who is there ( Whoever there is) among you of all his people?(,) his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusa lem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD (add the) God of Israel, (he is the (omit, the) God) which is in Jerusa lem. And whosoever remaineth (is left) in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is (which is) in Jerusalem." Cyrus’ wish for those who were to go up and build the house of God was, that “His God be with him”. Cyrus could wish no better thing for them than that. That wish includes everything that is really worth hav- If God was with them, no one could be against them (Romans 8:31). And they could be sure that God would be with them, not because the great king wished it, but because God Himself had promised it, He had promised to be with all those who obey
and serve Him (Joshua 1:9; 1 Chron. 28:20; Matt. 28:20; Hebrews 13:5). Every one in every place was to co-operate in sending God’s people of that place to Jeru salem to do the work there to be done to the glory of God. Ample provision was to be made for every need. The time is com ing again when the kings and queens of the earth and everyone else will co-operate in getting God’s ancient people back to the land where they belong. vs. 5, 6 . “Then rose up the chief (heads) of the (omit, the) fathers (fath ers’ houses) of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with (even) all them (omit, them) whose spirit God had raised (stirred) to go up to build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem. And all they that were (were round) about them strengthened their hands with ves sels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, be side all that was willingly offered." The leaders of Judah and Benjamin responded promptly and heartily to the decree of Cyrus. Those who went were those “whose spirit God had stirred”. God had first “stirred up the spirit of Cyrus” to make the proclamation (v. 1; 2 Chron. 36:22), and now God’s Spirit stirred up His people to carry out the decree (cf. Nehemiah 2:12; Prov. 16:1; Phil. 2:13). The purpose of the return was religious rather than political, “to build the house of Jehovah which is in Jerusalem”. Every one on every hand eagerly co-operated in the work, and strengthened their hands. Seldom is such universal to-operation seen in God’s work, but God Himself was back of it all. There was cheerful giving on every hand (cf. 2 Corinthians 9:7). vs. 7-11. “Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels o f the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put them in the house of his gods; even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah. And this is the number
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