of idolatry, b ut not of sin a nd opposition to t he L a w of God. 5. Divisions, ec. 1-6; t he beginnings u n d er Z e r u b b a b el (and J o s h ua t he priest) 7-10, r e f o r ms a nd p r o g r e ss u n - d er E z r a. 6. Prophets in Judea. H a g g ai a nd Z e c h a r i a h, w ho f o u nd p l e n ty t o do in b o th t he reproof a nd e n c o u r a g e m e nt of t he Our "times are in His hands." H e s et t he s un a nd moon in t he sky for "signs and seasons" (Gen. 1:14), a nd "for days and years," a nd this not alone for m a n ' s c o n- venience, b u t .for H is own purposes' in C h r i st "by Whom He made the ages" (Heb. 1:2, Gr'k). Seven ty y e a rs w e re assigned to t he c a p t i v i ty (Jer. 25:11). D a n i e l . w a s, w h a t w e all should be, a s t u d e nt of proprecy, a nd believed in God's revealed times. H e "un- derstood by (the) books," looked for, p r a y ed for t he promised end, a nd lived to see it (Dan. 9:2; 10:1; E z r a 1:1). 2. The hearts of kings are in His hands, "the Lord stirred uo the spirit of Cyrus, King of Persia" ( E z ra 1:1; Pro. 21:1). J o s e p h us s a ys t h a t Daniel showed C y r us w h e re Isaiah, 150 y e a rs b e- fore, h ad m e n t i o n ed his n a me a nd his w o rk a s r e s t o r er of Israel (Isa. 45:1-4). God m a y h a ve so stirred his spirit by H is prophetic word, as H e h a s so m a n y -others, .to do H i s w o r k. 3. The hearts of humbler men are in His hands,—"chiefs," "priests," "Lev- ites," "whose spirit God had stirred" ( E z ra 1:5). W e h e ar it said t h a t t he J e w s a re a t t a c h ed to Am e r i ca a nd E u r o pe a nd do not c a re to r e t u rn to t he H o ly Land, b u t God will stir t h e ir h e a r ts to r e t u rn in H is own time. As we look out 1 over this world a nd see its confusion a nd unrest, a nd t he f a r off s e e m- ing cf t hè K i n g d om of God, it is a g r e at c o m- f o rt to us to k n ow t h a t God's own p l a ns a r e working, a nd t h a t H e is presiding over kings, presidents, a nd c o n f e r e n c es of politics, c o m- merce, a nd labor. T he eye of f a i th sees H i m " b e h i nd t he s h a d o w ," a nd t he h e a rt of f a i th r e s ts calmly t h r o u gh all. 4. The pol- icies of rulers and governments are under His guidance. H e led N e b u c h a d n e z z ar to d e p o rt his conquered dependencies a n d s e t- tle t h em in f a r countries; H e led C y r us to t h e opposite policy w ho s a ys in his records t h a t he r e s t o r ed t he people a nd t h e ir gods to their own lands. T r u l y - m en a r e in H is h a n d s as "clay in the hands of the potter" (Jer. 18:6). III. T HE RETURN OF T HE CAPTIVES. . 1. The part of Prayer In the event. God s a ys "I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them" (Ezek. 36:3). See Daniel's p r a y er (ch. 9) a t y pe of m a n y in Israel. 2. The part of Bible study in the event (Dan. 9:2); it w a s t he word of p r om i se t h a t led to t he p r a y er of faith. W e m u st be p r a y i ng "Thy Kingdom come,". "Even so come Lord Jesus" (Matt. 6:10; Rev. 22:20), and "so much the more as we see the day approaching" (Heb. 10:25). 3. God's "little flock" ( L u ke 12:32) a re mo re to H i m t h a n all t he world beside. M i g h ty B a b y- lon w a s o v e r t h r o wn to b r e ak its hold on H is c a p t i ve people, a nd t he e m p i re of P e r s ia w a s raised UP chiefly to accomplish t he s a me end. I believe t he whole godless world would be destroyed to deliver "the least of all saints." It is e r e at to h a ve s u ch a F r i e nd a nd P r o t e c t or (Rom. 8:37-39). 4. The Word of God must be fulfilled t h o u gh "heaven people a nd t h e ir leaders.' II. T HE REIGN OF GÌOD. 1.
pass a w a y" ( M a rk 13:31. A nd all t h is h a p - p e n ed "That the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled" (v. 2). All will c o me to pass. S e v e n ty y e a rs m a y roll t h e ir w e a ry l e n g th along, b u t t he p r o m- ise will c om e; 430 years, as w i th Israel in E g y p t, b ut t he L o rd will r e m e m b er H i s p e o- ple; 4,000 y e a rs a s b e t w e en A d a m a n d Christ, b ut "in due time God sent forth His Son" (Gal. 4:4); 2,000 m o re a re n e a r ly p a s t, b ut t h e p r om i se of H is coming, spoken by a p o s- tles a nd p r o p h e ts since t he world began, is s u re a nd t he c a p t i v i ty of Israel shall end, a n d t he c h u r ch shall be delivered for "The mouth of the Lord has spoken It" (Heb. 10:37). 5. The proclamation. C y r us c a u s ed it to be proclaimed by word, a nd in w r i t- ing, "throughout all his kingdom." I m a g i ne t h e joy a m o n g t he c a p t i ve J e w s w h e n t he word w e nt out! "When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then w a s our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing" ( P s a. 126:1, 2). 6. Cyrus magnified the God of Israel, a n d a c k n o w l e d g ed H i m as God over all (v. 2) ; so did N e b u c h a d n e z z ar (Dan. 4:37), and, a c c o r d i ng to J o s e p h u s, A l e x a n- der, head of t he third empire, w o r s h i p p ed t h e n a m e of J e h o v ah on t he high priest's miter. T h us it is in one w a y or o t h er t he Lord uses t he J e w s a s H i s w i t n e s s e s. 7. He accepted the work of rebuilding the Lord's house (v. 2; Isa. 44:28), a nd t he k i ng b e c a me t h e ir "nursing father" (Isa. 49:23). 8. The permission. "Whosoever"—"God be with him"—"go up"—"build" (v. 3). It h as too o f t en b e en t he case t h a t t he k i n gs of t h e e a r th h a ve p e r s e c u t ed t he t r u e worship, b u t w h en a t r ue s e r v a nt of t he Lord c o m es to p o w er a nd gives his a u t h o r i ty to build- ing up t he w o rk of t he Lord, it is a h a p py t h i ng for t he people. 9. The king's provi- sion. "Help—with sliver and with gold,— goods—beasts—free will offerings," so t he people w e re p e r m i t t e d, encouraged, c o m- m a n d ed to give. It t a k es m o n ey to c a r ry on t he w o rk of t he h o u se of God; a n d in this case all responded heartily. T he f a t h e rs t he priests, t he Levites, all w h o se h e a r ts God stirred "rose up," "to go" a n d "build." A nd everybody m a de contribution, g e n e r o us f r i e n ds a m o ng t he P e r s i a n s, a s well a s Jews, which s h o ws t h a t t he J e w s h ad c o mm e n d ed t h e m s e l v es a nd t h e ir religion a m o n g t h e ir h e a t h en neighbors. T he k i ng himself joined in liberality a nd ordered his t r e a s u r er to r e- t u rn all t he gold a nd silver f u r n i s h i n gs which N e b u c h a d n e z z ar h ad t a k en f r om t he t e m p le a nd unintentionally g u a r d ed in t he providence of God t h r o u gh all t h e vicissi- t u d es of t he s e v e n ty years. All "gave after their ability" (v. 69; 1 Cor. 16:2; 2 Cor. 8:12). 10. The Caravan. A b o ut 50,000, inclusive of s e r v a n t s, possibly exclusive of wives a nd children, r e t u r n e d. More t h an N e b u c h a d- nezzar h ad deported. T h ey h ad increased in c a p t i v i t y! B ut p r o b a b ly t h ey included m e m - b e rs of t he 10 tribe captivity, w ho r e t u r n ed a s a n e a r n e st of Ezekiel's prediction (Ezek. 37:19). T he r o u te w a s probably by t he long- est, b ut s a f e st w a y (900 miles), a nd m u s t h a ve t a k en six m o n t h s. T h e ir h a r d s h i ps m u s t h a ve been v e ry g r e a t, a n d t he perils of the w a y by a r m ed tribes of robbers, a nd bv wild beasts, b ut God w a s w i th t h e m, a nd t he H o m e l a nd b e f o re t h e m; a nd so it is w i th H is pilgrims n o w a nd alway. And t h ey h ad "singing men and singing w ome n" (v. 65) to cheer t h e m a nd inspire w i th "hymns, and pslams, and spiritual songs" ( E p h. 5:19)-
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