Levites Returning
40 The Levites: the sons of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the sons of [n]Hodaviah, 74. 41 The singers: the sons of Asaph, 128. 42 The sons of the gatekeepers: the sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, the sons of Shobai, in all 139.
43 The temple servants: the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth, 44 the sons of Keros, the sons of [o]Siaha, the sons of Padon, 45 the sons of Lebanah, the sons of Hagabah, the sons of Akkub, 46 the sons of Hagab, the sons of Shalmai, the sons of Hanan, 47 the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar, the sons of Reaiah, 48 the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda, the sons of Gazzam, 49 the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah, the sons of Besai, 50 the sons of Asnah, the sons of Meunim, the sons of [p]Nephisim, 51 the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur, 52 the sons of [q]Bazluth, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha, 53 the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Temah, 54 the sons of Neziah, the sons of Hatipha.
55 The sons of Solomon’s servants: the sons of Sotai, the sons of [r]Hassophereth, the sons of [s]Peruda, 56 the sons of Jaalah, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel, 57 the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth-hazzebaim, the sons of [t]Ami.
58 All the temple servants and the sons of Solomon’s servants were 392.
59 Now these are those who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, [u]Addan and Immer, but they were not able to [v]give evidence of their fathers’ households and their [w]descendants, whether they were of Israel: 60 the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, 652.
Priests Removed
61 Of the sons of the priests: the sons of [x]Habaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai, who took a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and he was called by their name. 62 These searched among their ancestral registration, but they could not be located; therefore they were considered unclean and excluded from the priesthood. 63 The [y]governor said to them that they should not eat from the most holy things until a priest stood up with Urim and Thummim.
64 The whole assembly [z]numbered 42,360, 65 besides their male and female servants [aa]who numbered 7,337; and they had 200 singing men and women. 66 Their horses were 736; their mules, 245; 67 their camels, 435; their donkeys, 6,720.
68 Some of the heads of fathers’ households, when they arrived at the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem, offered willingly for the house of God to [ab]restore it on its foundation. 69 According to their ability they gave to the treasury for the work 61,000 gold drachmas and 5,000 silver minas and 100 priestly [ac]garments.
70 Now the priests and the Levites, some of the people, the singers, the gatekeepers and the temple servants lived in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.
It had to be disheartening for those who returned when their family records could not be located. Now certainly, it may have been that some were trying to take advantage of the opportunity to claim land that was not their own. I’m not sure what ever became of them, as a little research seems to show that the Urim and Thummim had not been used to consult God since the days of David and Samuel, and there do not seem to be records of them ever being “restored” to use after the exile.
Either way, the idea was that their fate rested in God’s hands, which is accurate of all our lives. We are not in control, and we should not despair that fact. Rather, it should be an encouragement that the fate of the world does not rest on our shoulders. No, that mighty weight rests alone on shoulders that can well bear the burden.
For us, it is to hear and listen for God’s path and look for His light shining in the darkness. Indeed, God asks us to play a part in His plan, but not for us to be conceited that we should be permitted to influence the course of the future, or to do amazing feats.
Of late, I’ve been continually reminded of this idea in C.S. Lewis’ Perelandra. God can and will use us to achieve incredible things, but it is not for us to take any glory in the accomplishment. Rather, we give all glory and credit to Him, so that we do not become puffed up, but also so that we do not become burdened with the responsibility that we may seem to have.
Our only responsibility is to trust Him, and do what He asks of us. Anything more is a false authority, and if we are not careful it can become a stumbling block or a load that threatens to crush us under the weight. So trust, obey, rest in Him and leave all the weighty and mighty things to the One who is mightiest of all.