Number of Those Returning
2 Now these are the [a]people of the province who came up out of the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away to Babylon, and returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his city. 2 [b]These came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, [c]Seraiah, [d]Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, [e]Mispar, Bigvai, [f]Rehum and Baanah.
The number of the men of the people of Israel: 3 the sons of Parosh, 2,172; 4 the sons of Shephatiah, 372; 5 the sons of Arah, 775; 6 the sons of Pahath-moab of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, 2,812; 7 the sons of Elam, 1,254; 8 the sons of Zattu, 945; 9 the sons of Zaccai, 760; 10 the sons of [g]Bani, 642; 11 the sons of Bebai, 623; 12 the sons of Azgad, 1,222; 13 the sons of Adonikam, 666; 14 the sons of Bigvai, 2,056; 15 the sons of Adin, 454; 16 the sons of Ater of Hezekiah, 98; 17 the sons of Bezai, 323; 18 the sons of [h]Jorah, 112; 19 the sons of Hashum, 223; 20 the sons of [i]Gibbar, 95; 21 the [j]men of Bethlehem, 123; 22 the men of Netophah, 56; 23 the men of Anathoth, 128; 24 the sons of [k]Azmaveth, 42; 25 the sons of [l]Kiriath-arim, Chephirah and Beeroth, 743; 26 the sons of Ramah and Geba, 621; 27 the men of Michmas, 122; 28 the men of Bethel and Ai, 223; 29 the sons of Nebo, 52; 30 the sons of Magbish, 156; 31 the sons of the other Elam, 1,254; 32 the sons of Harim, 320; 33 the sons of Lod, Hadid and Ono, 725; 34 the [m]men of Jericho, 345; 35 the sons of Senaah, 3,630.
Priests Returning
36 The priests: the sons of Jedaiah of the house of Jeshua, 973; 37 the sons of Immer, 1,052; 38 the sons of Pashhur, 1,247; 39 the sons of Harim, 1,017.
On first glance, one is tempted to say, “What do we do with this, is there anything we can learn?” To the Israelites, such an accounting was critically important because all these people would be hoping to reclaim their family land. As I was reminded recently, it was unlawful for them to permanently sell their inheritance. They could sell it to pay off debt, but it must be returned in the year of jubilee, which came every 50 years.
So at most, the sale of land was more like renting, though this was not always obeyed, and at times less scrupulous men would lie, cheat, steal, or even kill to acquire desirable pieces of land. The story of Ahab and Naboth is one famous example, where Naboth and his heirs were all murdered by Jezebel’s henchmen so that Ahab could turn a prized family vineyard into a vegetable garden.
Still, what has that to do with us today? If you are the child of the King of Heaven, you have an inheritance, though rich or poor. This is an eternal and irrevocable inheritance, and may be difficult to imagine what that will even look like. But we do know we will spend eternity with our Father, and Jesus said he goes to prepare a place for us. That is something no man can take, no demon of hell can steal it, for we are secure in His hand.
It is a comforting thought, that should give us great peace in a world that changes daily, and that is filled with evil. No matter what happens, when we trust in God with our whole heart, our future is sure. Our destiny is set in stone more permanent than mere physical rock. We are safe in His hands, the One who is our shield, our fortress, and our salvation. Rest in God’s unchanging and unconquerable arms of love and mercy, and trust His unfathomable peace to quiet your heart and mind.