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56. Return from
captivity.
It must be said in
praise of the Jews in their Babylonian captivity that from that time on
they abhorred idolatry, even though they lived among idolaters. They
repented of their sins and mourned and prayed. They would now have liked
to serve their God in Jerusalem. God also raised up prophets again in
captivity to comfort them. Does not one of them say: ‘If the wicked man
repents of all his sins which he has committed, and keeps my statutes
and does what is right and good, he shall not die, nor shall all his
transgressions which he has committed be remembered; but he shall live
because of the righteousness which he does. - Do you think that I am
pleased with the death of the wicked, says the Lord, and not rather that
he should turn from his ways and live?’
Furthermore:
‘I will seek again that which was lost, and will bring again that which
went astray, and will bind up that which was wounded, and will take care
of that which was weak, and will nurse it according to its rightful
place.’
And did not Daniel see one coming in the clouds of heaven like the Son
of Man? To him was given power and honour and kingdom, that all nations
should serve him without ceasing.
And did not Daniel see one coming in the clouds of heaven like the Son
of Man? To him was given power, honour and kingdom, that all nations
should serve him without ceasing.
But they were so scattered and helpless, and the Chaldeans, their
victors, were such a mighty and terrible people, that there was no
thought of salvation before human eyes. Many a man had died in the long
misery, never to see his fatherland. Many had been born and grown up in
a foreign land, knowing Jerusalem only by hearsay, and in addition to
all the horrors for some of them, a terrible war finally came to the
land. We know what a war is in a country. But how God is often so close
when he seems so far away! How man often fears and trembles before his
near salvation!
Cyrus, the Persian king, also called Cyrus, broke into the land unawares
with his brave Persians. He besieged Babylon, the proud city where the
Chaldeans lived, and conquered it. So the Jews became prisoners and
subjects of the Persians. But immediately in the first year of his reign,
what did King Cyrus do? He gave orders for the temple of God to be
rebuilt in Jerusalem: ‘And whoever is of his people,’ said the king,
‘may his God be with him, and may he go up to Jerusalem and build the
temple of his God!’ So the king gave the Jews permission to return to
their homeland, and they received silver and gold from the people they
were leaving. And the king restored to them all the vessels of silver
and gold, five thousand and four hundred in number, which the Chaldean
had carried away from the temple. Then all the mourners who carried
Jerusalem in their hearts lifted up their heads, and joyful prophetic
voices woke up again.
‘Shout for joy, you heavens, for the Lord has done it! Rejoice, O earth,
and shout for joy, O mountains and forests, for the Lord has redeemed
Jacob and is glorious in Israel.’ - ‘Jerusalem, lift up your voice with
might! Say to the cities of Judah: Behold, here is your God!’
But by no means all those to whom Kotes gave permission went back. Many
were already settled and wealthy in the land of their captivity. There
were only forty to fifty thousand who initially made the pilgrimage to
their homeland; Zerubbabel was their leader, and only later did others
follow.
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